Omakorokoza continue to wreck havoc

ILLEGAL gold mining activities next to Bulawayo's supply dams, are causing massive environment pollution and consequently costing the local authority a lot of money in purifying water, a senior council official has said.

Illegal gold miners popularly known as Omakorokoza continue to wreck havoc in the country's environment in search of the precious mineral.

The miners usually dig in river beds especially during the dry season and once the rains come the loose soil is washed way and finds itself in dams, thereby causing massive siltation.

Speaking during a familiarisation tour of Bulawayo's water supply dams, Deputy Director of Engineering Services, Ian Mthunzi, pointed out that illegal mining activities were damaging the environment and affecting the quality of the water.

"Omakorokoza are a real problem especially those that are operating along the City's supply dams. The most affected dams are Lower Ncema, Upper Ncema and Mzingwane Dams," said Mthunzi.

"Council is forced to spend more money in purifying the water and supply residents with clean water. Siltation and other chemicals used by these illegal miners makes the water very dirty and in-consumable."

The city's supply dams are currently receiving significant inflows as the rains continue to fall throughout the country. Currently Upper Ncema Dam is at 13.9 percent, Insiza Dam 60.9 percent, Inyankuni has not received much inflows as it is only 9 percent full. Mtshabezi Dam is 96 percent and Mzingwane is at 29.4 percent.

Engineer Mthunzi said the council was making all efforts in cooperation with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Environmental Management Authority to curb illegal mining activities in the water catchment areas.

Meanwhile, the city's engineers revealed that plans are afoot to put another pipeline parallel to the one connecting Mtshabezi Dam and Mzingwane Dam.

The pipeline will increase the amount of water pumped from Mtshabezi Dam. Currently only 17 mega litres of water are pumped from Mtshabezi Dam everyday.

However, only a maximum of 35 mega litres can only be pumped both from Mzingwane and Mtshabezi Dams to Ncema Treatment works, where the water is purified.

The City's Director of Engineering Services, Engineer Simela Dube said there is a need to increase from 35 mega litres by adding another pipeline.

"Currently we can only pump a maxim of 35 megaliths. There is need to put another pipeline and that project is expected to cost about $9 million. A feasibility study will need to be done first to see if duplication of the Mtshabezi pipeline is sustainable," said Engineer Dube.

Sponsored by