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The Centre for Environment Justice (CEJ) has condemned the recent alleged findings regarding the operations at the Southern Africa Ferro Alloys Limited (SAFAL) manganese processing plant in Serenje.
CEJ Executive Director, Maggie Mwape, stated that the alleged violations had not only impacted 35 workers with severe health issues but had also exposed over 271 additional employees to toxic chemicals, which posed long-term health risks.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Saturday, Mwape claimed that the scale of the environmental and human rights violations by SAFAL were unprecedented and unacceptable.
She alleged that investigations revealed SAFAL had neglected essential safety regulations in its pursuit of profit, putting its workforce at risk of acute and chronic manganese poisoning.
“The symptoms experienced by the workers included loss of balance, speech difficulties, tremors, and severe neurological damage, resulting in significant alterations to their lives and livelihoods,” Mwape claimed.
She also demanded comprehensive compensation for all affected individuals, including medical care and support for long-term health issues.
Mwape stressed that for those permanently disabled, damages should reflect the severity of SAFAL’s negligence, thereby compensating for lost income and supporting their families.
The CEJ Executive Director called for SAFAL to commit to cleaning up contaminated areas and providing support to restore community livelihoods and health services.
“I wish to call upon the Zambian government and relevant authorities to take immediate action by suspending SAFAL’s operations until compliance measures were implemented to ensure mine safety,” she said.
Mwape demanded the evacuation of critically ill victims for specialized treatment by a specified deadline and insisted that all workers reportedly involved be granted access to their medical reports, emphasizing their right to understand their health status.
Meanwhile, CEJ Head of Programmes Haggai Nyambe threatend that CEJ would go to court if nothing was done because the victims had suffered permanent disabilities out of negligence.
Similary, CEJ Head of Research and Studies Freeman Mubanga claimed that the organisation had exhausted all channels by engaging government including through the Office of the Public Protector but that the matter was dragging while victims remain struggling.
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