cover of episode Zambia’s Kafue River Disaster Puts China’s Mining Record Under Fire

Zambia’s Kafue River Disaster Puts China’s Mining Record Under Fire

2025/4/18
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The China in Africa Podcast

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Freeman Chiwele Mubanga
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Obert Bore
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Freeman Chiwele Mubanga: 我认为责任在于双方。赞比亚工程协会也希望就尾矿坝的建造和质量展开调查,这表明政府和公司在环境监管和尾矿坝维护方面都存在疏忽。政府在环境监测方面存在不足,而公司则没有妥善维护尾矿坝。这起事件不仅对环境造成了破坏,还对当地居民的健康和生计造成了严重影响,包括饮用水供应中断、农作物受损和健康问题。我们需要对环境破坏进行修复,并追究相关责任。我们需要进行全面的环境影响评估,以了解污染对赞比亚下游地区,甚至跨境地区的影响。民间社会组织正在联合起来,寻求法律途径,为受影响的社区争取正义,即使面临法律框架的局限性,我们也可以从人权角度寻求法律途径。赞比亚需要借鉴此次事件的教训,加强环境监管,制定更严格的环保标准,以避免类似事件再次发生。我们需要在国家层面制定更完善的法律法规,以确保矿业公司遵守环境保护规定,并对违规行为进行严厉处罚。 Christian Gironaima: 作为主持人,我陈述了事件的背景,并引导讨论,对受访者观点进行总结和补充。 Obert Bore: 我补充说明了类似事件在非洲其他国家也曾发生,并强调非洲国家需要更新法律和政策框架,以适应采矿业快速发展,并确保受采矿业影响的社区能够获得补救和司法途径。许多非洲国家缺乏足够的国家能力来确保中国公司遵守当地法律法规,导致环境污染等问题频发。

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In February, a tailings dam at a Chinese-owned mine in Zambia collapsed, releasing 50 million liters of acid waste into the Kafue River—a critical water source for millions. The spill sparked national outrage and raised urgent questions about environmental oversight, China’s expanding role in Africa’s mining sector, and Zambia’s ability to safeguard its natural resources. Freeman Chiwele Mubanga, head of research at the Centre for Environmental Justice in Lusaka is part of a growing civil society movement demanding accountability from both the Chinese mining company and the Zambian government. Freeman speaks with Géraud and CGSP’s new Transitional Minerals Editor, Obert Bore, about the fallout from the disaster and what it reveals about the environmental track record of Chinese mining operations across the continent.

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