A RECENT tour of the city’s dams and water sources by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) Future Water Supplies and Water Action Committee has exposed the damaging effects of illegal gold mining on Bulawayo’s water security.
The findings come as Bulawayo grapples with a severe water crisis, with residents enduring up to 96 hours of water shedding. City officials warn that continued illegal mining in key water catchment areas will further reduce dam inflows, worsening shortages if rainfall remains below normal levels.
The committee, led by councillor Thandiwe Moyo, witnessed first-hand the damage caused by miners, who are digging holes and conducting mining operations in small rivers that feed into the city's dams.
BCC engineer Sikhumbuzo Ncube said the miners were not only damaging water sources but also posing serious safety risks to rangers tasked with protecting the catchment areas.
“We've had to deal with situations where these miners come in large numbers, armed and ready to fight,” he said.
“It's becoming increasingly difficult for us to monitor and protect these areas with just a handful of rangers."
Ncube said council was considering the use of drones to monitor illegal mining activities within the water catchment areas.
An Upper Ncema Dam ranger echoed similar concerns, citing acute staff shortages.
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“We have illegal miners who damage rivers hence disturbing the water inflow to our dams. As it is right now, we're short of manpower and the area is huge, with only two of us trying to cover a distance of around 10km to cater for the dam area,” the ranger said.
“It's impossible for us to block them because when we try to cover one area, they move to another part of the dam area.”
The ranger also shared a personal experience, "I was once arrested in 2014 for shooting one of them and council had to intervene. This shows that these miners will stop at nothing."
The committee called for increased support and resources to tackle the issue, including more rangers to patrol the vast areas.
Moyo appealed to residents to support their efforts in protecting the city's water sources.
“We urge the community to join hands with us in safeguarding our water security,” she said.
Moyo said the city's water situation was precarious, with load shedding standing at 96 hours, adding that BCC was worried that if the dams do not receive sufficient inflows in the coming month, the situation may worsen.
