SIX gold panners and sand poachers have been arrested in Bulawayo in an ongoing blitz by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in partnership with police.
According to the council minutes, the local authority, Environment Management Agency (EMA) and police conducted joint patrols in the eastern and western parts of the city to flush out gold panners and sand poachers who have been accused of causing massive enviromental damage.
The poachers' wheelbarrows, pushcarts and trucks were confiscated during the raid, the report adds.
“During these patrols, carried out at Khumalo pit several hand tools were confiscated including a generator, jack hammer and 12 bags of ore,” the minutes read.
“A total of six illegal gold panners were arrested and handed over to the police with the bags of ore as exhibits at court. In the western areas, patrols were conducted at Cowdray Park, St Peters, Mazwi and Khami."
The minutes added: “During the patrols, a total of 21 tickets were issued to various offenders. Six tickets have already been paid for and a sum of US$1 661,81 was realised. A total of 15 tickets were still outstanding with a sum of US$13 988,28.”
In August, the council reported that rangers had intensified patrols in the affected areas. There is rampant and uncontrolled gold panning in most of the city dams’ catchment areas. Illegal sand poaching activities are blamed for land degradation as the sand poachers leave unclaimed pits that pose a danger to residents.
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