Govt inconsistency on polluted water worries CSOs
By Tony Nkhoma
GOVERNMENT’S inconsistency regarding the status of polluted water on the Copperbelt Province has worried the Zambia Environmental Justice Coalition (ZEJC).
ZEJC Chairperson Ceasar Katebe has since challenged the government to clarify the situation regarding water pollution on the Copperbelt.
“We also note with alarm the statements made by Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Mike Mposha, during the 11 August briefing, the Minister relied on uncertified laboratory results, raising questions as to why uncertified data would be used in a matter of such national importance,” Katebe said.
In a joint statement, Katebe, who is Programmes Manager at Zambia Alliance for Women, said there were alarmingly contradictory statements from stakeholders about the levels of pollution on the Copperbelt.
“However, we remain gravely concerned, particularly in light of the recent US Embassy alert and the aforementioned article. Neither testimony was invited at the briefing, nor was there public disclosure of the Drizit report, which remains concealed despite numerous calls for transparency,” he said.
He said when Bloomberg report sought comment on the Drizit revelations, Mposha refused to give details, claiming not to have sight of the report.
“This response is wholly inadequate and misleading, given that copies of the report are already circulating in the public domain,” he said.
Katebe expressed worry that the government had failed to communicate and show the urgency of the matter.
“We categorically oppose any planned decision by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) or other state agencies to grant Sino Metals permission to resume operations before a comprehensive clean-up and full restoration of the polluted environment,” Katebe said.
He said the current cleanup efforts, while acknowledged, were only based on visible contamination and not on any verifiable scientific criteria or methodology.
Katebe said such acts risked causing further contamination by exposing communities near the site to increased health risks.
He said the announced compensation of K16.2 million for about 700 affected individuals, with some receiving as little as K400, was grossly inadequate given the recent revelations and lack of transparency.
“To our knowledge, community members were not meaningfully engaged in determining compensation amounts, and we reject the characterisation of this process as ‘consultative’, ” Katebe said.
He assured the public of CSO’s vigilance by not relenting until justice prevailed.
