Green Party President Peter Sinkamba has called upon the Mines Safety Department (MSD) to enforce the mining laws and regulations by prohibiting provisional liquidator Mr. Milingo Lungu from continued management of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) mining operations because he lacks minimum qualifications prescribed by mining regulations to do so.
And Mr. Sinkamba said it is wrong for MSD to resort to double standards by turning a blind eye to illegalities currently taking place at KCM operations while expecting other mining companies to comply with the mining laws and regulations.
Commenting on the excessive discharge of noxious gases from the Lime Plant at Nchanga Mine last week which resulted in hospitalization of 232 children and 40 miners, Mr. Sinkamba said this incidence is unprecedented on the Copperbelt and should not be treated with kid gloves as air pollution is one of the most dangerous hazards on mining as it kills within minutes.
“High concentrations of sulfur dioxide can affect lung function, worsen asthma attacks, and worsen existing heart disease in sensitive population groups. This gas can also react with other chemicals in the air and change to small particles that can get into the lungs and cause similar health effects.
“People with lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic bronchitis will generally have more serious health effects at higher sulphur dioxide levels.
“Children are at higher risk from sulfur dioxide exposure because their lungs are still developing. They are also more likely to have asthma, which can get worse with sulphur dioxide exposure.
“Clearly, what happened last week at KCM was hazardous discharge of sulphur dioxide which was more than 5 parts per million. At that level, sulphur dioxide triggers health warnings of emergency conditions, hence the hospitalizations and huge population affected. This is illegal and dangerous. MSD should not turn a blind eye to such hazardous illegalities. They must act firmly without fear or favour in national interest otherwise we will soon have a national disaster at KCM.
“But the starting point should be for MSD to prohibit the provisional liquidator Mr. Milingo Lungu from the continued illegal running of the mine operations at KCM.
“According to Part 2 of the Mining Regulations, Mr. Milingo is an incompetent person. He has never had any adequate training and experience so as to enable him to perform the duty of manager of a mining operation without avoidable danger to himself or any other person. He is incompetent to be appointed by a holder of the mining right to be responsible for the control, supervision and direction of mining operations in accordance with Regulation 202 of 1971 and 1973, and as such he is a danger to himself and other persons within the mine and areas contiguous to the mine. Even Section 14 of the Mines and Minerals Development Act of 2015 prohibits what Mr. Milingo Lungu is doing at KCM. The MSD should stop this illegality forthwith,” Mr. Sinkamba said.
A country which has gone to the Dogs and managed by Baboons
After Kapeso finish wiping out the Kitwe cheap thieves, he should go after the Edgar appointed ones too.
Can the affected sue the liquidator? I suppose it will be the tax payer to pick up the bill.
Boils dwn to the argument that minerals are God’s gift to Zambians. I find it hard to believe this. Where’s God’s manual to Zambians on how to extract minerals without polluting the environment? I’m a student of religion. It remains a powerful force in the world. It can motivate some people to do good and that’s a good thing. But not everyone needs religion to do good.
@Skylab, it is insurance company that issued public liability insurance will pick up the legal costs and compensation to the affected children and minors. This will run into billions of Kwacha.
Milingo LUNGU, is a robber. Why did he take away $6.4 million assets insurance from Zisc to Mayfair? Why did Lungu, plot one occupant, direct ministry of agriculture to divert FISP funded insurance to Mayfair at the cost of Zisc?
Mayfair is owned by Peter Kenneth, a politician of Kenya while Zisc is owned by GRZ.
Why did Lungu direct Ministry of energy to divert insurance of crude oil import to Mayfair, instead of supporting Zisc?
Stinking corruption. Killing Zisc and Promoting Kenyan politician’s outfit.
Ba Edgar Lungu will go to hell for sure, the way he uses those bandits to help him subotage Zambia is worse than using prostitute along Adidasabab Rd.
The cousin of Milingo Lungu, Kaiser just smashed a 3rd State House vehicle, and beat up a driver.
Those thugs are imune to be beaten up, just same as no one can arrest Ba Edgar?
Even Lusaka times has stopped blocking me and deleting my comments. The wind of change is being felt. Don’t worry you Lusaka times minions we will employ you. You are still zambian even though you were biased against us upnd. We will ensure that you change for the better and are independent and fair in your reporting. Good evening zambia
Lungus are supporting Mayfair Insurance at the cost of Zisc. They have given FISP funded agriculture insurance to Mayfair , owned by Kenyan politician Peter Kenneth. They gave KCM assets insurance to Mayfair. They took Crude oil insurance to Mayfair. Total loss of income to Zisc of K200,000,000 every year. Zisc owned by GRZ while Mayfair owned by Rupiah Bands and Lungu’s friend Peter Kenneth, a thief from Kenya.
Is it so?
The victims are in money but they don’t seem to be aware. Who is going to help these victims with the legal process with our prohibitive legal fees?
The only language companies need to do the right thing is Legal action!
Kopala lawyers only rush to copper thieves, why can’t they do ka ambulance chasing and sue KCM? Get to the hospital and retrieve details of the victims and sue the Indian owned company for a cool $10M. PF is a govt of mostly criminals. The people they killed in Mumpanshya are haunting them
Indian owned company? I thought the pf thugs grabed the mine from the Indian thugs and are now running it. Sue the pf .
That is why a liquidator has no business in running the company in liquidation but should only dissolve it,but with Lungu even straight forward things are complicated.So how far have they gone in their liqudation?
The 5 parts per million Mr Sinkamba is talking about is not correct. How did he measure? According to Mining Regulation 902(2)(b) the maximum allowable concentration is 20ppm. And from what I know there were no sulphur dioxide gas readings taken. It was pure guess work. Shame
I remember growing up in Ndeke kitwe we used to call this chemical center it used to come out in the form of fog we never even used to know it’s real name Nkana mine used to release this sulfur dioxide only when it was raining even then it used to choke us.
What more released over the limit and no rain to neutralize it this is what corruption can do you give wako ni wako to run the mine no experience.
PF should be taken to international criminal court for this it is a crime against humanity that Milingo Lungu should be removed there see even the surnames are the same running a mine is not like running a chipatepate government it needs qualified people.
Remember excessive air pollution is the same as a nuclear weapon.