27 Jul 2015

Rivers in and around Gaborone are under pressure as illegal sand mining increases.

It was established during a stakeholder consultative meeting in Metsimotlhabe that lack of relevant laws to guide sand mining hindered efforts to fight illegal sand mining.

The Mogoditshane-Thamaga sub-district commissioner, Mr Mothibi Monyakeng said despite suspension of the issuance of sand mining licenses in 2009, the situation had worsened.

Mr Monyakeng said efforts by communities continued to fail because of ineffective acts and ambiguities on penalties on illegal sand miners.

He said the state of affairs frustrated communities so much that they wanted to take the law into their hands.

The residents said the low fines imposed on illegal sand miners and the ambiguities of laws regulating this crime were futile as the wrongdoers paid the small fines and continud to repeat the same offence.

Officer Commanding No. 13 District, Mr Counsel Moyo said statistics showed that most people involved in illegal sand mining were foreigners.

For instance, he said out of the 281 cases recorded in the Mogoditshane, Gaborone West and Naledi regions between 2013 and 2015, only 21 involved Batswana whereas the remaining 260 involve foreigners.

He said Mogoditshane topped the statistics with 242 cases out of the 281 total cases.

The residents has proposed the formation of a cluster policing specifically for illegal sand mining patrols, and also permission to permanently seize the assets of those found committing the crime.

They also suggested the formation of a community trust which will be in charge of the trading of river sand in the region. Ends