Zambia Acid Spill Contaminates Kafue River

On February 18, a tailings dam at Sino-Metals Leach Zambia, a copper mine majority-owned by China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group, collapsed, spilling approximately 50 million liters of acidic waste into a stream that feeds the Zambia — Kafue River, Zambia's most vital waterway. This environmental disaster has led to widespread death of aquatic life, destruction of crops, and contamination of groundwater, affecting millions of Zambians who rely on the Zambia — Kafue River for drinking water, fishing, and agriculture. The city of Zambia — Kitwe experienced a complete shutdown of its water supply. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has called for expert assistance, and the Zambian government has deployed its air force to drop lime into the river to neutralize the acid. Sino-Metals Leach Zambia's chairman, Zhang Peiwen, has apologized for the incident and committed to restoration efforts. Zambian authorities have halted operations at Sino-Metals Leach Zambia and another Chinese-owned mine, PKS Investments, which was also found to have a leak and attempted to conceal it, leading to arrests of its managers. The incident has fueled discontent among Zambians regarding Chinese mining companies' environmental and labor practices.