Residents of Ward 17 in Bulawayo’s peri-urban area are raising the alarm over large, dangerous pits left by illegal sand poachers, warning that the sites have become potential death traps for children with the rainy season approaching.
The community reports that the excavated pits, some of which are situated perilously close to footpaths and homesteads, fill with water during rainfall, creating a severe drowning risk.
Speaking to CITE, a community leader, Michael Maseko, highlighted how extensive land degradation from illegal sand poaching has made the area unsafe for both children and adults.
“The danger there is now land degradation. Illegal sand poaching has left pits in our community and they are now a danger to the community. We fear that during the rainy season, children might want to swim in these pits. Even old people are bound to be in danger when they try to cross these flooded pits,” he said.
Maseko said the area has also experienced wood poaching.
“We are in the peri-urban where there is also wood poaching, we fear that our households might even collapse as we are very muchly exposed, we no longer have big trees,” he said.
Another resident, Charles Dlozi, expressed similar fears, saying children are often tempted to swim in the pits after it rains.
“Whenever there is water, you hear children saying, ‘let’s go swimming’ and they mean swimming in these pits and some may drown. As you can see, this pit is expanding and people are going to fall and get hurt in these pits,” said Dlozi.
Richard Thebe added that the unbalanced ground left by the illegal sand extractors makes the situation even more dangerous.
“Illegal sand poachers dig in a way that leaves the surface uneven. When it rains and the pits fill up, children can’t tell how deep they are. We have lost children in the community due to these pits,” said Thebe.
“We are appealing to the council to enforce more rangers or even engage the Zimbabwe Republic Police to mount roadblocks where these trucks transporting sand pass. Some pits have even been dug under electricity power lines, which is risky. We need urgent assistance.”
Meanwhile, Nqobizitha Moyo, the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) organising secretary, noted that while the rate of sand poaching has decreased, the damage left behind remains a concern.
“Although sand poaching has lessened in the community, there are still huge pits around. What has helped is that Hualin Quarry has opened a legal pit sand company around Gwayi, so most sand is now being sold there. Illegal poachers are mostly out of business at the moment,” Moyo said.
He said the number of trucks frequenting the area for sand poaching has subsequently reduced, “Hualin is selling the pit sand legally.”
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