ECZ Must be Strengthened- CDP
The most recent pollution incident [in Chingola] involving Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) polluting the Kafue River, has once again given the nation both cause and opportunity to critically look at the Environmental Council of Zambia’s statutory mission to protect not only our environment, but our citizens from pollution and its consequences thereof. This most recent occurrence is not an isolated issue. There is a pattern of behavior where time and time again, various companies have willingly abused our environment, (and thus by default our citizens) with laughable consequences. Indeed we are looking at a much bigger problem than this one incident that will only be addressed by strengthening and expanding the role of the Environmental Council of Zambia. Our country needs to progress, and environmental protection is a critical part of our nation’s overall progress.
With the ever-increasing growth of the extractive industry, ECZ cannot and should not remain to be a toothless watchdog as it currently exists. We are not witnessing this type of event that has polluted our water supply for the first time- it has happened before and the consequences for the offenders have been no more than the proverbial slap on the wrist. It is clear that in its present form, the ECZ Act has lamentably failed in its role to act as a deterrent to offenders. World over, tackling environmental issues have become a top priority in the business of governance, and Zambia cannot afford to idly witness the degradation of our environment due to its direct impact on our citizenry. This incident alone when translated monetarily will be found to be a colossal loss when the various factors ranging from health, to local businesses being negatively affected as a result of the same pollution.
As the Citizens Democratic Party, we insist that the Environmental Council of Zambia’s authority be expressed through action rather than mere observance. ECZ must be [by law] empowered to effect more impromptu inspections of industries, and ECZ must impose not just hefty fines, but criminal proceedings where offenders show a reckless attitude towards our environment. ECZ must be positioned to be in tune with the rest of the progressive world’s attitude towards the importance of protecting our environment. It is the poor and yet overwhelming majority of our citizens who are already getting a raw deal from the same problematic extractive industries and such incidences are simply adding insult to the omnipresent injury.
In the mean time, (though we must state how skeptical we are judging from the way the MMD government has meekly reacted to such issues)we challenge government [through the ECZ Act] to use this incident as a resounding warning to corporations that abrogation of our Environmental laws will not be tolerated. KCM (as we have also stated before) must also act as a responsible corporate citizen by taking measures to prevent these incidents from happening. We remain anticipating a strong worded condemnation of KCM from ECZ and government, coupled with equally appropriate action.
What else do you expect from KCM? KCM and other companies are very much protected by your own government and as such can do anything for they know that nothing will happen to them. Kafue has been polluted for many times now but your government does nothing about it.
why is it so ? Is it not coz the MMD get comissions from these mines? Can they bite the hand that funds their campaigns?
It is really sad that the poor people are let to bear the adverse impacts of kafue river pollution.
@1…walasa Mudala..!!! and this foolish GRZ wants to give licenses for Mining URANIUM….i hope its not Vera handling the issue at Ministry of Environments.
So it is true the owners of this CDP part are LT editors? ha ha ha ha. Zambian circus
This is what heppens when u have a huge firm being run by a family, for that matter an indian one! These chaps simply don’t know what they are doing. U read in the paper that they have worn this international safety award after some audit, the opposite is true on the ground. I wonder how the ratings are done. Are these guys following any international engineering standards? To what standards are their tanks, vessels, pipelines, type of flanges etc confrom to??? It is buffling to find that they are sponsering suppliers on quality when in actual fact, they don’t even apply it themselves…This is what happens when u have a company that always runs to the press for every little progress/achievement they make. Ba KCM your fellow mining companies and other engineering firms are doing a lot…
on the one hand
pollution and its consequences, no windfall tax, low mineral tax, no dividend to zccm, zambian assets sold for a song to foreign companies, empty mouth and pockets for many people
on the other hand
more and more money for mines, Tax evasion hushed up by the govt, connivance between those mining companies and the MMD
full mouth and full pockets for rupiah and his cronies
zambians must revoke mining licences and rule the mines
Wachina, Wahindi and your governmental cronies… BUGGER OFF !!!
those bast*rds know what they do….
They simply want to reduce costs in order to raise KCM profitability for future investors…
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Vedanta Resources, the mining empire headed by Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal, has drawn up secret plans to float its £4bn Zambian copper subsidiary on the London stock exchange.
The group’s Zambian offshoot, KDC, could seek to raise £500m in a London listing that may bring on board blue-chip British and European investors.
Agarwal wants to slash borrowings at Vedanta. Analysts at Liberum Capital expect the group’s debt to soar to £7.5bn (higher than Vedanta’s £6bn market valuation) once the firm gets Indian government approval to acquire a controlling stake in Cairn India’s oil operations, in a deal under discussion since August.
continued
Agarwal, who owns a home in London’s Mayfair, feels the value of KDC, which has the capacity to produce 200,000 tonnes of copper a year, is not reflected in Vedanta’s stock price and is keen to float it separately. The Zambian government owns a small holding, but is not expected to raise any objections to a London flotation.
Agarwal’s plan is supported by Vedanta’s investors, which include Legal & General, Standard Life and Fidelity. Agarwal owns a 62% stake.
Vedanta, a UK-listed company headquartered in London, has come under fire from environmental campaigners. It was recently ordered to scrap plans to develop a bauxite mine in an area of southern India deemed sacred by local people. And two weeks ago, it had to shut a copper smelter because of concerns over…
continued
Agarwal’s parallel move to spend £4.3bn on a 51% stake in Cairn India, controlled by Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy, has upset some investors, worried that the company has no experience in oil and is taking on too much debt. Agarwal is keen to make Vedanta an “Indian natural resources champion”, competing on the world stage with titans such as Lakshmi Mittal.
Three people have died due to drinking the acidic contaminated Kafue River water in Chingola. MMD syco’s is this the Zambia you want. To be shot at by Investors for a leisure activity and for the same infestors to kill us through contaminating our water resources. In other countries ( middle east) wars have previously erupted due to politics over water.Here ndwiiiieee we are watching with arms akimbo watching our water getting polluted and deaths due to drinking polluted water.
Got an email that Kitwe Shoprite was turning into a war zone for shoppers who wanted to buy mineral water after an announcement was made that the water was not safe for drinking.
I believe this is not the first time such careless behaviour is being witnessed in that “single digit inflation” country.This has just become a normal routine for the mines that they dispose off their acids in that great river without any repurcusions from that corrupt Govt.Its a shame
Remember my posting.
What has The Post got to do with Siakalima’s correct statement that Zambia is a failing state?? He is very right because those in leadership are busy scheming how to rip off the nation’s resources through bogus state visits. They have also legislated to removed the Abuse of office Clause in the ACC act to “protect” their theft and you argue that the country is far from failing. How myopic???
I REPEAT, You MMD dimwits, Stop pursuing The Post over fake tax “nkongoles” just because they are daily exposing your inadequacies. Direct you energies at going after KCM who are ripping the country off in Billions of US Dollars, besides engaging in environmentally poor mining methods which have the potential to exterminate entire populations in and around their mining areas.
Excellent excellent response. This is the quality and maturity Zambians should demand from their parties. It is very nice to see this type of thinking by fellow Zambians. No emotions involved here. In fact this is a very educative release in itself.