GOD SE BOME IS KOSBAAR

- bewaar hulle!

God se kinders het respek vir Hom - vir sy heiligheid, almag en  koningskap. Dit sal verseker ook respek insluit vir sy skepping. Dis tog net logies : as ek die Skepper eer en aanbid sal ek ook sy skepping bewonder en oppas. Natuurlik het ons as Christene ‘n gebalanseerde benadering. Ons verafgod en aanbid nie die natuur nie. Ons het nie ‘n onrealistiese Greenpeace houding wat dikwels meer skade doen as goed nie. Ons erken met dankbaarheid dat God vir ons plante en diere gegee het om verantwoordelik te gebruik!

Namibië is geseënd met ‘n goeie grondwet wat voorsiening maak vir die bewaring van ons natuurlike erfenis. In praktyk werk dit ongelukkig nie altyd so op voetsoolvlak  nie. As boomliefhebber is ek baie bekommerd oor die uitroei van kosbare inheemse bome in ons relatief boomskaars en droë land.

Wes van Otavi vind mens pragtige groot mopanie (Colophospermum mopane) savanne. Reuse oeroue bome wat in harde omstandighede die toetse van die tyd, baie droogtes en veldbrande deurstaan het. Hierdie bome word nou teenstrydig met die wet vir die maak van houtskool afgekap. (Ek praat van groot bome, nie van struikmopanies nie!) Nie almal in die houtskoolbedryf beperk hulle blykbaar tot die ontginning van indringerbos soos sekelbos of swarthaak  nie! Vir kortstondige kontant word onherstelbare skade aangerig!

Nog ‘n bekommernis. In die Kavango streek vind die grootskaalse kap van pale plaas. Dis skaars stadig groeiende boomsoorte soos Vals Mopanie, hier ook genoem Osiwi (Guibourtia coleosperma) wat hiervoor aangewend word. In praktyk is dit ‘n bron wat nie hernubaar is nie. Veldbrande veroorsaak dat baie min nuwe jong boompies ooit sal oorleef. Dis ‘n pyn in die siel om die hope pale langs die paaie van ons pragtige land so te sien!

Hierdie pale word opgelaai in die Kavango deur 'n vragmotor met 'n Vrystaatse registrasienommer. Wonder of die eienaar daarvan weet?

Mag ons mense tog leer om respek vir bome te hê! Dis immers God se bome! “Die bome van die Here...” (Psalm 104:16)

GOD'S TREES ARE PRECIOUS
- protect them!

God’s children respect Him. His holiness, His omnipotence and Lordship. That will include respect for His creation. It rather goes without saying. If I honour and worship the Creator, I would also care for his creation! Off course, we as Christians have a balanced approach. We don’t  idolize or worship nature. We don’t support a Greenpeace type of attitude, which causes more harm than  good. We acknowledge with gratitude that God has  provided plants and animals for us to use in a responsible way!

Namibia is blessed with a good constitution which provides for the protection of our natural heritage. Unfortunately this doesn’t always have the desired effect in real life. As a lover of trees, I am very much concerned about the exploitation of our precious indigenous trees in our country which is quite dry and has relative few trees.

To the west of the town of Otavi, one finds a beautiful example of mature mopane (Colophospermum mopane) savannah. Ancient trees which survived the onslaught of ages, droughts and fires! These trees are cut in defiance of the law and used for the production of charcoal. (I refer to mopane trees and not mopane shrubland) It seems that the charcoal industry doesn’t always confine itself to the harvesting of encroaching species like sicklebush and swarthaak. The allure of quick bucks causes irreparable damage to our environment.

Another concern. Large scale harvesting of poles takes place in the Kavango region. Rare slow growing species like African Rose, locally known as Osivi (Guibourtia coleosperma) are exploited. This is for all practical purposes a resource that is not renewable. Annual fires prevent most sapplings to mature. It is painful to see the heaps of poles from these rare trees along our country’s roads for sale.

May our people learn  to respect our precious trees! In fact, these trees are God’s trees! “The trees of the Lord...” Psalm 104:16