Friday, March 29, 2024

KCM pollution of the Kafue river

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Pollution of the Kafue river by the giant mining firm KCM goes on unabated. In recent weeks, there has been an upsurge of toxic wastes spilling into the waterways.

Fish and marine animals are dying and can be seen floating on water. Some euphoric scores of villagers can be seen scooping dead fish for consumption and selling to unsuspecting buyers. The water appear brownish, has a pungent smell and is irritating to the skin.

KCM has a smelter at the Nchanga mine and uses acid to purify the copper ore. The poisonous by-products of this complex process are regularly discarded into the Mushishima river which is a tributary of the Kafue river. Villagers and farmers dotted along these two rivers are wholly dependent on these water bodies for their livelihood. All these people together with the domestic and wild animals are frequently exposed to the harmful wastes which obviously have adverse effects on health both in the short and long term.

I strongly urge the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), the Department of Safety in the Ministry of Mines, the Chingola Municipal Council and other relevant authorities to effectively enforce applicable laws that govern appropriate mining procedures and tame KCM to fully comply with stipulated regulations.

The banks of the river Kafue is now clogged with silt from the smelter and this has transformed the flora and negatively impacted on the fauna of this environment. It is worrisome that if the current trend continues, a repeat of the infamous 2006 catastrophic poisoning of the Kafue is imminent.

It is morally evil and very disturbing for KCM to uphold this destructive tendency of the environment with impunity and disdain. The mining firm has no regard or remorse for the lives of the poor indigenous inhabitants that are perpetually poisoned leaving them weak and distraught. Its main focus is to simply extract copper and boost profits whilst leaving a trail of colossal environmental destruction. By any measure, KCM is surely abrogating some laws of Zambia and deserves retribution.

By N. Chanda (Kafue Hippo Pool- Chingola).

21 COMMENTS

  1. Chase those Chili boys (mpilipili boys). They are destroying our environment and killing our people. You dont need approval from opposition, just act because this is above politics – save Zambia. We cant have kwacha dying with environment, at least keep the environment and people alive, they will build Kwacha one day.
    Long overdue, long overdue, chili boys must go

    • Tanzania’s mining minister said on Monday that Acacia Mining had been fined 5.6-billion Tanzanian shillings ($2.4m) for alleged pollution at its North Mara mine.
      Acacia, majority-owned by Barrick Gold, is embroiled in a long-running tax dispute with Tanzania.
      It was forced to cut output by a third after the government banned the export of mineral concentrates from its two other mines, Bulyanhulu and Buzwagi, in 2017.
      Tanzania’s National Environment Management Council (NEMC has issued an environmental protection order (EPO) relating to alleged pollution from North Mara’s tailings dam, mining minister Doto Biteko said.
      “The North Mara gold mine has been given two weeks to pay the fine and three weeks to rectify the problem at its tailings storage facility,” Biteko said.
      “If the mine…

    • Continued
      “If the mine fails to comply to the order, tougher measures will be taken against it.
      Last week Biteko and the country’s environment minister, January Makamba, visited the mine, where operations remain unaffected despite the crackdown by the environmental agency.
      Acacia confirmed on Friday that the mine would be issued with an EPO relating to alleged historical breaches of environmental regulations in Tanzania.

  2. ZEMA is a useless body used to fight politics by PF …..only if you are in a fight against PF will that ZEMA investigate you

  3. I remember before PF regime how influential ZEMA was but since this cancer called PF came in they placed cadres in there…its no wonder Chinks are buying and building anywhere.

    • The only cancer here is your partisan mind – this has nothing to do with politics. Thats were you opposition lose it, you always want to make a name on opposing everything, mwapangwa shani bamwana Mason imwe?

    • This has everything to do with politics …you saw what happened to BP in the US after that oil spill, they are still paying for it.

    • munone

      This polution is not from yesterday , it has been going on for a long time , what had the same ZEMA been doing ????

      Jack sh.it

  4. It’s so mind boggling that “Anil Chagwal” for a very long time has been skanking the ZAMBIANS, even laughing at us, & confessing how daft we are, when addressing his people in India, but Jona & co always afforded him the Red Carpet treatment @ State House.
    “An@l Chagwal” has been polluting the Rivers, & atmosphere on the Copperbelt for a very long time now, & “Jona Chagwal” still wine & dined the Crook, who greased Jonas crooked palms with personal, & campaign funds.
    Today Jona Chagwal wakes up, & all the sudden ABRAKADABRA, he sees wrong in his partner in crime, & sidekick “An@l Chagwal”??
    DAFT ZAMBIANS, WAKE UP!! THIS IS ALL ABOUT CAMPAIGNING, AS JONA AFTER ROAN, SENSES LOSING, & GOING ON HOLIDAY TO MUKOBEKO, THEN BACK TO CHAWAMA, if his flimsy health will hold on…

  5. cont;
    if Jona’s flimsy health will hold on after the stess of losing power, & privilege!!

  6. Point out something that India or Indians have ever done for Zambia, that is worth while. The British left in the 60s, and their contributions, though a lot were evil still stand. From law to buildings. KCM and that evil anvil Arwal must leave Zambia. Evil person.

    • Just look at Kamwala Shopping area …that place has made millions of dollars for Indians and Pakistans but the place is a sh%thole. If it was another community making millions they would put money back and give it a face-lift but everytime I visit its still the same!!

  7. Mwanawasa’s corrupt dealings with Argwal, vendanta kcm owner, has led to Zambia losing over 20 billion USD…..the net result is poisoning of poor Zambians, zero to little taxes paid by kcm, over spill of Indians into Zambia via Chingola, discriminination against black Zambian suppliers, illegal smuggling of Zambia’s emeralds by Indians…..Zambia is now a colonial outpost of India and subject to the corrupt culture of its citizens. Indians and weak, corrupt, African govts are a bad mix, toxic!

  8. Good point, no country in Africa, economically dominated by indians, can deliver for it’s poor masses, the indian model is hell bent on ensuring govts in Africa, do not deliver for their black citizens and instead fatten the pockets of greedy indians and black African govt officials, Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, are classic cases of the corrupt nature of Indian business, Rwanda, Botswana and a 1980s Zimbabwe, are classic cases of what can achieved in the absence of Indian corruption, the are too many parasitic foreigners, in Zambia, who do not mean us well.

  9. zwe are the next zimbabwe. all the signs are there: 1)worst performing currency (2)kicking out investors without a plan or strategy with the aim of gifting loyal unskilled cadres with roles in the mining sector (3)skyrocketting cost of living for essential products like mealie meal (4) strong affinity for the chinese who turn blind eye to human rights and workers rights (5) all the above happening under the poor leadership of a “patriotic front” party.

    Do not say we in UPND didnt warn you. Vote UPND in next eleciton, and if they steal the vote demonstrate in the streets like professinal associal of sudan
    N.e.z
    Chief Strategist of the UPND X

  10. KCM mine owners will go to their homes leaving behind in Zambia pollution pollution pollution And we will continue to vote for impotent politicians who don’t care about our environment. Which mp has raised this issue in parliament? They all don’t give a damn

  11. Who will account for the pollution of the rivers now? PFools should be held accountable for this abomination. Only a sleepy and corrupt regime can allow companies to pollute rivers with impunity. Zambia is being led by kaponyas right now.

    See how things will be handled once UPND comes to power because no one will mercy around. Laws will be obeyed, thieves will go to prison, there will be zero tolerance to corruption, only qualified and competent people will be hired and transparently, hate speech will not be tolerated,…… Zambia will depart from this ignorance based PF crooked way governance. Kaponyas will have to take the back seat because they have nothing to offer other than lawlessness. It will be a refreshing time for the country.

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