PLEASE, LOOK AFTER YOUR CATTLE

Sir,

I am good at thinking you know. It is one of those things I do best.

I have been noting and keeping stock of what is happening up in Bhunya and areas surrounding the tree plantations.
Swazis never cease to surprise me.

They love their cattle but never look after their beloved investment.
Chatting with one guy, he mentioned to me how wretched he was after losing about 26 heads of his cattle in the forest.
Before there were forest rangers, cattle used to disappear a lot.

They were stolen while they spent nights and days in the forest, without anyone looking after them.
However, they are known to be Swazis’ best form of investment.
They were even dubbed Libhange lemaSwati.

Now, with Montigny Group taking over the former Usutu Forests Plantations, a few things are bound to change.
Cattle used to roam freely in the forest. Now, Montigny has new rules.

The rules are becoming stricter and after being patient with the surrounding communities for over two years since taking up the forests, Montigny is now starting to impound stray cattle. They did not just wake up, of course and decide to impound these stray animals. There were figures involved…money, you know?
It is true that no one wants to invest their money where there are too many risks involved. My business studies tell me that The Value Chain suggests that businesses create value by performing a range of activities, some of which are considered primary and others supportive.

These activities are largely controllable by the individual organisation.
This suggests that an organisation must continuously monitor events in its environment to remain in business. Society largely depends on business to satisfy its needs for products, services and employment.
Conversely, a business depends on its environment for such resources as labour, capital and raw material.

In a certain sense, the business can be regarded as a creation of its environment in that its assets, income, problems, opportunities and continued survival depend on the environment.
Because of changes in the environment, management is continually forced to make adjustments to its competitive strategy.
There is therefore, a continual interaction between the organisation and its environment. This, to a large extent, determines how the organisation is structured and how it functions.
In a dynamic environment, management must strive to adapt timorously and effectively to current and anticipated changes in its environment.

A thorough investigation or scanning of the environment is, therefore, essential. As much as businesses are aware of and their plans may incorporate other stakeholders, including their neighbouring communities, in turn, government must come to the party as well. Government must be informed about the risks and challenges of organisations conducting business in the country.
For instance, in the forestry business, the two main challenges are fires and livestock.  Owners of livestock in neighbouring communities do not want to look after their livestock.
The animals go anywhere in the forest and do as they please. Meanwhile, there are small trees which are prone to damage.
That is money getting trampled on.

People were warned at first to follow their cattle into the forest and to ask for permits so that they avoid problems.
There is even a toll-free number, which people can use to speak to the company about this matter. Instead, community members are quick to make threats about burning the forests in winter.
That is so lame.

Hundreds of people are employed by Montigny and its sub-contractors.
It seems as if many people just cannot wait to attack the wrong company for frustrations they had in the past.
Even contract workers want to show their frustrations, mostly in winter. I just wonder if government cannot come up with a structured plan to fence up the forests, especially those close to these troublesome neighbours.
The company, together with government and other stakeholders, like Mlilwane, can work out a plan on this. When small trees are destroyed, money is lost.

When you calculate all the money at the end of the day, you find that it would have been worth it to spend it on fencing up the problem-prone areas. Forest rangers can be dispatched to patrol along the lines, just as soldiers patrol border lines instead of patrolling all over the place.

There could be gates in the main entry points to the forest.
That would surely control the number of hunters and timber thieves entering the forest. I know that this is a costly exercise and may sound stupid to some but some investments sound costly and far-fetched, until someone takes the risk and realises later that they actually made a wise move.

Sonboy Harris
MANZINI

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: