From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: ZIMBABWE: ''SAND RUSH'' CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL HAVOC
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 01:08:54 GMT

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Environment
Title: ZIMBABWE: ''SAND RUSH'' CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL HAVOC


an inter press service feature

by andrew zhakata

epworth, zimbabwe, oct 7 (ips) -- an environmental disaster
looms at epworth, a semi-urban suburb situated about 15kms east
of the capital, harare, as a ''sand rush'' grips residents.

in the outlyiny open spaces of epworth, out of sight of the
watchful eye of the authorities, scores of residents mostly
young and energetic men descend to gouge out huge chunks of
earth, scaring the landscape and destroying commercial garden
plots.

''you have heard of the gold rush, but here in epworth there
is a sand rush  threatening the area with  permanent
environmental damage'', says john toriro, head of jacha village.

two types of sand are in demand in epworth -- the ordinary
ground pit sand, and wet river sand. in both instances, epworth
residents excavate the sand and prepare it for truck operators
who buy it for resale to homebuilders in harare's high-density
suburbs.

according to toriro, those digging the sand charge between
40 and 50 (8 and 10 u.s dollars) for labour while a full lorry
or a tonne is sold for anything from 300 to 700(60 to 140 u.s
dollars).

apart from digging on streambanks, the sand hunters have also
encroached on vegetable gardens lying dormant because of the
devastating drought that has cast a shadow on the entire
southern african region.

hundreds of gardens in jacha, maseko and domboramwari
villages have been reduced to desolate land. most of the
gardens, whose produce was previously a valuable source of extra
earnings,  are now dotted with numerous mounds of earth and wide
gaping holes resulting from the illegal excavations.

''i know that most of the sand diggers are the unemployed
youths trying to earn a living. but their hunger for money is
damaging the environment. our gardens have been destroyed beyond
repair'', laments forbes matinga, from domboramwari village.

the indiscriminate and illegal digging which reportedly
started in the area six years ago has already caused extensive
damage that is feared could result in the siltation of harare's
main water sources. (more/ips)


zimbabwe: ''sand-rush'' (2)

according to zimbabwe's director of natural resources, thomas
mpofu, environmental degradation is one of the most serious
problems facing this southern african nation of over 11 million
people today.

''hundreds of hectares of farming land are lost each year
because of gold panning and sand excavation on river banks.
today the country is plagued with a critical shortage of water
because most of the dams have dried up as a result of siltation
caused by these haphazard excavations''says  mpofu.

at epworth, the culprits now aware of police surveillance are
operating at night and during weekends. scores of trucks bearing
names of prominent construction firms in harare, have been
spotted at night carting away the sand.

concerned residents had informed the authorities on several
occassions about the sand problem but nothing had been done.

''the government has turned a blind eye to the problem and we
suspect that it is protecting some officials who are also
involved in these illegal operations'', matinga told ips.

however, in the past two years police in epworth arrested
and fined more than 60 illegal sand diggers and retailers
comprising individuals and companies.

''these arrests have failed to deter would-be culprits
because the 30 fines imposed on them are too lenient. this is
where the government is lacking. the law should be firm on these
environmental sharks who are already filthy rich from people's
resources'' charges miriam goma, a 65 year-old widow with five
children who lost her garden to the sand diggers.

officials on the epworth board, responsible for administering
the area refused to comment on the situation, saying it is a
''very sensitive issue''and could not elaborate.

epworth has a population of over 60,000. the land was granted
to the methodist church at the turn of the century but was taken
over by government in 1982 in a move to control the squatter
problem in the area as well as upgrading.

during the country's liberation war, problems of unauthorised
settlement at epworth escalated as people left their rural homes
to seek refuge in towns.

in 1986 the government embarked on a multi-million dollar
development project to upgrade the area. in the first two years,
drainage, water and a roads communications network started to
take shape but the work was abruptly halted due to financial
snags.

more than 1,265 squatters were also removed from epworth in
october last year. the squatters left a legacy of environmental
destruction in the area through their indiscriminate felling of
trees as they cleared sites for homes. (end/ips/az/oa/92)