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The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has impounded six trucks loaded with Manganese ore weighing approximately 200 tons in Serenje District of Central Province, Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Collins Nzovu, has revealed.
Nzovu said notably all the trucks intercepted were coming from a named mine which was closed by the ZEMA in September 2022 for non-compliance to the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011.
He has noted with concern that there are still a lot of illegal mining activities in Serenje District despite the continued sensitization programs the Ministry has embarked on to the manganese mining facilities in the province.
“The public may wish to know that Serenje District has become a hive of illegal mining activities leading to pollution that has affected land, water, air and human health and this is evident by the current situation at Southern Africa Ferro Alloys Limited where 28 employees were found with a strange disease,” Nzovu said.
He said if this is left unchecked, it may retard economic development which the country has achieved.
Nzovu was however glad to note that the source of the Manganese poisoning that affected the workers was traced and government, in collaboration with the manganese mining companies, is doing everything possible to prevent the reoccurrence.
During the spot monitoring of Manganese Processing Plants in Serenje District, Nzovu was also happy with the improvements in the compliance levels of some of the Manganese Processing Plants in the district.
Read more: ZEMA seizes manganese concentrate suspected in occupational disease
He has commended those complying and urged others to adhere to the environmental regulations in order to promote sustainable economic development and create employment for the local people.
“In a quest to reduce pollution and damage to the environment, the manganese processing plants have implemented measures that stopped the use of charcoal in manganese processing, installed the requisite pollution abatement equipment on their processing plants and installed continuous online and real time air monitoring equipments,” Nzovu said.
He said other measures include provided appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to employees; and put in place of measures to suppress dust emissions around their processing pants.
Nzovu has therefore urged the manganese mining facilities to emulate what the manganese processing plants are doing.
Contributed by Julius Phiri
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