Illegal sand mining poses risks to Khayelitsha's youth
Illegal sand mining in Khayelitsha has left excavation pits in areas where children are known to play, raising safety concerns.
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Concerns have been raised over illegal sand mining in Khayelitsha, with the president of the Alliance of Citizens for Change saying excavation pits have been left in areas where children are known to play.
The concerns follow a City of Cape Town Law Enforcement operation on Thursday, after ongoing complaints about illegal sand mining on the outskirts of the area.
City Law Enforcement spokesperson, Wayne Dyason, said officers responded after repeated reports of illegal activity.
“We responded to ongoing complaints of illegal sand mining in Khayelitsha. When officers arrived, digger loaders were found on site, but the operators fled with the keys,” Dyason said.
He said officials returned the following day to secure the equipment.
“On Friday, officers returned to the site and impounded the heavy plant machinery. In a large-scale operation, two digger loaders were removed by heavy duty trucks,” he said.
Dyason said the machinery is believed to have been hired and will remain in the City’s possession pending the outcome of an investigation.
“Every effort will be made to bring those responsible for the illegal sand mining to book,” he said.
Masizole Mnqasela, president of the Alliance of Citizens for Change, said the excavated areas pose risks to the community.
“From a community safety viewpoint, the excavated areas create physical dangers, especially for children, and they contribute to dust pollution and declining air quality,” he said.
Mnqasela said the site lies along environmentally sensitive dune systems near areas where informal settlements are expanding.
“The risks associated with ongoing sand mining are both immediate and long-term. Removing sand destabilises dune ecosystems, accelerates land degradation, and weakens biodiversity resilience to climate change,” he said.
He added that concerns extend beyond environmental impact.
“We see a system where outside actors, who have more resources and understand regulatory pathways better, can obtain permits and benefit from local natural resources, while the community remains excluded,” Mnqasela said.
The City of Cape Town previously warned that illegal sand mining can have serious consequences after extensive digging beneath a bridge along Jakes Gerwel Drive forced the closure of a major route when the road’s structural integrity was compromised.