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The panners, popularly known as otsheketsha/makorokoza, intentionally cause veld fires by torching grass where they intend to mine gold.

Speaking during a media tour recently, the Environmental Management Agency monitoring and planning officer for Matabeleland South province, Mrs Amkela Sidange said the illegal gold panners were burning grass so that their metal detectors could be easily operated.

“It is said that these metal detectors operate better where there is plain ground without grass and for this reason the gold panners are burning the veld and by so doing destroy what would be good pasture for livestock in the province,” she said.

Most illegal gold panners in the province have resorted to the use of metal detectors imported from South Africa, as it has proved to make  life easier for them in their panning business.

Besides fires, the gold panners have also caused environmental degradation by digging several pits in search of gold which they later leave uncovered causing risk to both human beings and livestock which might fall into these pits.

More than 20 000 hectares of land have been lost to veld fires in Matabeleland South province with Insiza district being the worst hit followed by Umzingwane and Matobo districts.

Insiza district has so far recorded 23 fire incidences that destroyed 18 700 hectares.

However, Mrs Sidange said some unscrupulous business people mostly from urban areas were also purposely setting fires in rural and resettlement areas so that cattle from these areas are left without pastures forcing small-scale farmers to sell their beasts.

“Such acts of sabotage have forced small-scale farmers to sell their beasts for a song since they would have lost weight due to insufficient grazing,” said Mrs Sidange.

She said veld fires speeded up the characteristics of desertification as the burnt bushes might take years to recover or not recover at all.

Other fire incidences were said to be caused by the community itself when clearing land for cultivation.