malvernmugadzikwa
Theseus Shambare
SAND poachers who have invaded privately owned land next to Kutsaga (formerly Tobacco Research Board)’s farm are threatening the parastatal’s agricultural research activities.
The invaders are causing serious land degradation, which is threatening three dams that provide water to Kutsaga.
The sand poachers are also wantonly cutting down trees to clear land before digging for sand. The area – which is close to the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, and is owned by giant cement producer Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) Zimbabwe – has been left with open pits and gullies.
The poachers are allegedly working in connivance with security details at the site, who make them pay a fee to gain access to the property. Kutsaga chief executive officer Dr Frank Magama said their operations are now under threat, as the affected dams are key to their agricultural research activities.
“The dams irrigating key national agricultural research projects in the country face massive siltation from this illegal pit sand extraction, and developmental activities in tobacco research will be heavily affected.
“This will eventually lead to revenue loss for the country. “Water is our second most important resource after land for seedling production. We cannot let it get depleted,” he said.
Sand poaching is reportedly affecting the area along the Manyame River system.
“This chaos has been going on for a long time now. It seems the responsible authorities have been turning a blind eye.
“It is time to respond to this menace. Illegal truck loads leave this area every day with pit sand, leaving huge dongas and exposing the soil to erosion when the rains come,” added Dr Magama. The poachers are even carrying out their operations in broad daylight.
Environmental Management Agency (EMA) environmental education and publicity manager Ms Amkela Sidange said they had been notified of sand poaching in the area.
“The sand poaching activity in the referred area is a huge threat to both aviation and the general public’s safety.
“EMA continues to call upon local authorities and landowners, occupiers and tenants to judiciously protect natural resources within their areas of jurisdiction,”
“At the same time, the agency is working closely with the landowner(s) to bring sanity to the area by putting in place sustainable mechanisms to prevent further degradation of the area and also influencing rehabilitation of the degraded area.”
She said local authorities are mandated to identify areas where sand abstraction can be done in a regulated manner.
PPC Zimbabwe head of operations and projects Dr Mavellas Sibanda said the company seriously takes its obligations to protect the environment.
“We are deeply concerned about the pervasive and brazen criminal conduct of the illegal sand miners at the Arlington property, and the extensive environmental harm these illegal activities have,” he said.
“Whilst the company continues to invest with respect to increasing private security arrangements, and erecting and repairing damaged fences on the property, we believe the panacea to this problem is a coordinated law-enforcement strategy, which includes all the relevant law-enforcement agencies.”
Sand poaching has been rampant in and around Harare as a result of the boom in housing development.
Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007 gives local authorities the power to set aside designated areas for sand abstraction within their areas of jurisdiction to ensure that such activities are regulated.
Online Reporter