Minister Warns Against Encroachment on Protected Forest Reserves in Ngabwe District
Collins Nzovu, the Minister of Green Economy and Environment, has urged the people of Ngabwe District to refrain from encroaching on protected forest reserves. He emphasized that such encroachment leads to the unauthorized felling of trees, especially given the district’s attractiveness for crop and pastoral agriculture due to favorable rainfall and fertile soil.
Nzovu noted that the increasing migration to Ngabwe has resulted in concerning practices like charcoal burning, forest reserve encroachment, and indiscriminate tree cutting for agriculture. He explained that the area’s good rainfall patterns are a result of its forest cover, and once the forest is depleted, these patterns will deteriorate, affecting grazing lands as well.
During a community sensitization meeting at Ngabwe Secondary School, the Minister also addressed various national issues such as debt restructuring, Constituency Development Funds (CDF), fertilizer distribution, the fight against corruption, and the government’s commitment to combat climate change.
He assured the community that the government, under the UPND New Dawn Government, is prioritizing the construction of the Kabwe-Ngabwe road, with plans to upgrade it to bituminous standard by the next year. Nzovu also promised improvements in radio and mobile network coverage, addressing some of the challenges faced by the residents.
Nzovu’s visit to Ngabwe aimed to raise awareness about the negative consequences of encroaching on protected forest lands and the impact of climate change on the community’s wealth and resources.
