Ward 2 residents in Bulawayo have expressed concern about how illegal gold panning is causing significant environmental damage along the Matsheumhlope River, nestled between the Northend and Tegela suburbs.
The Matsheumhlope River has become a flashpoint in this issue, as illegal miners are drawn to the area in pursuit of gold.
Helmand Shoko, a resident, described his alarming discovery during a walk along the river on October 5.
“I witnessed the extent of the destruction being done by gold panners,” Shoko said.
“The environmental damage is now a serious concern. I did not make a citizen’s arrest, but I warned and escorted one of the panners away.”
Shoko, in a message circulated within the community Ward 2 WhatsApp group, called on the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and local councillors to take swift action.
He noted frequent patrols in vulnerable areas are essential to safeguard the environment.
“It is not enough to just describe what is happening. Our councillor and EMA have to save our environment,” Shoko added.
Despite Shoko’s self-intervention, local authorities’ lack of sustained effort has left residents feeling abandoned.
Another concerned resident, Mr Dubley, expressed frustration over the community’s apparent apathy.
“If we were united, as we claim to be, we would organise ourselves and make citizen arrests. However, all this empty talk leads us nowhere in most cases,” he said.
“The tendency is that if it is not happening near my area why should I bother joining the fight to rectify the problem.”
Dudley recounted his struggle with a separate neighbourhood issue, which is an ongoing battle to enforce noise regulations.
He said it took considerable effort before local police took decisive action, but he felt that the absence of wider community support made the struggle even more difficult.
“My neighbour and I had to go through hell before our honourable Officer-In-charge took decisive and strong action to control the noise as per the by-laws. Nobody within this forum supported us in our terrible struggle,” Dubley said, urging residents to act quickly and decisively when they encounter violations.
“If you want any change to happen -take remedial steps as soon as you see the root causes of the problem. Take steps immediately through the law enforcement agents.”
In an interview with CITE, Ward 2 Councillor Rendani Moyo said the city faces challenges due to the increasing number of illegal mining activities in suburban areas.
“I am concerned about the proliferation of illegal mining activities in suburban areas. This points to a lack of enforcement and we are currently in a conversation with other stakeholders to find a solution to this menace,” he said, acknowledging the need for stronger enforcement measures and greater community involvement in reporting and addressing illegal mining activities.
The councillor agreed that illegal mining operations, which often occur in residential neighbourhoods and other unauthorised areas, pose significant environmental and safety risks.
“These activities frequently lead to land degradation, pollution, and create dangerous open pits, putting residents, particularly children, at risk of injury or even death,” Moyo said.
Moreover, the councillor noted that illegal mining is also contributing to the destruction of infrastructure, such as roads and drainage systems while worsening the strain on law enforcement efforts in these areas.
“Illegal mining in these areas is not just about extracting resources unlawfully, it is also causing massive damage to our infrastructure and putting people’s lives at risk not to mention the possibility of violence,” Moyo said.
