Kitwe, Zambia (AP) authorities and environmental activists in Zambia fear the long-term impact of an acid leakage in a Chinese ownership that could influence a large river and possibly millions of people after signs of pollution were detected at least 100 kilometers (60 miles) Downstream.
The leakage happened on 18 February when a residue of waste retains acid waste from a copper mine in the north of the country, according to researchers from the technical institution of Zambia.
The collapse ensured that about 50 million liters of waste with concentrated acid, dissolved solids and heavy metals flows into a current that connects to the Kafue River, the most important waterway in Zambia, the technical institution said.
“It is an environmental disaster really of catastrophic consequences,” said Chilekwa Mumba, an environmental activist who works in the province of Copperbelt in Zambia.
China is the dominant player in copper mining in Zambia, a South African nation that belongs to the world's top 10 producers of copper, an important part of smartphones and other technology.
Zambian President Hakaine Hichilema called for help from experts and said that the leak is a crisis that threatens people and animals in the wild along the Kafue, which runs more than 1500 kilometers (930 miles) through the heart of Zambia.
Authorities still investigate the extent of environmental damage.
A river died at night
An Associated Press reporter visited parts of the Kafue River, where dead fish could be seen on the banks about 100 kilometers (60 miles) downstream of the mine run by Sino-metals Leach Zambia, who is the majority owned by the State-Runned China Non-Ferrous metal industry group.
The Ministry of Water Development and Sanitary facilities said that the “devastating consequences” also include the destruction of crops along the banks of the river. Authorities are concerned that groundwater will be contaminated if it seeps into the earth or are worn to other areas.
“Before February 18, this was a lively and living river,” said Sean Cornelius, who lives near the Kafue and said that fish died and birds near him almost immediately disappeared. “Now everything is dead, it is like a total dead river. Incredible. This river died at night. “
About 60% of the 20 million people from Zambia live in the Kafue River Basin and are dependent in a certain way as a source of fish, irrigation for agriculture and water for industry. The river supplies drinking water to around five million people, including in the capital, Lusaka.
The sour leak at the mine caused a complete closure of the water supply to the nearby city of Kitwe, the home of an estimated 700,000 people.
Attempts to reverse the damage
The Zambian government has used the Air Force to drop hundreds of tons of lime in the river in an attempt to prevent acid and rolling back the damage. Speed boats are also used to drive on and off the river and apply lime.
Government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said that the situation was very serious and that SINO-mets Leach Zambia would bear the costs of the clean-up operation.
Zhang Peiwen, the chairman of Sino-Met's Leach Zambia, met the ministers of the government this week and apologized for the acid leak, according to a transcript of his speech during the meeting released by his company.
“This disaster has brought a big alarm for SINO-Metals Leach and the mining industry,” he said. He said it will “do everything to restore the affected environment as quickly as possible.”
Dissatisfaction with the Chinese presence
The environmental impact of the large mining interests of China in mineral-rich parts of Africa, including the neighbors of Zambia Congo and Zimbabwe, is often criticized, even if the minerals are crucial for the economies of the countries.
Chinese copper mines are accused of ignoring safety, labor and other regulations in Zambia, because they strive to control the delivery of the critical mineral, which leads to any dissatisfaction with their presence. Zambia is also charged with more than $ 4 billion in debts to China and some of his loans from China and other countries had to restructure after a lack of reimbursements in 2020.
A smaller acid shining from another Chinese ownership of the Chinese property in the copper belt of Zambia was discovered days after the Sino metal accident, and the authorities accused the smaller mine of an attempt to hide it.
The local police said that a miner died in that second mine after he had fallen in acid and claimed that the mine continued to operate after he was instructed to stop her activities by the authorities. Two Chinese mine managers have been arrested, the police said.
Both mines have now stopped their activities after orders from the Zambian authorities, while many Zambians are angry.
“It really only brings out the negligence that some investors actually have when it comes to environmental protection,” said Mweene Himwinga, an environmental engineer who attended the meeting with Zhang, Ministers and others. “They don't seem to worry at all, no ways at all. And I think it is really disturbing, because in the end we as Zambian people (it) are the only country we have. “
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Zimba reported from Lusaka, Zambia.
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AP Africa News: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
