BCC grapples with illegal miners

The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is grappling with a growing crisis at the Khumalo borrow pit, where illegal gold mining has compromised public safety and caused significant environmental damage. The site, long used as the city's main source of gravel for road construction and other civil works, is now at the centre of a costly dilemma.

According to the latest council minutes, the Acting Director of Works reported on September 11, 2025, that the Khumalo borrow pit has for years supplied gravel for road construction, as well as water and sewer bedding in the Eastern Suburbs and the Central Business District (CBD).

However, rampant illegal mining has forced the local authority to reconsider its use. The council fears that continued mining activity could result in loss of life and further environmental degradation.

"The continued presence of these miners endangered lives and contributed to environmental degradation at and around the pit," read part of the minutes.

Decommissioning the pit, however, would leave only the Richmond and Pumula borrow pits in use, substantially increasing the distance and cost of transporting gravel for city projects.

"This change would significantly increase the gravel haul distance for works in the city centre and to the rest of the eastern suburbs, which was a major cost factor in road construction," the report noted.

BCC considered three potential solutions - backfilling, barricading, and heightened security - but each option presented major challenges.

Backfilling the pit, the council said, would cost over US$4 million and take about six months to complete. Yet even with such investment, the move may not stop illegal mining because panners have dug underground tunnels that bypass the pit surface.

"The cost of backfilling was substantial and the backfilling of the pit would have a negative impact on service delivery. Moreover, this solution had been highly unlikely to effectively halt illegal mining, as miners were accessing the pit through tunnels," the minutes read.

Installing a barricade fence was also dismissed as impractical. "The perimeter of the borrow pit was estimated to be 1 350 meters. Installing a barricading fence to prevent illegal miners from entering the pit may not be effective, as gold panners often dismantle or bypass such barriers," said the council.

The third option - boosting security around the pit - was deemed unviable due to limited manpower and financial constraints.

"This option was not viable," the minutes concluded.

BCC now faces a difficult balancing act between ensuring public safety and environmental protection and maintaining affordable service delivery for residents. The council has yet to announce a definitive course of action, but officials say the situation has become increasingly urgent.