Major dams' holding capacity affected by illegal gold panning

Due to  high levels of illegal gold panning, siltation is reducing the water holding capacity of the major dams in Matabeleland South, a senior Zinwa official has said.    

Zinwa's Umzingwane catchment manager Tony Rosen said in an interview yesterday that gold panning along rivers which fed the dams was causing serious soil erosion.

Gold panners along Umzingwane River at Esibomvu were contributing to the soil erosion along the river and most of the soil found itself into Umzingwane Dam, threatening its water holding capacity.

The dam is one of the five which supplies Bulawayo.

Rosen said there were also gold panning activities along rivers that fed Lower and Upper Ncema, Inyankuni and Insiza dams which were also the major water supply sources for Bulawayo and other small towns in Matabeleland South.

Rosen said this had resulted in high-level siltation at dams resulting in a reduced water holding capacity.

Original water holding capacity for Insiza dam is 173,49 million cubic metres, Inyankuni 80,8 million cubic metres, Lower Ncema 18,2 million cubic metres, Umzingwane 44,7 million cubic metres, and Upper Ncema 45,4 million cubic metres.

But revelations are that the dams' water holding capacities had since been drastically reduced due to rampant siltation.

The water authority was not in a position to reveal the current dams' supply capacities.

Matabeleland South province is known for numerous gold deposits which lure people from across the country.

"Zinwa cannot fight the problem of gold panning and siltation alone," the Zinwa official said.

"Organisations such as Environmental Management Agency, Forestry Commission and police are involved in curbing the problem."

The authority says it has no capacity to rehabilitate the dams.