SAND poachers continue to wreak havoc causing serious environmental degradation despite the imposition of hefty fines, Environmental Management Authority (EMA) has said.
Report by Pamela Mhlanga
In an interview yesterday, EMA spokesperson Steady Kangata said the environmental body was charging a fine of $5 000 for sand poaching, but the practice was continuing.
“Sand extraction must be done by those with licences after an agreement with those who own that land or habitants of that land,” he said.
Kangata said local authorities were supposed to make use of environmental management plans to manage land where sand is extracted.
He said sand poaching was posing a serious threat to the environment as the poachers left pits uncovered leading to the formation of gullies.
“The hotspots for these sand poachers will have to be closely monitored so that we avoid mishaps such as environmental degradation and flooding of the pits during the rainy season which endangers people’s lives,” he said.
Last week on Saturday, a Grade Six pupil drowned in a pit left uncovered by sand poachers in Bulawayo’s Magwegwe North high-density suburb.
