21/08/2025
Zambia’s Worst Mining Disaster?
It is feared that a Chinese-owned mining company has spilled an estimated 1.5 million tons of poisonous chemicals and waste into the Kafue River in the Copperbelt Province. To put this into context, that is toxic waste equivalent to filling 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
This spillage reportedly contains deadly heavy metals such as arsenic, cyanide, and uranium substances so toxic they can dissolve human bone and cause irreversible health damage. Yet, shockingly, the Zambian government under the UPND has downplayed the severity of this disaster. Their solution? Pouring lime into the water and declaring it “safe.”
Meanwhile, the rest of the world is alarmed.
• The U.S. government has issued warnings about the scale of the disaster, recalling its citizens in the affected area.
• The Australian government has updated its health advisories in response.
• Transparency International has condemned the lack of urgency, warning of severe long-term effects for Zambians if immediate measures are not taken.
Health experts globally describe this as one of the worst mining disasters ever recorded, yet the Hakainde Hichilema administration appears more concerned with damage control and cover-ups than protecting citizens.
So the question remains:
Is Zambia truly safe under the UPND regime?
You judge for yourselves. The world is outraged, experts are warning, but the government is silent while toxic chemicals flow through the lifeline of the Copperbelt.
