Mambo is a community along the peninsula highways beneath the hills that are located in the Western Rural district of the Freetown Peninsula; this community hosts the waste of the Guma Dam that supplies clean pipe burn water to the capital. The outpour of water from the Guma Dam gives birth to a beautiful waterfall in this rural village that attracts the public for various recreation purposes.
The Mambo waterfall is a charming place for lovers of hiking and those who would want to take a break from the noisy capital. All this seems to be lost due to harmful practices by land grabbers, stone miners, coal burners, and the draconian effect of climate change.
As a cockcrow, I was wondering as to how the beautiful scenery that was a joy for many when visible around the Freetown Peninsula which was known to be there before was noticed by the public. The deteriorating situation of this waterfall is a call for concern by authorities.
The activities of individuals and the rapid deforestation around the Peninsula have brought this waterfall unattractive to thousands of Freetownians, to my knowledge by a community youth who claims anonymity that all lands around the waterfall are owned by private individuals, when asked whose pillars are those that are marked with white. His response was βBelong to those who have bought the landsβ.
The millions dollar question many asked is who owns the WATERFALL and his response was βthat most lands around the waterfall are private propertyβ he added.
Many questions come to our mind as to the ownership of these lands? Why are the lands sold? Who is given conveyance to those who are selling? Is the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] aware of the activities carried out there?
It could be recalled that The Ministry of Tourism and Team visited the Mambo Waterfall due to its attractiveness with other heads of MDAβs: National Tourist Board, Monument and Relics Commission, National Protected Area Agency collaborated with other line ministries like the Ministry of Environment made an official appearance at the Mambo Waterfall in 2020. It was understood that the ministry and team encourage visitors and community stakeholders to take proper control so as to avoid deforestation, waste, and avoid natural property damage. Since then those professional heads are yet to engage and update us on the important visitation of the MDAβs outcomes after their consultations as a team.
The community people still have concerns and are looking at ways to improve the waterfall with basic amenities from the point of entry which is yet to be achieved. Weβre still waiting for this development by those professional heads that visited 2 years back, said the other youth who also claimed normality.Β
BY JOSEPH K. MBOYA
