By By Tarisai Mudahondo
Bulawayo municipal police have since arrested 140 gold panners since January for panning gold near the city’s water bodies causing siltation and subsequently a health timebomb.
According to the council’s environmental issues report, the panning grossly affected Bulawayo at large and water catchment areas.
The authorities have been conducting raids over the years but the panners keep returning as they seek to earn a living.
The report read, “Rangers conducted routine patrols in the water catchment areas, there were 132 hand tools confiscated inclusive of four detectors and the panners were handed over to Esigodini police for prosecution while the tools will be used for court exhibits”.
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) also revealed that the most affected areas are Cowdray Park and Pumula high-density suburbs and bemoaned panners for leaving open pits.
Illegal sand poaching and brick moulding are also causing land degradation and sand poachers leave pits that pose danger to residents.
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