The Kafue River in Zambia, once a vital source of life, now lies silent and dead. On February 18, a catastrophic acid leak from the Chinese-owned Sino-Metals Leach Zambia mine turned this crucial waterway into a toxic wasteland overnight.
“Now everything is dead. Overnight, this river died,” lamented Sean Cornelius, a local resident, as he witnessed fish perish and birds vanish. The disaster is not an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern of environmental destruction linked to Chinese mining operations across Africa.
The spill was so severe that authorities shut down Kitwe’s water supply, affecting 700,000 residents. In a desperate bid to neutralize the acid, the Zambian government deployed its air force to drop tons of lime into the river. Yet experts fear the damage may be irreversible, as mining waste seeps into groundwater, threatening contamination for years. Zhang Peiwen, chairman of Sino-Metals, issued a perfunctory apology, promising to restore the environment, but similar commitments in the past have led to little change.
Days later, authorities uncovered another acid leak at a second Chinese-owned mine in Zambia’s Copperbelt. This operation allegedly attempted to conceal the spill. Further highlighting the disregard for human life, a mine worker died after falling into acid at this facility, which continued operations despite government orders to shut down.
Zambia is not alone. A 2021–2022 study by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre linked Chinese mining to 102 environmental and human rights abuses across 18 countries. Violations include water pollution, destruction of ecosystems, attacks on environmental activists, and unsafe working conditions.
China’s financial grip on Zambia exacerbates the problem. The country owes more than $4 billion to Beijing and was forced to restructure its debt after defaulting in 2020. This economic dependence enables Chinese firms to bypass safety, labor, and environmental regulations with impunity. In the copper-rich belt, profit-driven mining practices have led to severe ecological and human consequences.
The environmental devastation extends beyond Zambia. In Indonesia, home to the world’s largest nickel reserves, 27 documented abuses include deforestation and water contamination. On Obi Island, a mine co-owned by China’s Lygend Resources has turned once-pristine rivers undrinkable. The ocean, once blue, now runs red with sediment runoff. Indonesian soldiers protect these mines, intimidating locals who speak out.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, residents near the Chinese-owned Ruashi cobalt mine live under the constant threat of explosive blasts, evacuating their homes multiple times a week. A teenage girl was reportedly killed by flying debris, and houses have been damaged by uncontrolled detonations.
Despite Beijing’s rhetoric on “win-win cooperation” and “green development,” reality paints a starkly different picture. While China’s mining industry claims to offer mediation for affected communities, the process is voluntary and lacks enforcement. Less than 20% of Chinese firms respond to allegations of environmental violations, compared to 56% globally.
The human cost of these environmental crimes is staggering. When rivers like the Kafue die, millions of people lose access to drinking water, fishing, and agriculture. As global demand for critical minerals accelerates to support green energy, the irony is inescapable: the pursuit of a cleaner future is creating environmental disasters in the present.
Zambian citizens are demanding justice. Without stringent oversight and real accountability, foreign mining investments will continue to exploit natural resources at an unacceptable cost. The Kafue River disaster must be a wake-up call for stronger environmental regulations and enforcement.
The author, Ankit K, is an assistant professor in International Relations at the National Defence University.
Source: capitalfm
