EMA declares war on sand poachers

THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is pleading with local authorities to put in place measures to protect local dams from illegal sand miners.

In an interview with The Herald, an inspector with EMA, Mr Gilbert Mugunzva, said that one of the worst affected dams was at Retreat Farm in Harare.

“Retreat Farm used to be a plantation and it has a dam that provides water for agricultural activities,” he said. “Sand miners have been mining sand close to the farm’s dam wall, which is affecting its infrastructure and that is a threat to people downstream who will be affected if the wall collapses.”

Mr Mugunzva said there was need for the authorities to come up with a solid plan that could provide a lasting solution to the predicament, as the sand miners’ activities were illegal.

“The other issue is that the activities are illegal and it is prudent for the local authorities to designate an area where sand mining should take place.

“As EMA we have been engaging the City of Harare and other local authorities in the metropolitan province. They are not coming up with designated sites and we need them to do so, so that we can control the damage being done by the sand miners,” he said.

“The illegal miners are very difficult to control because they always run away when they come across law enforcement agencies and it becomes difficult to continue with our cat and mouse games.

“It should be the responsibility of the land owner to manage and look after their resources. Once they see that there is an owner there who is actually concerned they are unlikely to continue with their illegal activities.

“The only action we can take is to conduct joint operations with the ZRP and the city council.”