Socialist Party Copperbelt Vice Chairman and Spokesperson Reagan Kashinga says the Government through Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) must take responsibility over the pollution of the Mwambashi Stream and Kafue River by Sino Metals Mine of Chambishi in Kalulushi.
And Mr. Kashinga has proposed that the people whose farming fields were destroyed by acidic effluent from Sino Metals be given life long compensation because the Kalusale environment will no support farming any time soon.
The pollution incident involving acidic effluent from Sino Metals tailings dam which burst last Tuesday destroyed crops from several farming fields belonging to peasant farmers and later contaminated the Mwambashi Stream and the Kafue River.
Mr. Kashinga said the pollution which has resulted in a critical water shortage in Kitwe and Kalulushi would have been avoided had ZEMA not approved substandard tailings dams being used by the mines in Chambishi.
He challenged the Ministry of Green Economy and ZEMA to explain why it was approving poorly built tailings dams which mining firms are using to store acidic liquids from copper ore processing.
“It is not common to see a well constructed tailings dam burst like it happened at Sino Metals in Chambishi.Therefore, the UPND Government through the Ministry of Green Economy and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) must take the blame and responsibility over this pollution. We are aware that ZEMA officers have been approving poorly constructed tailings dams in Chambishi that do not have recommended two layer-systems,” Mr. Kashinga said.
“We challenge the Government through the Ministry of Green Economy and ZEMA to explain to the people of Zambia how the use of the poorly constructed Tailings Dam at Sino Metal was approved. The Chambishi pollution is as a result of negligence on the part of the Government and we can predict more pollution if ZEMA continues approving poorly constructed Tailings Dams in Chambishi and beyond. We are aware that there is another mine near NAMBOARD in Chambishi that is using unfit -Tailings Dam,” Mr. Kashinga said.
He urged the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to quickly provide food and water to the people of Kalusale in Chambishi who have been badly affected by pollution from Sino Metals.
“The Chambishi Pollution, is a disaster that needs urgent action from the Government to mitigate its impact on the people of Kalulushi and Kitwe who have had their sources of water contaminated with acidic mine effluent. Before we can even talk about compensation for the peasant farmers in Kalusale, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) must come in quickly to provide food and water to the people of Kalusale, who are badly affected after their maize, groundnuts and vegetable fields were destroyed by the acidic pollutants. On Compensation the people of Kalusale need lifelong compensation from Sino Metals because their farming area will not support agriculture anymore following the destruction of the soil by acid,” Mr. Kashinga said.
“As Socialist Party in the Copperbelt Province we say that it is impossible to reverse the adverse impact of this pollution incident, therefore we remind the people of Zambia to be mindful of the type of leaders they vote for. Every well meaning Zambian can see now that there are more problems in Zambia than good things under this outgoing regime,” he said.
So, ba Socialist Party, financially help the affected people with legal fees to sue the mine for hefty compensation.
Such impoundments are supposed to be inspected at least twice per year by ZEMA and the Mines Safety Dept.
Life long compensation ??? we certainly good at jumping on the band wagon
Who is actually going to access the damaged caused to crops and wildlife
as a lot of vagabonds will be decending on the area which may jepodise the genuine growers
The manager of the mine must be arrested and charged with criminal negligence. We have enough laws to cover this. Bigrim disaster nobody was arrested…. not this one please.
Someone boasted that the investment environment in Zambia is so good you can get away with anything.
Zambia needs to move away from mining as a key sector, this industry is destroying the environment and it is not a sustainable economic sector when we have low taxation in the mines and even the employment it generates is in many cases short term.
We can do better. With tourism and agriculture Best is just close these mines because they are killing the environment and consuming all the electricity for little short term if any benefit.
True the mining companies are destroying the environment and arent well taxed. We are paying them only because we dont want unemployment. It is just to destroy our natural resources
The mine has been closed for the time being. There are laws and fines for polluting an environment and not adhering to set standards so let the company be charged accordingly.
This is the kind of story that reveals who are the good journalists and the hangers on. People are in need of essential information, Why arent journalists putting government to task on this disaster? Anyone who did Georgraphy should know that when Kafue is polluted Zambezi will be polluted too. This kind of information shows how large the effects of government’s failure will be. Its not only Copperbelt but Southern province Zimbabwe and Mozambique will be affected. How are we ensuring people downstream of Kafue and Zambezi do not get affected? Reporters do your homework while opposition throws stones at this kind of irresponsibility.