Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza
THE city’s water is under siege.
Illegal gold panners are tearing through Bulawayo’s Umzingwane water catchment area, and authorities are fighting back with arrests, impoundments and hefty fines.
Between January and June, 36 suspected gold panners were nabbed by municipal rangers during a blitz targeting the fast-growing mining invasion.
Bulawayo City Council revealed in its latest minutes that 49 hand tools, including axes, picks, shovels and gold detectors, were seized and handed over to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) as evidence.
“As the norm, joint patrols were conducted with Esigodini ZRP and 36 illegal gold panners were arrested. Hand tools were handed over to ZRP as exhibits and a total of 74 surveillance patrols were conducted during the period under review,” said council.
The gold panners are not just a nuisance, they pose a serious threat to Bulawayo’s already fragile water supply, digging and destroying protected zones meant to safeguard the city’s lifeline.
In June 2025, six trucks were impounded for allegedly extracting soil without permission.
Meanwhile, council issued 59 tickets valued at US$2 000 for various environmental and by-law offences.
“37 tickets with a sum of US$1 568 are still outstanding. In addition, 17 scotch carts were impounded in various suburbs and peri-urban areas,” read the report.
derick.khumalo