06 Feb 2017

Ngamiland sand miners have advised to legalise their operations in order to avoid unnecessary penalties by relevant authorities.

The director of Department of Mines, Ms Sellinah Mogojwa said illegal mining operations pose a potential disaster, as miners do not employ methods that safe guard against environmental degradation.

She urged sand miners during a Manufactured Sand Pitso organised by the Ministry of Mineral Resource, Green Technology and Energy Security to follow the right procedure of acquiring licences so that they benefit from major projects earmarked for Okavango district such as the construction of the Mohembo Bridge.

Ms Mogojwa told participants that she conducted inspection in some areas in Ngamiland such as Shakawe and learnt that illegal sand and gravel mining were deliberately being undertaken, yet there was no one in the area who had been issued with a licence.

She mentioned few areas from which licensed contractors could mine sand and gravel in the Nhabe region had been approved.

Ms Mogojwa highlighted that some people believe that the process of acquiring mining concession was expensive and time taking hence numerous of them practice illegal sand and gravel mining.

“Illegal sand miners have found a jewel in the existing riverbeds and ancient rivers of these places due to the abundance of better quality sand material used for building construction.

Rampant unscientific mining for construction material has had an adverse impact on major rivers and their surroundings,” she added.

The director cited some of the challenges brought by illegal sand miners such as the continuation of indiscriminately mining sand even where rivers are completely degraded, to a point where some end up creating artificial channels adjacent to the natural river course.

Ms Mogojwa also pointed out that illegal sand miners deprive local residents of benefits they could derive from the river. Residents also live in fear as some of the illegal miners were dangerous and dug big holes in the rivers, which become dangerous to children and livestock during rainy season.

Such kind of mining, she noted drained rivers and left them without sand hence they have decided to introduce manufactured sand to give rivers allowance to recharge.

 Participants and the public were advised to raise their voice and report any suspected incidents of illegal mining operations to the relevant office.

They also learnt that the Department of Mines and other stakeholders would conduct inspections and surveys to check for compliance to the Mines and Minerals Act.

For his part, acting Officer Commanding Superintendent, Moatlhodi Ntuane stated that issues of illegal sand, rocks and gravel mining were worrisome in the district, noting that they recorded 17 cases of which two involved casualties.

He said one victim, died at Gweta in 2015, while one died recently in Maun. Supt Ntuane said the process of mining pose a danger to the illegal miners and urged those in the practice to stop the act.

Perpetrators are charged fines ranging from P1000, adding that normally, the culprits pay spot on which means the benefit behind illegal mining outweighs the fines. ENDS