EMA On Massive Drive To Stop Sand Poaching

Posted by admin on 2023-09-19 13:42:01 | Last Updated by admin on 2025-10-30 19:54:20

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By Kudakwashe Kutinyo 

BULAWAYO residents have been challenged to join forces with the Environmental Management Agency(EMA) and actively participate in helping to curb the escalating cases of sand poaching within the City of Bulawayo, a government official has revealed. 

Speaking during an interview with BANO NEWS, Mrs Memory Kapumha the Environmental Education and Publicity Officer at EMA-Bulawayo highlighted measures to take incase there are suspected sand poaching activities nearby. 

"The public is encouraged to work hand in hand with the Environmental Management Agency by assisting in reporting all illegal sand poachers that you find within your areas. Once reported, the Agency together with the Bulawayo City Council embark on mission to raid those illegal sand poachers in those particular areas," said Kapumha

She also gave a warning to the public not to get closer to sand poachers as they may cause untold harm. 

"We kindly request the public to be very careful, these people are also very violent. We would also appreciate if you can report the times these poachers operate and if possible get their vehicle registration numbers so that they can be traced. The challenge brought forth by these illegal sand poachers is, they operate without proper documentation from the Agency and the local authorities, worse off they poach the sand at undesignated areas by BCC," she added

The expansion of suburbs, homesteads renovation, and building has seen sand poachers penetrating the market using a backdoor with their cheaper services at the expense of the environment.

It has been observed that sand poachers mostly operate throughout the night, transporting sand to different locations within the city of Bulawayo, taking advantage of police absence.

Sand poaching activities have since disturbed the environmental peace, endangering human and wildlife and also creating an eyesaw after exhausting the ground leaving it bare with shallow pits.

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