Blessings Chidhakwa-Municipal Reporter

“We often abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect,” an American author, philosopher, naturalist, scientist, ecologist, forester, conservationist, and environmentalist Aldo Leopold once said.

The massive land degradation in Zimbabwe has become a cause for serious concern due to the vast tracts of arable land being lost daily.

Worrying is that precious lives of both humans and animals are being lost to accidents caused by numerous open pits dug and left uncovered by sand poachers.

Most of those involved in activities like sand poaching and brick moulding that lead to land degradation usually leave open pits and never think of rehabilitating the land afterwards. 

All they think of are profits but at whose expense? 

Let us all spare a thought for the future generations and save the land.

It baffles the mind to note that the growing devastation caused by sand poaching, illegal quarrying and brick moulding in and around Harare has now resulted in a total of 228 hectares of land being degraded over the past few years, with 310 open pits being dug.

While the fight back by the authorities is now intensifying, with substantial fines being levied, much more still needs to be done for protection of the land.

A more holistic approach is needed as each time there are raids on those involved in the illegal business of sand poaching and brick moulding nothing materialises.

Information on forthcoming raids is usually leaked within some local authorities, lessening the effect as the enforcers arrive when the culprits would have withdrawn from the scene.

According to latest confidential reports, the ongoing blitz organised by key actors including local authorities, police and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) in Harare, have resulted in 12 tickets issued to sand poachers in three days, with assessed fines of $420 000 being issued.

“In the areas raided, it was noted that 228,1 hectares of land have been degraded with a total of 310 open pits dug by illegal sand miners,” reads the report compiled by EMA.

EMA further says five vehicles were issued with tickets for illegally transporting sand without a permit, one for illegal sand mining and six for selling sand at undesignated sites.

“The purpose of the operation was to reduce these illegal activities from taking place and to ensure environmental compliance is upheld by all citizens,” said EMA. “The operation began on April 28 to May 1, 2021.”

Furthermore, EMA points out that the focus of the blitz was on illegal sand miners, transporters, roadside sand sellers and brick moulders activities that led to the serious land degradation.

“Harare Metropolitan Province is facing serious challenges of land degradation emanating from illegal activities which include sand mining and brick moulding,” said EMA.

“The Provincial Development Coordinator (PDC) organised a joint sand/brick moulding operation with key actors which include local authorities in Ruwa, Epworth, Chitungwiza and Harare, ZRP and EMA.

“The purpose of the operation was to reduce these illegal activities from taking place and to ensure environmental compliance is upheld by all citizens. The operation managed to issue a total of 12 tickets with an assessed fine of $420 000.”

EMA noted that the blitz conducted in Epworth and Chitungwiza was affected by tip-offs to the illegal sand miners and transporters by some officials, hence both operations were compromised in those local authorities.

It is suspected that the sand poachers work hand in glove with some city workers, especially those from municipal police who are supposed to stop the illegal activities.

Various factors have been thrown around over the major drivers of land degradation, but sand and clay mining are arguably one of the major drivers in Zimbabwe’s urban, semi urban and rural service centres as well as growth points, mainly due to construction activities.

Most of the miners of sand and clay do so from undesignated points and do not rehabilitate the land afterwards.

The abandoned sites are characterised by severe land degradation, with huge open pits which are a death trap to human beings and animals.

Illegal sand mining results in various adverse effects including having a direct cause of soil erosion. Soil particles loosen during extraction and movement of vehicles.

It also causes turbidity in water which disrupts photosynthesis on aquatic plants and blocks fish gills and massive deforestation especially where brick moulding is practised.

Legal provisions to safeguard the land are there, but little or no efforts are being made to enforce them by the relevant authorities.

According to Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007 for EIA and Ecosystem Protection: “No person shall excavate, remove, possess or licence the removal of clay or sand deposit for commercial purposes without a licence by the Agency.”

The extraction of sand should be carefully monitored in order to prevent land degradation that may ravage the aesthetic value for the environment.

Ecosystems protection is everyone’s responsibility, therefore, anyone who wishes to excavate sand or clay should apply for a licence from EMA. 

The applicant must first consult the local authority for a designated piece of land from where the extraction can be done.

The local inspectors together with the applicant then come up with a detailed excavation and Environmental Rehabilitation/Management Plan for the site for consideration by EMA before extraction.