Sand poachers eat into Epworth’s scenic landscape

Image: H-Metro

Located about 15 kilometers (Km) South East of Harare, Epworth sits on a land mass of 36 square Km, bounded by Harare to the north, west and south and Ruwa and Goromonzi Rural District to the East.

The settlement, run by the Epworth Local Board is home to natural wonders like the Balancing Rocks and the Domboramwari, Domboremaziso rock outcrops.

The Quarry dam also known as the pool of death is also a major attraction.

For the past 5 years all the well-structured areas (Stopover, Domboramwari, Overspill, Glenwood and Chiremba now have had electricity, a big improvement in the suburb, making it one of the most developing areas in Harare.

For years, illegal sand mining otherwise known as sand poaching has been a growing cancer in the country and Epworth has not been spared.

The vast development in and around Harare has seen the demand for sand rising. This has witnessed Epworth losing some of its scenic landscape.

Epworth has not been left behind upmarket houses are now slowly becoming a common feature as noted by chirembamedia0.wordpress.com

This compliments the area’s panoramic natural wonders.

Nature lovers and environmentalists call for rehabilitation and reclamation of affected areas.

Thousands of hectares of land in the country’s capital city, Harare have been left extensively damaged.

A 2021 survey by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) revealed that approximately 1 594 hectares of land are affected by sand poaching in the country, and Harare alone contributed 850 hectares.

At that EMA had prosecuted over 171 sand poachers and over 251 illegal sand transporters countrywide, with 115 sand poachers and 150 illegal sand poachers prosecuted in Harare.

Speaking to Sunday Mail at the time, EMA spokesperson Emkela Sidange said:

“The council, as planning authorities, are mandated to extract gravel in a responsible manner as per their by-laws.

“In the meantime, the Agency is reviewing its laws to include, among other things, the regulation of gravel extraction.”

However, Harare City Council has drafted an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) which, among other issues, specifies the need for rehabilitating the mined area.