Residents in Pumula are urging the city council to implement stricter policies to curb sand poaching in their community.
Ward 17 has battled sand poaching for years, and the area is scarred with uncovered pits.
Mazwi village has been particularly affected, with several families experiencing home collapses due to the illegal activity.
Ward 17 Councillor, Sikhululekile Moyo, addressing the latest Full Council Meeting suggested that an operation”Where Did You Get the Sand?” be implemented to penalise those found with illegally obtained sand.
“We acknowledge the city’s growth and the increasing number of houses being built,” Cllr Moyo said. “However, these houses are being constructed with poached sand. It’s crucial to ensure that residents building homes can present evidence of purchasing sand from authorized vendors when inspectors arrive for checks. The city council holds the sole right to sell sand.”
“There is a lot of sand that is being used at car parks and other similar facilities. These people need to be interrogated where they got the sand from, and they adhere to the law.”
Contractors using sand at these locations would be questioned about its origin and held accountable for adhering to regulations.
The councillor commended the existing task force tackling sand poaching but emphasized the need for vehicles to enhance their work.
“The department responsible for sand poaching has commendably issued 50 tickets,” Cllr Moyo said. “The major challenge is the lack of a dedicated vehicle for enforcement officers. All these arrests were made through foot patrols. Equipping the department with a vehicle would significantly improve their efficiency.”
Council minutes confirm that most patrols are conducted on foot due to the unreliability of the department’s single truck.
The minutes also detail that of the 50 tickets issued, 29 offenders have paid a total of USD$2108 in fines. The remaining 21 outstanding tickets amount to USD$610.51.
