Forestry Commission Confiscates Firewood

Source: The Herald

Date: 1 March 2008

Author: Anon

Firewood worth $7 billion suspected to have been illegally harvested in and around Marondera was last week confiscated by the Forestry Commission.

The commission's Mashonaland East Provincial Forestry Extension Manager Mr Abedinigo Marufu said they arrested six people who have since paid admission of guilty fines. He revealed that another 80 cubic metres of firewood were also impounded in the province and was awaiting disposal.

"The six culprits from Marondera were apprehended along the Harare-Mutare highway and fined a total of $1billion. We confiscated 60 cubic metres of firewood in Seke and Goromonzi districts but some of the culprits fled when they saw our vehicle," he said.

Mr Marufu pointed out that the ban on movement of firewood was still in force and had yielded positive results since it was effected in December last year. He said districts that were most affected in the province were Seke, Goromonzi and Marondera. "We would like to severely warn the public that illegal tree cutting is a serious offence and our officers in collaboration with the police will continue to mount roadblocks and conduct random searches whenever they get information and leads.

"We appeal to resettled farmers who have forests on their farms to jealously guard them against poachers," said Mr Marufu.