LOCAL Government and Environmental Protection Minister ?Nkandu Luo has warned mining companies against polluting the Zambia’s ?only sources of water and expressed happiness with the recent verdict ?against Konkola Copper Mines (KCM).
Professor Luo was speaking when she signed a petition by groups of ?African civil society organisations from Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania,?Malawi and Zambia operating the African Caravan of Hope that is ?destined for the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) in Durban, South ?Africa at the National Olympics Development Centre in Lusaka? yesterday.
Professor Luo warned that Government would not watch hopelessly ?citizens dying of contamination and revealed that the Government was ?watching activities along Kabompo River which had been contaminated by ?a named mining company.
The Caravan of Hope left Kigali on Sunday last week and is travelling?by road to Durban collecting signatures from citizens which would form? the African voice to compel developed countries at COP17 to compensate ?Africa for the destruction of the environment and climate change.??Scientists say climate change that had resulted from increased ?industrial activities in the developed Western nations was responsible? for high temperatures, droughts and unpredictable weather conditions ?such as floods.
The minister said President Michael Sata was passionate about? protecting citizens and that human activities that caused death and ?destruction to the environment due to mining activities must be ?managed because some of the minerals cause cancer.??Prof Luo, who is expected to travel to Durban in December as ?chief negotiator for Zambia said KCM may have been fined but no amount ?of money would compensate for loss of life.
She said the ruling by Mr Justice Philip Musonda must send signals to ?other mining firms that the laws of Zambia must be respected.??Prof Luo wondered what would happen to Zambians if the Kabompo River ?that feeds into Zambezi River continued to be contaminated, especially? that Kafue River had not been spared by the mining houses.
The minister said as civil society organisations travel on the Caravan ?of Hope by road to collect signatures, they must ensure? African leaders speak with one voice and mobilise more voices.??She said Africa had suffered too many historical activities at the? hands of the developed world which used Africans as slaves to? industrialise their countries after which they colonised the ?continent.??Prof Luo said even the incident of HIV and AIDS points to activities ?by the developed Western nations and presently, the same continent was ?complaining of bad effects of climate change by the same countries.
“We are not asking the Western nations to feel pity for Africa but ?they must pay for the destruction they have caused. Africa is paying ?for a crime they have not committed and the poor people are suffering ?more effects. So we must speak with one voice,” Prof Luo said.??She said the demand for climate justice should not be taken ?lightly considering the effects it was having on humanity, especially ?Africa where adaptation would be costly.
Zambia Climate Change Network (ZCCN) chairperson Noah Zimba urged prof Luo to invite President Michael Sata to make the issue of climate change a priority considering its capacity to reverse and frustrate prospects?of bumper maize harvests.??Mr Zimba said while the African civil society was mobilising one ?African voice, governments must remain more united on the matter and? secure adequate resources for mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change.
[Times of Zambia]
please also visit streams they are the most effected.
FAKE RECYCLED PROFESSOR BUSY MAKING PRONOUNCEMENTS THAT DONT CARRY WATER
Madam Minister, please come up with a policy on diporsable bottles which have messed up our land especially our roads. We are tired of mending our tyres.and replacing our shoes.
We may not need to wait for the minister,to curb enviromental degaradation, where is environmental council of Zambia?? Gone to sleeping bags??
How does a few mining companies in Zambia contaminating three or four rivers in our country warrant castigation of Western countries in general? This is so careless of a minister to say, especially an “educated” one. Just be specific with the culprits. If the guilty party is an Indian company for instance blame the offending company and not India. Can you also please stop doing or saying things just for the sake of pleasing the appointing authority – I mean those KK era politics of “… the president is passionate about protecting…” What about you? Just say it is government policy to blah blah blah…
u LT chaps. how cum this story has question marks all over. please right properly u chaps.
The voice of the hnr. minister is timely and holds alot of substance. I totally concur with her. But the biggest problem is with our corrupt leaders who allow such investors after giving them, what I may call blood money, in exchange with Africans’ lives. This will continue haughting our African leaders because of their selfish motives against their fellow human beings. They say, “A GOOD NAME IS BETTER THAN RICHES” but them they say,”RICHES ARE BETTER THAN A GOOD NAME.” We must blame our leaders more than their Western enticers.
#6 thats what i have noticed also i didnt even finish reading my eyes fell straight on question marks hahahaha awe sure.