Former MP, Banda, blames weak enforcement for Zambia’s growing environmental disasters

Former Kasenengwa Constituency lawmaker, Sensio Banda, has criticised the UPND government for what he described as weak enforcement of environmental laws and inadequate penalties for polluters, saying these failures had contributed significantly to the country’s environmental crises.

Banda cited recent pollution incidents in Mwense District of Luapula Province and along the Kafue River on the Copperbelt as examples that raised serious questions about the effectiveness of Zambia’s environmental governance.

In an interview with Zambia Monitor, Banda noted that the government had admitted that EZED Mine was operating illegally and disregarding regulations, a situation he said exposed deep regulatory failure by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA).

He said these disasters followed a predictable trend of weak oversight, ignored warning signs, and poor compliance by operators.

“The ‘death’ of the Luongo River’s ecosystem is therefore not a surprise but the result of systemic failure,” Banda said.

He explained that while Zambia had strong environmental laws on paper—such as the Environmental Management Act and the Minerals Regulation Commission Act of 2024, which permit authorities to impose penalties, halt operations, and compel restoration of damaged environments—enforcement remained extremely weak.

According to him, penalties issued to polluters were often too low to act as deterrents, allowing companies to treat fines as routine business expenses.

“Warning signs around dangerous tailings dams are frequently ignored, despite known risks related to poor construction, bad maintenance, and inadequate safety checks. After the Chambishi disaster, no major national,” he said, before pointing out that critical lessons remain unaddressed.

Banda added that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process was also compromised, with some EIAs allegedly approved without proper scrutiny. He said structural designs were often substandard, and affected communities were routinely excluded from consultations.

He warned that when approval processes were weak or corrupted, “the entire system becomes a time bomb and companies benefit, communities suffer, and the environment pays the ultimate price.”

“Unless the government enforces laws firmly, imposes meaningful penalties, holds negligent officials accountable, and strengthens the EIA process, these disasters will continue,” Banda stated.

The comments follow a recent tailings dam collapse at EZED Copper Mines in Mwense District, which released toxic waste into a local stream, reportedly killing all fish in the Luongo and Luapula rivers.

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