INSIDE CHINA’S ZAMBIAN COPPER MINE DISASTER
By Brian Matambo – Lusaka, Zambia
LUSAKA – What began as a dam collapse at a Chinese-owned copper mine in Zambia has spiralled into what independent experts describe as one of the worst environmental disasters in Africa in decades, compounded by allegations of a government and industry cover-up.
On February 18, a tailings dam at Sino Metals’ operation gave way, releasing what officials initially described as 50,000 tons of toxic waste into the Kafue River system. But an independent environmental survey, obtained by Channel 4 News and reported by Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson, puts the true figure at more than 1.5 million tons, 30 times the official estimate.
The slurry carried with it lethal substances, including arsenic, cyanide, uranium, mercury, and lead. “This is an environmental disaster of catastrophic consequence,” the report concluded, warning of irreversible harm to both human health and ecosystems.
WATER AND LIVELIHOODS AT RISK
The Kafue River is Zambia’s economic lifeline, sustaining agriculture, fishing, and industry. Nearly two-thirds of the nation’s 20 million citizens live along its banks, with more than five million people, including residents of the capital, Lusaka, relying on it for drinking water.
Within days of the spill, dead fish lined the shores, and farmers reported wilting crops. Aerial footage revealed vast stretches of polluted landscape and an empty reservoir where the dam once stood. Scientists warned that the river remained dangerously contaminated and that the coming rainy season could wash poisons further downstream, spreading the impact.
A REPORT BURIED
Sino Metals was ordered by the Zambian government to fund an independent environmental assessment. Conducted by South African experts, the 385-page report documented hundreds of sampling sites and concluded that hazardous levels of heavy metals had created a toxic environment with long-term risks of cancers, birth defects, organ failure, and chronic illnesses.
Yet the findings were never released to the public. Instead, the government assured citizens in a June press conference that “there is no cause for alarm” and that pH levels and metal concentrations had “returned to normal.”
At the same time, Sino Metals distributed public relations videos declaring the water safe to drink and launched community relief efforts, including food handouts and small compensation payments of about $800 per family. Acceptance of the money required signing agreements barring recipients from pursuing legal claims.
INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE
The muted official response prompted unease abroad. On June 12, the United States Embassy in Lusaka urged American nationals to leave the affected area. By August, it escalated its warning, advising that even breathing air in the pollution zone could be dangerous.
“The poisoning at the Kafue River and efforts to avoid responsibility demonstrate the contempt state-owned Chinese companies have for the lives of the Zambian people,” a U.S. government statement read. “This environmental catastrophe is the latest example of callous indifference toward the African people.”
Beijing has rejected such criticism, calling the allegations “without factual or legal basis.” Sino Metals declined interview requests but said in a statement that it “refutes these allegations in their entirety.” The Zambian government also declined to comment.
DEBT DIPLOMACY
The disaster comes at a sensitive moment in Zambia’s relations with China. The government in Lusaka is restructuring $5.6 billion in Chinese debt, leaving officials reluctant to antagonise Beijing. Analysts suggest this debt dependency may help explain the muted response.
“This is the dilemma for Zambia,” said one regional political economist. “How do you demand accountability from your largest creditor when your economy depends on restructuring its loans?”
AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
For communities along the Kafue River, the crisis is far from over. Environmental assessors have warned that a proper cleanup would require at least 100 trucks operating daily for more than a year. To date, no such effort has been initiated.
As the rainy season approaches, villagers brace for a renewed wave of contamination. Many express fear not just of poisoned water, but of a future clouded by chronic illness and disappearing livelihoods.
“The government says there is no danger,” one fisherman told Channel 4 News, “but we see the dead fish. We see our crops dying. We know the truth.”
GOVERNMENT NEGLIGENCE
While Sino Metals and Beijing face international scrutiny, the ultimate responsibility lies with the Zambian government under President Hakainde Hichilema. The suppression of critical findings, the decision to downplay risks, and the refusal to launch a large-scale cleanup effort amount to gross negligence. By choosing debt diplomacy and political convenience over public safety, the Hichilema administration has failed in its most basic duty to protect the lives and health of its citizens.