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State of the Coast: KZN
State of the Coast: KZN

State of the Coast: KwaZulu-Natal Chapter 1: Introduction & Background Chapter 2: Overarching Drivers Chapter 3: Climate Variability
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25 Jun 2021

Illegal sand mining wreaks havoc on the Umvoti River

Penny Fourie (North Coast Courier) Picture: When the Courier visited the region last week, illegal operators were freely excavating sand from the depleted banks in areas the municipality considers out of bounds. Front-end loaders were loading sand from stockpiles onto tipper trucks that came and went throughout the day.

The rapid growth of the North Coast is driving illegal sand mining operations on local rivers that are completely unchecked and spell trouble for the future. Despite national and provincial government being aware of the problem, nothing is being done to curb the unlawful activity along the North Coast.

Environmental activists say demand for this valuable, non-renewable resource has increased in the past decade with the main driver being breakneck urban growth.

 

Illegal operators were seen freely excavating the Umvoti river sand from the depleted banks in areas the municipality considers out of bounds.

River sand is essential to the construction industry as a key ingredient in the manufacturing of cement and asphalt. According to builders, Umvoti River sand is “gold” in the construction industry. It is considered one of the best building sands in the country.

However, iLembe District Municipality mayor, Siduduzo Gumede says the region is suffering from years of illegal sand mining at the Umvoti River, which is the abstraction point at the Umvoti Water Treatment Plant (UWTW) that supplies 11 million litres of water daily to KwaDukuza and Blythedale.

The river has been so heavily mined that it has changed its course. In April the municipality had to fork out R1.7 million for an excavator to guide the river back to its original path.

When the Courier visited the region last week, illegal operators were freely excavating sand from the depleted banks in areas the municipality considers out of bounds. Front-end loaders were loading sand from stockpiles onto tipper trucks that came and went throughout the day.

The Umvoti River catchment area starts near Greytown and runs through KwaDukuza into the sea, once rivalling the mighty Tugela River in size. But environmentalists say all the dredging has caused water levels to drop dramatically.

Dolphin Coast Conservancy chairman, Di Jones, who also sits on the Provincial Coastal Committee, said the regulation of sand mining fell under a three-tier regulatory system that pitted mineral regulations against environmental and land use regulations. She warned that the cost of illegal sand mining to the environment was steep.

“Illegal sand mining is causing irreversible destruction of riverbeds and associated estuary zones along our coastal belts.

The replenishment of beach sand is highly dependent on sediment transport from upstream river catchments and the unsustainable extraction of sediment from rivers and estuaries will lead to depletion. The absence of this valuable resource will have dramatic consequences on our coastline,” said Jones.

Two independent sources, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said numerous illegal sand mining activities were guarded by dangerous mafia and sand cartels who ran the unlicensed operations and were protected by “politically well-connected” persons.

Darnall residents said the Tugela River had been heavily mined by a number of illegal small-scale operators for many years.

Gumede said there was a lack of coordinated government response to resolve the problem and claimed the municipality had been engaging with the Departments of Water and Sanitation and Minerals and Energy on the sand mining issue for years without result.

Sand, like gold, diamonds and platinum, is a mineral regulated by law. The mineral resources department is ultimately responsible for monitoring sand mining activity, as well as enforcing compliance, while the Water Affairs Department deals with the impact on the rivers.

Gumede said the Green Scorpions from the Department of Environmental Affairs carried out a blitz operation a few years ago but the illegal activities soon resumed.

In 2015, excessive mining was blamed for the river drying up and about 30 000 households in KwaDukuza being left without running water for 3 weeks. He said demand for this valuable resource was unlikely to let up given the region’s booming growth and rapid development.

“With the North Coast developing at a rapid pace, the construction sector is expected to continue to grow in the coming years and this means that the demands for sand will increase as well.”

The Departments of Water Affairs and Minerals Resources and Energy had not responded at the time of going to print.

 

Online Article