Devastating toxic spill seen as test of whether African countries can stand up to China

Even before the dam collapsed, Lamec did not feel safe working at the copper mine."If our work protective gear gets damaged, it is not always replaced," he tells us. "We have to take a risk and use it again."He is talking to the BBC in a car on a quiet backroad near a village in northern Zambia, too nervous to speak to us in public or to use his real name, for fear that speaking to the press might cost him his livelihood.When he turned up for his shift one day in February, he tells us, he found that one of the dams at the Chinese-owned mine had been closed.The tailings dam - used to store toxic by-products from the copper mining process, including heavy metals like arsenic, mercury and lead - had collapsed into a tributary connected to the Kafue, Zambia's longest river and a major drinking water source.At least 50 000 tonnes of acidic debris spilled out into the surrounding waterways and farmland, according to the government. Some environmentalists, however, claim as much as 1.5 million tonnes was spilled, with one expert saying a full clean-up could take longer than a decade.The spill has killed the fish around the towns of Chambishi and Kitwe, made the water undrinkable and destroyed crops, farmers have told the BBC.There are fears that, now the rainy season has started, heavy metals still sitting in the mud will further infiltrate the land and waterways, causing a second wave of pollution. Toxic metals that can cause kidney damage and cancers, as well as gastric and intestinal issues, could be carried downstream to the capital, Lusaka, says Dr Mweene Himwiinga, a senior lecturer at Zambia's Copperbelt University.Contrasting messages The Chinese embassy in Lusaka disputes the scale of the damage and told the BBC it welcomed the establishment of an independent investigation into the incident. The Zambian government, it said, had reported that the pollution was contained to a confined area, water acidity levels had returned to normal limits and that ongoing checks showed no lasting public-health risks.Lamec, like his country Zambia, finds himself in a difficult position. The mine is owned by Sino-Metals Leach Zambia, a subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned firm, which has created - according to Chinese sources - more than 2 000 jobs.Chinese companies like these provide jobs and much needed revenue in Africa. Although the US has recently become the biggest foreign investor across the continent, China is still one of the largest investors in Africa's rich minerals and metals industry - not least in Zambia's Copperbelt Province, the scene of the dam collapse.More than 30 000 jobs have been created by Chinese companies across Zambia, according to the Chinese embassy. Investment from China was estimated to be worth US$1.7bn last year. And - in a sign of the close links between the two countries - Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Zambia late last month, ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit in South Africa.But China has also been accused of neocolonialism, with critics arguing that its infrastructure loans trap African countries in unmanageable debt, that it doesn't upskill local workers, preferring to bring its own in instead, and that its focus on mineral extraction sometimes comes at the expense of safeguarding the environment.Mass legal action In September, 176 farmers filed an US$80bn lawsuit against Sino Metals and NFC Africa, the Chinese firm that owns the land the mine is on. It is one of the biggest environmental lawsuits in Zambia's history, with the farmers alleging the spillage has already affected 300 000 households.They say the dam's collapse was caused by a number of factors, including engineering failures, construction flaws and operational mismanagement.The lawsuit is being seen by some as a test case of how much African countries can hold China accountable for wrongdoing in their territories."All eyes are on this case," says Prof Stephen Chan from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies."Because of the huge extent of the damage that has been caused, the huge extent of the carelessness that was very obviously involved."People found it hard to believe at first "because something of this scale had not happened before," he adds.The Chinese embassy in Zambia says Sino Metals has cooperated fully with the investigation into the incident, that compensation has been paid to 454 households and that all staff at the site have continued to be employed and receive their salaries, despite a six-month pause in mining.Some analysts, however, argue the incident shows that Zambia needs to prioritise safety, sustainability and the national interest when dealing with Chinese companies. The power dynamic could be further complicated by the estimated US$5bn debt Zambia owes to China.But this debt does not hamper the Zambian government's ability to deal with the crisis, insists the Permanent Secretary for Green Economy and Environment, Dr Douty Chibamba."There is no treating them [China] with kid gloves here," he told the BBC in a rare, sit-down interview. "We don't care whether we owe them, that's not the issue."Zambia is not alone in owing money to the Chinese. Between 2000 and 2023, 49 African countries are believed to have signed US$182.3bn worth of loans with Chinese lenders.Conflicted In Copperbelt Province, Lamec tells us he was really broken by the spill affecting his family. "We were told that the waterways now had acid in them, and that we were not supposed to use the water."For two weeks after the spill, Lamec says he and his family weren't allowed to use the local water until it had been sprayed with lime to help reduce the acidity.He took the job at the dam because, he says, he has no other way to make a living, but now feels conflicted about working there.Copper mining has been the economic backbone of this region for more than a century. The metal makes up 70% of Zambia's exports and accounts for 15% of its GDP.The industry is set to grow further, with plans to more than triple production in Zambia by 2031, according to plans laid out by the government last year.In the village of Twalima, it has been a struggle to grow anything since the spill, say farmers Abigail Namtowe, 28, and Frederick Bwalya, 72.Farming was the main source of food and income for Namtowe's family, and her six year-old daughter is now very hungry and malnourished, she told us."I've tried to grow my maize, I've tried everything so the hunger won't kill my child, but it's too much."Bwalya has lived in Twalima for 33 years. Strong and energetic, we meet him working on his farm which he tends to daily. "Farming is not going well because the soil is not clean," he says.He also describes a severe pain in his leg which won't go away and makes it difficult for him to move. "The doctor says the contaminated water could be causing this," he adds.*READ THE FULL STORY ON BBC 'Devastating toxic spill seen as test of whether African countries can stand up to China'

Devastating toxic spill seen as test of whether African countries can stand up to China

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-08

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Devastating toxic spill seen as test of whether African countries can stand up to China

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-08

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