Bulawayo Dams at Risk of Pollution from Gold Panners, Councillor Warns
The city of Bulawayo’s water supply is under threat from the destructive activities of gold panners operating in the region, a local councillor warned this week.
“Water is a right and if we ignore this especially in Bulawayo, we will be in trouble if that little water gets contaminated,” said Ward 14 Councillor Dumisani Netha during the latest full council meeting.
Netha called for urgent action from the government to address the growing environmental crisis posed by unregulated gold panning, saying the practice is leading to widespread water pollution that could have devastating consequences for the drought-prone city.
“Gold panners are destroying the environment. Water is being contaminated by cyanide from mining, which is a health hazard. We need to protect our water from being contaminated by cyanide,” Netha said.
Bulawayo has long struggled with water scarcity. The city’s main water supply dams have been severely depleted in recent years due to drought, leaving residents subjected to strict water rationing. Residents are getting water for one or two days per week.
The councillor warned that the pollution caused by gold panners could exacerbate the city’s water crisis if action is not taken swiftly.
“We need to deal with gold panners and environmental degradation as quickly as possible. Otherwise we end up with all our dams polluted,” he said.
Illegal gold mining operations, often using dangerous chemicals like cyanide, have become a major environmental problem across Zimbabwe in recent years. The unregulated activities can contaminate water sources and destroy fragile ecosystems.
Netha singled out the Alice Farm near the Ncema water treatment plant as a particular area of concern, warning that a leach heap on the property poses a major pollution risk.
“There is a leach heap which is likely to be eroded when rain comes and contaminates our dams,” Netha said.
The councillor called for a “collective effort” between city authorities and the provincial government to address the problem of environmental destruction and water pollution.
“We need to curb environmental degradation and water pollution in Bulawayo dams,” Netha said.
He warned that the national government must intervene to regulate the gold panning industry before it’s too late.
“This is a matter that needs to be dealt with strongly through Parliament. We cannot afford to ignore this problem any longer,” Netha said.
With Bulawayo’s water supply already under severe strain, the councillor warned that contamination from gold panning could have catastrophic consequences for the city.
“If that little water we have gets contaminated, we will be in serious trouble,” he said.
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