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The Forum For Democracy and Development (FDD) has accused the UPND administration of trivializing matters that have to do with the health of Zambians and foreigners.
The U.S. government had ordered the immediate withdrawal of all its personnel from Kitwe and nearby areas affected by the Sino metals mine tailings dam spill, citing newly available data allegedly showing the presence of hazardous and carcinogenic substances.
FDD Spokesperson, Anthony Chibuye, told Zambia Monitor on Thursday that it was now close to 5 months from the time Sino Metals Leach Zambia contaminated the Mwambashi and Kafue rivers, affecting both human and aquatic lives.
Chibuye claimed that the government had initially assured the people that the water was safe for human and animal use.
“But it’s sad that instead of our government giving priority to the health of our people, the government rushed into giving priority to business. And as FDD, we ask whether indeed the UPND knows what it is doing in government,” he said
Chibuye claimed that this was the second high level revelation from the US government after the exposure on stealing of drugs.
He alleged that the minister of mines and his copperbelt counterpart had rushed the issue of compensations, especially to poor families who had settled around the contaminated streams and surrounding areas.
“All this was done without having the full understanding of the immediate and long time effect of the health of the Zambians and foreigners,” Chibuye claimed.
He demanded that President Hakainde Hichilema should fire all line ministers who should have ensured that the contamination was treated exhaustively.
Chibuye also demanded that Sino Metals Leach Zambia be made to give life compensations to the thousands of affected residents and made to pay for cleaning up the contamination thoroughly.
Read More: Govt dismisses U.S. health alert, assures Kitwe District water is safe
However, Green Party President, Peter Sinkamba accused the United States government of using Zambia’s Kafue River pollution crisis as ammunition in its trade war with China
Sinkamba argued that the hazardous and carcinogenic substances include arsenic, cyanide, uranium, and other heavy metals with both immediate and long-term health risks.
“If the U.S. was genuinely concerned, it would have acted in February when the spill occurred, rather than six months later, saying the timing of the announcement suggests that the move is aimed at tarnishing China’s image,” he said.
Sinkamba contended that the U.S. had ignored historical lead pollution in Kabwe caused by Anglo American, which left thousands of children exposed and affected, yet had not withdrawn its personnel from that area or made scathing announcements.
“The interventions by the Zambia air force, the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), the mines safety department and others, to neutralize the acid spill within 14 days, and ongoing daily monitoring, were adequate to restore water safety and allow safe citizen use of the resource,” he claimed.
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