War of words erupts between residents, gold panners

This comes after the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Dr Obert Mpofu said Government was exploring ways to amend the Mining Act in a bid to legalise gold panning.
Although Dr Mpofu was of the opinion that gold panners were heroes who deserved to be rewarded, residents of Kensington have had enough of the panners as they say they have damaged the environment and exposed them to a number of dangers.
Ms Elizabeth Zitha, a resident of Kensington, said despite having engaged their leaders over the panners, they continue operating in the area and they do not practise safe methods of panning.
“These gold panners have been using explosives when looking for their gold and these explosives have been degrading the environment.
“They use these explosives so near our houses that we are now even afraid we could be caught in cross-fire. We know that their operations are being accepted but we need them to be controlled,” she said.
Ms Zitha said residents in the area needed security and the only way this could be achieved was if the gold panners could be controlled.
“There has to be rules that gold panners must follow. They should have also consulted us first before they started their panning because now we cannot even sleep because of the noise from the explosives,” she said.
Another resident, Mr Bongani Moyo, said several of their cattle had fallen into some of the pits that are created by the illegal panning.
“It is very unsafe especially when it rains due to the depressions that these panners have caused. Someone who does not know the area may be seriously injured yet these panners continue spreading their operations,” said Mr Moyo.