Illegal sand mining turns into ‘lucrative criminal trade’ in KZN

Illegal sand mining is growing exponentially in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, affecting residents, the environment, and tourism. This, according to MPL and DA spokesperson on social development, economic development, tourism, and environmental affairs (Edtea), Hannah Lidgett. Lidgett said sand mining has been going on in and around the Durban area for years, with some residents telling her that it’s been happening since 2013.

She said the issue was recently brought to her attention when residents in the Valley of a Thousand Hills complained to their ward councillors about sand-carrying trucks driving in their residential areas between 6 and 10 am. “These complaints were brought to me and prompted an oversight visit by the DA, where we tracked where these trucks were going,” she said. Lidgett said the sand, used by construction companies, has become a lucrative criminal enterprise with loads allegedly fetching up to R5 000 per truck.

In addition to the degradation of roads in residential areas, Lidgett said illegal sand mining has had a disastrous impact on the environment. “In the Valley of a Thousand Hills, entire hillsides are being levelled, creating dangerously unstable terrain that poses a serious risk of landslides during heavy rainfall. “This destruction is also harming tourism, as businesses overlooking the area are witnessing the loss of the natural landscapes that attract visitors,” she said. “At the Umhlanga River, riverbanks are being carved away in broad daylight, and in some instances, miners are dredging directly within the river.