First Lady attends key meeting with stakeholders in the environment

Tendai Rupapa –Senior Reporter

Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa, First Lady and Secretary for Environment and Tourism in Zanu PF politburo, met this week with the secretaries of Environment and Tourism of the 10 provinces to discuss their roles, promote tree-planting and to share knowledge about environmental conservation issues that will help them develop their communities and nation.

This is because the First lady, who is also the country’s Environment ambassador, has in a short time this past year led to the planting and awareness of more than 10300 trees.

Amai Mnangagwa, the provincial secretary, encouraged everyone to come together at her Harare office and help plant trees, thus conserving the environment, including forests and potential tourist spots.

They were also encouraged to help the elderly and those less fortunate in their communities.

Yesterday’s educational meeting was attended by stakeholders from the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Forestry Commission, Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe, Environmental Management Agency, National Monuments and Monuments of Zimbabwe, and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), who took turns to educate the group on tourism and environment.

During an induction workshop for Zanu PF provincial secaries of environment and tourism at Zimbabwe House, Tuesday, Environment and Tourism Patron, Zanu PF Secretary of Tourism in the Politburo First lady Auxillia Maungagwa, and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive officer, Mr Givemore Chidzidzi, talks to Mr Munesu Munodawafa (centre), and Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry permanent secretary Mr Munesu Munodawafa

In her remarks, First Lady said that it was incumbent on citizens to protect the environment as well as promote sustainable environmental management and practices.

A new team was formed through an internal election. It is evident that the party’s Tourism and Environment portfolio is ready for new ideas.

But, our role should not be limited to delivering on the party’s goals.

Our policy-making in the provinces must reflect a national perspective. This is our responsibility to the national interest as leaders, whose legitimacy is derived largely from the aspirations of the people we represent and the communities they serve. The relevant themes from our last session will be reflected in the third edition of our annual engagement, with a view towards fostering continuity and achieving our long-term strategic goals.

She said that we must consolidate all of our resolutions in order to make vision 2030 a reality.

She stated that the meeting provided an opportunity for the party to revisit its mandate to determine and implement policies that affect the tourism and environment management sectors.

The First Lady stated that the Zanu PF constitution had to be incorporated into the wider national and global policy goals of tourism and the environment.

This meeting should result in ideas that are relevant to each other’s ability to create a schedule of activities that will promote tourism and the environment. This workshop should have a significant impact on the lives of people who participate in its policy discussions.

Beyond the rhetoric, we all have a great job of ensuring that our sector contributes meaningfully to Zimbabwe’s economic growth as espoused in Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo principle.

She stated that the workshop will help us fully utilize the opportunities offered by the tourism sector to achieve long-term economic goals.

The mother of the nation expressed gratitude that God spared Zimbabwe the wrath caused by natural disasters in 2021’s last half.

This was not meant to be a reason to be complacent. The nation needed to be more determined in order to preserve the environment in all the provinces.

We have been friends and comrades over the years and have had to deal with natural disasters like cyclones, climate change, and others.

We have also failed to fulfill our environmental mandate, leading to excessive destruction of forests, wetlands, and wildlife, among other things.

Human activities have caused more than 60% of Zimbabwe’s wetlands to disappear.

We have expanded into our wetlands due to our endless desire to improve ourselves through the construction of homes and other types of infrastructure.

We have intentionally ignored the ecological value wetlands play in controlling climate change, preventing flooding and purifying our waters, among other important environmental preservation imperatives.

Both as a party and government, we have a responsibility to protect the environment and promote sustainable management and practices.

This is because the success of our tourism industry is dependent on how we interact and protect our environment.

The First Lady stated that her travels in all provinces had given her exposure to many cultures and traditions that have served as anchors for the nation.

So, the rich cultural motifs in rural homesteads that are cared for by women not only preserve our cultural heritage but also serve as a source of tourist attraction.

These spaces are an alternative to traditional tourist sites in Zimbabwe.

Therefore, I challenge all of you to think of new ways to mobilize people through grassroots based tourist.

Participation by communities is essential in promoting local tourism from the cell to the provincial level. This is because many of our cultural heritages have the potential to attract tourist attention if they are well packaged and market.

This will create employment opportunities for our youths, and women, and help to develop the country’s socio-economic potential.

The First Lady asked the nation to follow Covid-19 health and hygiene regulations for social distancing and proper wearing of masks.

Secretary for Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mr Munesu Munodawafa, said that the secretary for Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry was asked to encourage provincial secretaries for Environment and Tourism to play a leading role with regard to veld fire management in order to protect people, livestock, and property from fire.

He encouraged them to join the national cleanup campaign together with their communities to achieve Vision 2030.

Mr Munodawafa stated that there were opportunities for waste management in projects such as green-energy technologies, waste recycling and waste to energy, remediation technology, and eco-tourism.

He also stated that wetlands protection provided opportunities for consolidated orchards, fisheries, and irrigation schemes.

He gave the Masvingo example of Njovo, a wetland.

Mr Munodawafa spoke further about the negative effects of deforestation, saying that forests are responsible for recharging underground wells. Deforestation is increasing the loss of native trees that take a long time before reaching maturity.

It is increasing the siltation of our internal water bodies. He suggested that we all mobilize our communities to plant trees in support the First Lady’s tree planting campaign.

The provincial secretaries pledged to share with their communities the knowledge that they had acquired.

During Tuesday’s induction meeting at Zimbabwe House, one of the Zanu PF provincial secretary of environment and tourism makes a presentation.

They also praised the First Lady for her leadership in conservation of the environment.

Cde Edith Kagoro (Zanu PF national secretary, Environment and Tourism), expressed gratitude to First Lady for yesterday’s educative encounter.

I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more from our department, on behalf of secretaries for Environment and Tourism. Today, Amai showed us the importance of our work.

We have been shown in our communities that we are secretaries for Environment and Tourism. This has allowed us to do a great job of visiting the communities and assessing the environment. It has also helped us to understand that we must work with all the community, regardless of status.

We have learned that littering is a major problem in our community.

Diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and others thrive in areas with dirt. We must practice good hygiene. We have learned that it is important to preserve both exotic and native trees.

Trees take time to grow but are quick to destroy. She said that this is where oxygen, medicines, and shade come.

Cde Mebo Zombi, the secretary of Environment and Tourism in Midlands, was equally grateful.

Amai taught us that it is important to remember our elderly and provide assistance. With the words of Amai, we will leave here and go out and help the elderly and the less fortunate.

During Tuesday’s induction workshop at Zimbabwe House, Mr Munesu Munodawafa, ZTA CEO, Givemore Chidzidzi, and Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Permanent Secretary Mr Munesu Munodawafa, the Zanu PF provincial secretaries for environment and tourism took notes.

We will all play our part in conserving our wetlands based on the lessons we have learned today. I have learned that it is impossible to teach people how to preserve these trees if there are no fruit trees in my yard. To help my community learn something from me, I must first plant fruit trees in my backyard. We learned the importance to plant trees because there were animals in our province who lived in forests nearby our communities. But, because of the destruction of trees they fled. There were zebras in Jakani. She said that we have learned to form teams to clean the environment frequently.

Cde Kudakwashe Matsaka of Binga said that he appreciates the First Ladys efforts to preserve and enhance the environment.

We are grateful for the opportunity given to us by her excellency, the First Lady. We have taken note with excitement of the roadmap she gave us as provincial members, and the challenge she has set us.

She has basically set the tone that we should work aggressively. She has given us the task of starting a tree planting program. This will be implemented immediately by Mat North province. Amai has also asked us to investigate the issue surrounding wetlands and the possibilities that exist in that area. Amai has also challenged us all to examine environmental issues and encouraged us to join EMA in cleaning up the environment. He said that we were taught to cooperate with everyone because love is the only way to build a nation.

Cde Washington Zindoga, Mashonaland West Province, said that he would take what the First Lady had told them to the district level and cell level sharing the information.