Illegal sand mining continues, calls made for stiffer penalty against offenders

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Wednesday December 1, 2010 00:00

 

Currently, the department of mines is working with the police and the defence force to patrol the river and to arrest those who are found with the sand. 

However, Solomon Kgobe, a technical officer at the Department of mines said in an interview that the Mines and Minerals Act adopted in 1999 should be amended since the charges are very low while illegal miners continue to make huge amounts of money at the expense of everybody. 

'They are not scared of taking the risks because they know that they will be charged small amounts while making thousands more out of selling,' he said. 

Kgobe says that they are currently pressing for the Act to be amended for stiffer charges.  'We want the Act amended so that we can confiscate the truck, front-in loaders and all the other tools they use.

'It should be done just like it happens with other crimes like illegal hunting where the government confiscates the car and the gun used during the act,' he said.

According to the current Act one can be charged anything from P200.00 to P100 000.00.  'One can be charged five years imprisonment with a P100 000,00 fine, or P50 000.00 fine and imprisonment for not more than 12 months for more serious crimes,' said Kgobe.

He said that currently they are unable to control illegal sand mining in Metsimotlhabe River, which runs from Mochudi, through Metsimotlhabe to Thamaga.

'It is difficult to control the criminals since they have studied our moves and have realised that we are short in manpower,' he said. 

Kgobe said Illegal sand mining if not controlled, would lead to the country getting drier as rivers would become barren and therefore unable to hold water as they used to. 

'We have to monitor the way we mine sand from the rivers so that we give them time to recharge themselves and be ready for us again. 

'So mining in Metsimotlhabe River has been closed since 2007 until further notice. But still trucks are roaming Kumakwane and these are people who steal sand from the river,' he said. 

Kgobe explained that naturally, there are rocks at the bottom of the river, then, mud and finally sand on top.  It is the sand that holds water in the river. So if people deplete the sand the river would not be able to hold the water.

'The sand holds water just like a sponge.

'That is why a river can hold water for a year or more.  If we remove all of it, the river would get drier since mud does not hold water.  This is very bad for this country, which is a dry country already,' he warned. 

He said that besides people and animals benefiting from the river, plants also depend on it for survival.  Roots can easily penetrate the soil for water and can therefore survive until the next rainy season. 

'Vegetation is also going to die out because roots cannot reach mud for water, and still mud would not hold enough water to sustain the vegetation,' he said. 

Kgobe says that besides drying up rivers, illegal miners are also depriving the nation of financial gains since all miners, including sand miners are expected to get a license and to pay royalties.

'Natural resources are for the whole nation and nobody should benefit from them alone,' he said. 

He said that sand, gravel and pitsand are classified as industrial minerals and miners are required to pay 3 percent royalties for these minerals to the government. 

'Just like all miners, sand miners should pay royalties to the government. 

'However, these are different from precious minerals royalties. These would include diamond and royalties are much higher,' he said.