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Cutting down trees is a sin
Alber Masaka, Daily News
December 08, 2013

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2013/12/08/cutting-down-trees-is-a-sin

Harare provincial minister, Miriam Chikukwa yesterday urged Chitungwiza residents to preserve forests saying indiscriminately cutting down trees was a sin.

Speaking at Tree Planting Day celebrations at Tafadzwa Primary School in Seke yesterday, Chikukwa said Zimbabwe was a God-fearing nation so people should desist from unnecessarily cutting down trees.

“Humanity’s obligation to take care of trees dates back to the age of creation.”

The minister also urged councillors not to let inter-party rivalry take centre stage at the expense of national development.

“I urge you all here, especially councillors present to rope in your people and put politics aside to support national events such as these. We are one people, political parties are only a way to get into leadership.”

She urged council to work together and respect their mayor (Phillip Mutoti) just as she also respected her leader President Robert Mugabe.

The current Chitungwiza council is made up of 15 MDC councillors and 10 from Zanu-PF and is under immense pressure to rectify municipality created chaos by past administrations whose political brinkmanship and bickering created a haven for corruption.

At the same event, the councillor Kalisto Masango, whose ward 13 hosted the event, lamented the lack of electricity in most households as the major cause of deforestation.

“More than half of about 5 000 new stands in my ward have no electricity burdening people who when they do not have paraffin, opt for firewood.”

Asked about this, Mutoti said since they have started the programme, every resident is now a policeman guarding against the wanton cutting down of trees.

The event was attended by Forestry Commission officials, parents and pupils who performed traditional dances.

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