24 Jan 2021

Farmers in Mabolawa, Kgaswe and Mogatsapoo lands in the Serowe South constituency are upset over the state in which trucks engaged in illegal mining of sand in the area have left their access roads.

They said daily movement of trucks was worsening the condition of roads in the area and the situation was making living conditions difficult.

Farmers were relaying concerns during a meetings addressed by Member of Parliament for Serowe South, Mr Leepetswe Lesedi recently.

The chairperson of farmers committee for Mabolawa lands, Mr Monkgogi Lenkamile said the illegal mining of soil in their area had been happening for years and nothing has been done to address the issue.

He however appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and re-gravel deplorable roads and consequently charge those who mine sand in the area because they destroyed roads.

He said truck drivers also endangered their lives because they sometimes speed.

One of the farmers at Mabolawa, Ms Edirafetse Botipeng said due to poor state of the roads they rarely used their cars, especially during rainy period and those who needed to visit their farms sometimes travel by foot, which was not safe.

He said sand miners destroyed the environment and stringent actions should be taken against them. She suggested that truck owners should take the responsibility to fix the damage they had caused to the roads in the area.

In response, Serowe Sub-landboard deputy secretary, Mr Morapedi Ntwayagae said they were also concerned about illegal sand miners in Serowe South.

He said land board officials always engaged stakeholders, especially Botswana Police Service to arrest illegal sand miners.

He said in some of their patrols in the affected areas they failed to apprehend illegal miners because some community members alert perpetrators.

He pleaded with those who alerted illegal sand miners to stop encouraging illegal activities and work with the police to fight the crime.

Mr Ntwayagae cautioned those who mined sand illegally in the area to stop.

He encouraged the community in the affected areas to form a committee responsible for monitoring sand mining in the area.

He said the committee could  apply for a mining license on their behalf and make the truck owners to pay a certain amount when they mined sand in the area to avert the situation.

Mr Lesedi concurred with Mr Ntwayagae that the truck owners should pay a certain amount when they mined sand in the area. ENDS