Bulawayo, (New Ziana) – In a move to combat deforestation and restore ecological balance, the City of Bulawayo has launched an ambitious plan to plant 10 million indigenous trees over the next 10 years.
City Mayor David Coltart announced the plans on Wednesday while officially opening the indigenous tree pocket forest at the Centenary park.
The event also coincided with the Indigenous Tree Day Commemorations.
Launched just 18 months ago as a Pan-African initiative, Indigenous Tree Day has now spread to over 25 countries, including solidarity plantings as far as Hawaii.
This year’s theme, “Our Trees, Our Identity” underscored the ecological and cultural urgency behind reviving native species.
In Zimbabwe, where deforestation has surged from 100,000 hectares annually in the 1990s to over 330,000 hectares today, the stakes are particularly high.
Coltart told stakeholders that the project is part of the council`s broader plan to green the city and promote planting of the indigenous trees.
He framed the initiative as both an ecological necessity and a social justice mission, citing stark disparities between the city’s lush low-density suburbs and barren high-density areas.
“We have an ambitious goal to plant 10 million indigenous trees in the next 10 years. Its part of our project to green our city and promote planting of indigenous trees,” he said.
Coltart said the local authority wants to transform the city in the next 10 to 20 years by developing indigenous tree nurseries and by ensuring that all spaces have trees.
“I mentioned it last week, if you look on Google Maps what is startling is the difference in colour between our suburbs to the west of the city and our suburbs to the east of the city,” he said.
“From satellite images, you will see that our suburbs, our high density suburbs are brown while our low density are green. This is indication that because of our history, we have neglected people in the high density suburbs.
“They have the forestation that the eastern low-density suburbs have. We have to set ourselves this practical goal so that if you look at our city on google maps in 10 to 20 years you will see some uniform colour of green right across the nation.
“Our rural areas are blessed with naturally regenerating forest ecosystems sustained by birds, animals, and insects, not human hands. Yet in the city, we have planted poisons like syringas and jacarandas. They’re dying now, leaving us browner and poorer for it.”
Coltart mayor said the city recently adopted an environmental policy which includes plans to establish urban micro-forests, school-based tree nurseries, and stricter regulations on exotic species.
“This isn’t just about planting trees, it’s about justice. Why should only low-density suburbs have shade, clean air, and birdsong? We need every child in Mpopoma or Nkulumane to grow up under a umkhomo (wild fig), not a withering syringa,” he said.
He said this project will need the involvement of young children in particular.
“We must empower communities to grow their own nurseries and re-green Bulawayo’s neglected spaces. They are not uniform. There are literally about 100 species. We have drawn these from obviously the region. It’s not just a matter of planting trees,” he added.
Speaking at the same occasion, African Indigenous Tree Planters (AITP) in Zimbabwe representative, Busi Malunga described the event as both a defiance against deforestation and a reclamation of heritage.
“Today, we are not just planting trees, we are sowing seeds of resilience, pride, and possibility.
“At a time when the world speaks of biodiversity loss in dire tones, we choose to respond with action through unity, conservation, and restoration,” she said.
“These trees are not just carbon sinks or shade providers but they are living libraries of medicine, food, and ancestral knowledge. When we lose indigenous trees, we erase chapters of our history and compromise our future,” said Malunga.
New Ziana
