The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) on Monday the 30th of October hosted the Lupane Community representatives, the Forestry Commission, and Lupane Community Based Organisations for a Community Timber Logging Monitoring workshop in Hwange.
The goal was to strengthen community systems to monitor timber logging.
Matebeleland has over the years experienced problems with timber logging. Timber processing companies reap off communities by harvesting the wood without ploughing the profits back through corporate social responsibility developmental projects.
The workshop by CNRG therefore sought to strengthen the communities so that they are able to effectively demand accountability in timber logging.
It was in line with the Strengthening Extractive and Natural Resources Sector Transparency and Accountability through Citizen Action and parliamentary oversight in Zimbabwe (STACAP) project.
The broader aim of the project is to strengthen and empower communities and citizens to effectively hold duty-bearers, state actors and the executive accountable.
During the workshop, Evans Gwenhere, the district manager of the Forestry Commission (FC) for Lupane, gave a presentation on the organization’s role and encouraged the Kusile Rural District Council, which oversees Lupane Town and the local community, to collaborate closely with the FC to develop indigenous solutions for timber logging.
“To ensure sustainable forest management, the Forestry Commission and local communities play a critical role in monitoring timber logging activities. This can promote transparency and accountability, improved forest management and community benefiting from timber.”
Companies that were granted harvesting concessions just come and harvest the wood, then leave without paying any royalties or fulfilling their social corporate obligations. This has left the communities in a state of extreme poverty with no tangible benefits.
This is in contrast to the Communal Lands Forestry Produce Act, which specifies that local habitats should benefit from flora resources in their vicinity.
This is also enshrined in Chapter 14 of the Constitution, which states that locals should benefit from their natural resources.
Speaking during the workshop on timber Logging in Lupane, Tawanda Mazongo, the programs coordinator of Lupane Youth for Development, acknowledged that politics has frequently trumped the wood industry, making it challenging to track down and demand accountability.
“The timber industry is extremely delicate and a money pit for the big boys. There is still limited opportunity for communities to become involved in promoting accountability and transparency in this largely closed sector,” he said.
Forest communities in Lupane are at risk of being displaced by settlers, illegal loggers, and companies. This not only devastates the people who rely on forests for their livelihoods and culture, but it also contributes to global climate change by removing community forests as carbon sinks.