Chambishi Disaster: Communities Demand $420 Million as Zambia Faces Environmental Catastrophe

Source: APC News

As of 18th February 2025, the water body where many of us depended for income, food, transportation, and waterwas contaminated by 50 million liters of mining acid from the Sino Metals plant in Chambeshi. Sino Metals, a subsidiary of China Ferrous Metals, processes copper from Chambeshi Mine here on the Copperbelt.

This disaster has affected over 1.3 million people in the Kafue basin. But it doesn’t stop there. The Kafue River, the longest tributary of the Zambezi, flows through six African countries. That means 50 million liters of acid waste were not only dumped into Zambia but essentially into Southern Africa’s water system.

Government Assurances vs. Global Warnings

Six months later, the Government of Zambia insists the risks “have been averted” and that the water is “safe for consumption.” But international and independent voices disagree.

The U.S. Embassy recently ordered its citizens on the Copperbelt to immediately vacate, citing contaminated water and even unsafe air. Meanwhile, independent researchers have compared this crisis to Kabwe’s lead poisoning—a generational tragedy still haunting families—and in scale, even to a modern-day Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The contrast is sharp: foreigners are being evacuated, while citizens are told to carry on as if nothing happened.

Living in the Shadow of Contamination

As a Copperbelt resident myself, this is not just news. It is lived reality. My next-door neighbor has a stream running through her yard, and now it is feared to be poisoned. We cannot pretend life is normal when fish die in our rivers, crops wilt in our fields, and water—the very thing that sustains us—has turned against us.

We ask:

What happens to our health, knowing acid waste lingers in soil and water for decades?

What happens to our land, when farming becomes dangerous?

What happens to our children, when every sip of water may carry invisible poisons?

Communities Fight Back

For once, people are refusing to remain silent. In August, two law firms—Malisa & Partners and Malambo & Co.—filed claims demanding $420 million in compensation from Sino Metals. These funds are sought for relocation of affected households, health testing and treatment, emergency support, and livelihood restoration.

It is a bold move, but also a reminder: no amount of money can reverse the poisoning of rivers, soils, and bodies. Justice cannot only be financial—it must also be restorative and preventive.

The Truth That Must Be Faced

The Kafue River sustains nearly 60% of Zambia’s population, along with countless ecosystems and industries. If this river is allowed to remain contaminated, the consequences will echo for generations.

Yet the government stands between denial and silence, more eager to protect a foreign-owned mining company than its own citizens. This is not leadership—it is abandonment.

Our Call

We, the people of the Copperbelt and the wider Kafue basin, demand:

• Independent international testing of our water, land, and air.

• Health screenings and medical care for all affected communities.

• Safe drinking water alternatives for households and schools.

• Accountability and compensation from Sino Metals and its parent company, China Ferrous Metals.

This is not just a Zambian crisis. It is Southern Africa’s catastrophe. The Kafue’s death would be our collective death.

We cannot stay silent while our river, our land, and our future are sacrificed at the altar of profit. The acid spill is not only corroding the Copperbelt’s soil—it is corroding the very trust between citizens and the state.

If we do not fight for justice today, the poison will not only live in our waters but in our history.

Article by: Subilo K Malema

Subilo Malema is a Gender Equality Advocate | Feminist Leader | Youth Empowerment Champion.

She is a passionate advocate for gender equality, human rights with a strong focus on feminist ideals, social justice, and youth empowerment.  Her strength lies in ensuring the safety, rights, and leadership of young women and girls, especially in areas like Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Climate Justice, and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). She believes in the power of intersectional approaches that consider race, class, gender, age, and disability to drive meaningful change.