BY FIONA MOTSA
MBABANE– Eswatini is making great strides to mitigate the impacts of Climate Change.
The country has committed to plant 1.2million trees in commemoration of International Forest Month and the Flora Protection Act is still to be strengthened in Eswatini.
The Eswatini Environment Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture are determined to ensure that the Flora Protection Act is met in Eswatini in order to mitigate changes to the environment made by the climate.
When sought for comment, EEA Information Officer Belusile Mhlanga mentioned to this reporter that trees were diminishing and it was about time everyone ensured their survival.
“We have 2000 indigenous trees that are to be planted. There was an outcry from emaSwati about the act as they said it would affect their livelihood.
“This is when we decided to have indigenous trees planted which will be protected under this act and allow emaSwati to use other trees for their day to day use. It should be everyone’s concern and obligation to realise that these trees will ensure sustainable lives for everyone,” said Mhlanga.
Mhlanga also mentioned that Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (ESWADE) also worked with them to help provide alternative and more sustainable ways for emaSwati to mitigate climate change.
The Flora Protection Act, 2001 Section 18 and 19 (1) reads as follows:
“Nothing contained in this Act shall operate to restrain bonafide Swazi rural dwellers from collecting and processing plants outside flora reserves for their personal and domestic use and not for sale or delivery to any other person pursuant to any cause whatsoever and section 19 states
“No person shall pick, pluck, cut, uproot or dig out any indigenous flora for the purpose of sale or offering for sale or for export or delivery with intent to export whole or parts of such flora without a permit from the Minister.”
Prime Minister His Excellency Cleopas Dlamini, during a tree planting campaign, at Mafutseni said that the importance of forests in our lives cannot be overstated during these times when climate change effects continuously ravage our countries.
“We all know the importance of trees in our environment. Trees provide livelihoods to almost two billion people worldwide and more than 13 million people are employed in this industry. Tree planting in Eswatini was identified as one of the pillars for economic recovery strategies from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the Prime Minister.
