Mines Minister Richard Musukwa has directed the Mine Safety Department and Zambia Environmental Management Agency to use all provisions of the law to deal with Konkola Copper Mines -KCM following the air pollution which happened in Chingola last week.
Last week, over 200 pupils and 40 KCM employees in Chingola were rushed to hospitals after inhaling sulphuric acid which KCM released from its acid plant.
Mr. Musukwa said the discharge of Sulphur dioxide emissions by KCM has endangered people especially the pupils who were in examination classes.
Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Chingola District Commissioner Mary Chibesa, the Minister said the two agencies must use all the provisions of the law to deal with KCM because its pollution is well documented.
Mr. Musukwa said once KCM is made to answer for its actions, all mining houses will see it as an example not to indiscriminately pollute the environment.
Earlier, Mrs. Chibesa said KCM had been polluting rivers and fields for a long time.
She complained that despite several pleas from her office, KCM has not been responding to the many incidences of pollution.
The Mines Minister, who is accompanied by Director Mine Safety Mooya Lumamba and Nchanga Member of Parliament Chali Chilombo, is about to visit the acid plant were the sulphuric acid was discharged last week.
ZNBC
Hence we advise you GREEDY SHAMELESS P.F. GOONS, Not to bring this Cancer to Lower Zambezi.
Jail Milingo Lungu, the State House employee… What PF is doing is same as how Saddam used to gas his people.
Compensate these students with trust funds. They have brain damage now.
I do not know what Zambia is waiting for before we act. I lived in the mining City of Kitwe and my dad was a miner. Even under KK we didn’t see the damage that these new mine “owners” are subjecting Zambia to colossal damage. Please Zambia kick out KCM and MOPANI before they destroy Zambia.
KCM does not respond because they don’t respect you at all. They know you don’t care about ordinary Zambians, so why should they care? Why should you be begging them not to pollute the environment? That’s a sign of weakness. Why don’t you just charge them with a crime, and fine them for millions of Kwachas? Incompetent fooooools. You all need to get fired, every last one of you. Stop begging them. That’s why they don’t respect you. FINE THEM HEAVILY AND MAKE SURE THEY PAY THE FINE.
Toothless ministers, what action can you bring against them?
What’s going on in the Lower Zambezi?
Chipante pante at its best. Why bring people who are not qualified to run a mine in the first place. i wish those children well. that Lungu you put to liquidate the mine is incompetent. the minister of mines is a teacher too. how did they forget the safety rules in first place before releasing hazardous gases in the air to affect innocent children. may the irresponsible government fork out the whole bill to pay for those children’s health expenses.
Isn’t it easier to blame it on VEDANTA. Are we ready to run the mines? The answer is probably not
Business as usual, no one goes to gets prosecuted, there was a tragedy at the black mountains last year were several small scale miners died after the slug collapsed. If someone had acted over the gross irresponsibility that led to the death of some youths who were mine slug at Nkana, safety today would have been high on the to-do list of every mine.
Things can only improve if those affected take legal action! In countries where things work, citizens sue for everything! In Zambia, we don’t seem to know our rights!
Court judgments are ignored with impunity as shown by lungu regarding minsters being paid illegally after being asked by lungu to stay on
PRESCRIPTION: I TABLET OF INDEPENDENCE OF JUDICIARY, I TABLET OF INDEPENDENCE OF PARLIAMENT AND I TABLET OF INDEPENDENCE OF PRESS FREEDOM. SHOULD WORK FOR EVERYBODY WHO TAKES OATH BEFORE ASSUMING OFFICE AND WILL MAKE THEM SEAT UP.
This has only come to light because vendetta published similar allegations in the press a few days ago……
That mrs chibesa ati “we have been complaining to no avail “
All systems of governance are broken down until people die or lungu farts
The release of Sulphur dioxide is not a new thing. It has been there from time immemorial. We used to call it “senta” in Mufulira where I grew up. It was so bad that no vegetation could grow in Kankoyo township which was most of the time in the direction of the prevailing wind. What has surprised me is that the senta appears to be so lethal now or people are no longer immune to it.