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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
ZIMBABWE has seen a surge in the expansion of residential suburbs, which has led to a high demand for construction materials that includes sand.

According to recent rapid surveys done by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), approximately 1 594 ha of land is affected by sand poaching in the country.

In the Midlands province, sand poaching hotspots are in Ngamo area in Gweru, Kwekwe River and area close to Dutchman’s pool in Kwekwe and in Mvuma the hotspot is along Sebakwe Road.

These are just some of the hotspots from which more than 30 tickets for transporting sand without a licence have been issued, according to EMA.

Most sand poachers operate under the cover of the night.

With the surge in poaching of sand, planet Earth is running out of raw materials.

Sand and gravel are the second largest resource extracted and traded by volume after water.

Yet it is one of the least regulated activities in many regions. These aggregates are in most cases a free resource but their extraction comes at the expense of other economic sectors and local livelihoods.

The extraction of the resource is; damaging houses and other infrastructure, resulting in the arrival of less tourists and the loss of agricultural land to extreme events such as floods, droughts, storms, to the undercutting or undermining of engineering structures such as bridges, side protection walls and structures for water supply among others. Sand mining always has a cost.

In Ngamo area for example, power lines fell and roads were destroyed as a result of illegal sand abstraction done by poachers who don’t value anything other than the sand.

The dredging and extraction of aggregates from the bottom of the rivers and dams destroys organisms, habitats and ecosystems.

This deeply affects the composition of biodiversity and usually leads to a net decline in faunal biomass and abundance or a shift in species composition.

Long-term recovery can occur only where original sediment composition is being restored.

Besides the damage of sand extraction itself, it’s important to also take into account the carbon dioxide emissions from transportation.

Sand is needed to make concrete but by poaching and selling sand, sand miners are degrading the same suburbs they’re helping to build.

In Gweru, Kwekwe, Mvuma and just like many areas around the country there is an ever-increasing demand for housing as local authorities and chiefs have over the years been issuing housing stands as demand for accommodation rises.

Vungu Rural District Council (RDC) chief executive officer Mr Alex Magura said illegal sand poaching is rampant especially in the Ngamo area.

“The abstraction of sand and gravel is becoming one of the biggest challenges we are facing. The poachers have launched relentless and sustained attacks on the environment, destroying thousands of acres of land, digging pits and river sand,” he said.

Mr Magura said they have two licensed individuals who sell sand and gravel who pay license fees to the local authority.

“But if you go to Ngamo, you will be shocked that many farm or plot holders are engaged in illegal trade of these resources. We had a blitz with the police and EMA among other Government departments in a bid to contain this scourge but you won’t find them during the day. They are night riders and use some rough roads with their unroadworthy trucks,” he said.

The gravel and sand from Ngamo area is brought to Gweru by poachers using dilapidated trucks.

The poachers, armed with picks, shovels and all sorts of earth moving artillery, are a constant feature in Ngamo where their operations have left a trail of unrehabilitated pits strewn all over.

These pits suddenly turn into dangerous deep pools when filled with water during the rainy spell.

Sand poachers have left behind a trail of land degradation such as pen pits/gullies which are life-threatening to both humans and animals.

They have also led to the destruction of vital infrastructure that is roads, electricity pylons, residential stands and reticulation system pipes.

Mr Tinashe Mashindi, a villager in Ngamo area said it was high time that Government departments united and fought against the poachers.

He said people who are constructing houses and shops for example are known as evidence by the resource that is found on their stands and should be able to provide proof of the origin of the sand.

“Yes, we understand that poachers have gone unpunished over the years but an operation targeted at people who are constructing houses and shops should be made mandatory. These people should be asked where they got the sand and fined. That way they will be deterred from buying the resources from poachers,” said Mr Mashindi.

He said some of the pits and gullies have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes that cause malaria.
The Ngamo community has initiated some programmes to reclaim the pits in the face of adversity from some unruly members of the society.

“This is my farm. I am trying to plant trees such as gum trees and all the other varieties so that I can fill up these pits left by poachers. I had fenced the whole place so that I could protect my domestic animals but alas, the thieves came and stole the wire. We are in big trouble from other guys who just bulldoze their way into our plot,” said a plot holder Ms Martha Mugariri.

EMA Midlands provincial spokesperson Mr Oswald Ndlovu said the agency was aware of the problems affecting the area and warned of impending stern measures against those who break the law.

“In the Midlands province, sand poaching hotspots are in Ngamo area in Gweru, Kwekwe river and area close to Dutchman’s pool in Kwekwe and in Mvuma, the hot spot is along Sebakwe Road. These are just some of the hotspots from which over 30 tickets for transporting sand without a licence have been issued,” he said.

“We try our level best to deal with the poaching problems. We are saying people should seek the necessary clearance before embarking on extraction of river sand. We are working with other arms of the Government and those on the wrong side of the law will surely be brought to book.”

Issues of land degradation through sand poaching are fast gaining traction as the world is battling to fight the effects of climate change amid calls for stiffer penalties for people who engage in such activities.