The Sunday Mail
Emmanuel Kafe
A few years ago, Mount Hampden, a settlement located some few kilometres west of Harare, along the Chinhoyi- Harare highway, was blessed with vast expanses of grasslands.
During the rainy season, those that passed through the farming area would not help but admire the lush green and picturesque environs.
An invasion by illegal sand poachers and brick moulders has, however, ravaged the area, reducing the formerly eye-catching area into ditches and dangerous trenches.
A sprawling illegal settlement, Chitso – which is also known for housing notorious ladies of the night – is home to the illegal sand poachers and brick moulders.
Although the illegal settlers told The Sunday Mail Society that poverty was driving them into the illegal activities, a visit to the settlement revealed that the majority of the families live in modest homes.
Some of the families can even afford the luxury of sending their children to upmarket schools in Harare.
To them sand poaching and brick-making are a means of survival.
Some few metres from the houses are the ditches and the gullies that are a direct result of the illegal activities.
Basing on the high number of ramshackle vehicles that frequent the area buying both bricks and sand, it seems the settlers are enjoying brisk business.
The pit and river sand that is extracted from Chitso has a ready market in nearby suburbs. Sand and bricks are critical materials in areas surrounding Mt Hampden where construction work is seemingly on the rise.
A number of new residential areas are sprouting around Westgate.
Thousands of acres of space have been destroyed as the authorities fail to deal with the menace.
Apart from the dangers of children drowning in the water-filled ditches, the area is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and other parasites.
Although the residents are aware of the dangers that are associated with their activities, they maintain that sand poaching is their only form of
livelihood.
Tonderai Muguti (38) says poaching for sand is his only means of survival.
“As a father, I have a family to feed. I have no choice since I am supposed to bring food to the table,” Muguti said.
Muguti, who was retrenched from a brick-making company that has since folded, said he will continue poaching for sand.
“This is my only source of livelihood. If I stop doing this my children will starve,” he added.
The illegal brick-moulders sell their bricks at a lower price compared to nearby companies.
For a thousand bricks, the illegal moulders charge US$40 with nearby companies selling the same number of bricks for more than US$160.
Muguti does not foresee a situation in which the illegal brick moulders and sand poachers will cease their activities.
“For as long as the prices at formal markets are high, I don’t see the practice coming to an end. We are here to stay,” Muguti said.
While the brick moulders have created employment for themselves, they have failed to make efforts towards land rehabilitation.
Key infrastructure in and around the area is under threat from the
indiscriminate diggings.
Electricity pylons that cuts across the area are at the risk of falling since soil has been dug around them.
The majority of the residents feel that they should be allowed to continue with their activities. They, however, said an area must be designated for them so that they carry on with their activities legally.
“This is some form of employment and a number of people are earning a living.
‘‘What is needed is for authorities to regularise the sand poachers’ activities so that they don’t dig
indiscriminately,” Mr George Gwenzi, a local resident, said.
Although the increase in the number of housing projects is a welcome development, it has brought with it serious environmental challenges.
Moulding bricks or scarring the land for sand without a licence is unlawful in Zimbabwe.
According to Zimbabwe’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biodiversity, brick-moulding is
contributing to the extensive environmental degradation.
According to Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007 for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Ecosystem
protection: “No person shall excavate, remove, possess or licence the removal of clay or sand deposit for commercial purposes without a licence.
The SI requires those engaging in soil extraction for commercial purposes to be licensed.
Harare City Council spokesperson Mr )Michael Chideme said as council they will not stop arresting and impounding vehicles of those engaging in illegal brick moulding and sand poaching.
“I urged those willing to extract sand to register with the local authority and conduct their activities in
designated areas,” he said.
