Bulawayo city officials say the use of drones could help strengthen security at dam catchment areas, as illegal gold panning continues to threaten water supplies and the environment.
The city’s supply dams have been repeatedly targeted by miners, whose activities have caused extensive environmental damage and disrupted water inflows, particularly during the rainy season.
During a tour of the dams on Friday, council officials were told that severe staff shortages were limiting efforts to police the vast catchment areas. Rangers said just two officers were often responsible for patrolling areas covering up to a 10-kilometre radius.
“Our main challenge is understaffing,” said a senior ranger at Upper Ncema Dam. “There are only two of us covering a very large area. When we spot illegal panners, they usually flee, and pursuing them can be difficult.”
He said the miners often operate in groups, making enforcement even harder.
“When we chase one group, others move in behind us. They also leave many open pits, which affects the flow of water into the dam. If this continues, the situation will only get worse over time,” he added.
Rangers also warned that patrols could be dangerous, saying some illegal miners had become aggressive when confronted.
“These people can be violent. They carry picks, shovels and iron bars, so engaging them is risky,” the ranger said, describing the job as highly dangerous.
Council officials said enforcement efforts were further constrained by limited resources. Bulawayo City Council’s Chief Principal Security Officer, Ndumiso Ndlovu, said confiscating mining tools had only a short-term effect.
“We do seize their equipment, but that is not a permanent solution,” Ndlovu said. “We need more manpower and better resources to deal with this problem effectively.”
He added that confrontations between rangers and illegal miners had, in some cases, turned violent.
“We are dealing with dangerous situations. There have been serious incidents, including fatalities, so this is not something that can be resolved easily or quickly,” he said.
During the tour, officials encountered several illegal miners near the dams. One miner, who identified himself as Lungile, said some panners had moved their operations further away from the catchment areas.
“We have been warned not to dig close to the dams,” he said. “Most of us now work near mines about 30 kilometres away, but sometimes people still come back to this area.”
The council’s Director of Engineering Services, Sikhumbuzo Ncube, said technology could help bridge the gap caused by limited manpower.
“Even if we had 20 rangers, it would still be difficult to adequately cover such a large area,” Eng Ncube said. “Drones could help with surveillance, allowing us to deploy rangers to specific locations where illegal mining is detected.”
He said the proposal was aimed at improving monitoring while reducing risks to frontline staff.
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