TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Sand poaching in and around the City of Bulawayo has increased over the last few months with the potential to cause damage to houses and roads, it has been learnt.
This has caused environmental degradation.
Member of Parliament for Pumula constituency, Sichelesile Mahlangu, said residents are living in fear as the poachers move around with machetes. She the poaching has created environmental degradation and the pits created are deep enough to “bury a whole Honda Fit”.
“Two weeks back we had a meeting with the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association whereby residents complained that sand poachers are digging near their houses. This happens at night and they will be carrying dangerous weapons like machetes. Then we alerted Zimbabwe Republic Police and they assessed the situation. And we decided to look for people who will guard the place because they are harassing older people,” she said.
Areas like, Luveve, Pumula, St Peter’s, Mpopoma, Pelandaba West, Nkulumane, Matshobana, Entumbane and Cowdray Park are some of the places where rampant sand poaching is taking place, while, according to the latest council minutes, Mazwi Nature Reserve has experienced rampant chopping down of trees for firewood allegedly by the St Peters community and Khami prison officers.
Mahlangu said police and the Bulawayo City Council should work together in arresting sand poachers.
“They have dug near a house and what’s left is for it to fall. This is not a good thing.”
Bulawayo City Council, police, Environmental Management Agency and other authorities have somehow failed to control the sand poachers, she said.
Mahlangu said the poachers have gone unpunished over the years as some of them operate during the night using unregistered vehicles which in most cases are not roadworthy.
Two months ago, an amateur miner died at one of the tunnels in Robert Sinyoka after a tunnel collapsed.
But the poachers remain undeterred as their product has a ready market in Bulawayo as many people are building houses.
