SIX TRUCKS LOADED WITH MANGANESE ORE FROM MINE CLOSED BY ZEMA IMPOUNDED IN SERENJE
Sunday, April 9, 2023
Officers from Zambia Environmental Management Agency – ZEMA in the company of other officials from the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, have impounded six trucks loaded with manganese ore weighing approximately 200 tons.
Notably, all the trucks intercepted were coming from a named mine which was closed by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) in September 2022 for non-compliance to the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011.
A team of Officers from the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment comprising the Forestry and Meteorological Departments, and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) is in Central Province to inspect manganese mining and mineral processing facilities, forest reserves and meteorological infrastructure.
During the spot monitoring of Manganese Processing Plants in Serenje District, the Minister of Green Economy and Environment Hon. Eng. Collins Nzovu, MP, was happy with the improvements in the compliance levels of some of the Manganese Processing Plants in the district.
He 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.
He however 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.
Members of 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.
This is evident by the current situation at Southern Africa Ferro Alloys Limited where 28 employees were found with a strange disease (manganese poisoning).
If this is left unchecked, it may retard economic development which the country has achieved.
Hon. 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.
In a quest to reduce pollution and damage to the environment, the manganese processing plants have implemented the following measures:
a) stopped the use of charcoal in manganese processing;
b) installed the requisite pollution abatement equipment on their processing plants;
c) installed continuous online and real time air monitoring equipments;
d) provided appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to employees; and
e) put in place of measures to suppress dust emissions around their processing pants.
I, therefore urge the manganese mining facilities to emulate what the manganese processing plants are doing.
It is now a mandatory requirement that all manganese mining and processing facilities must comply by ensuring that all the employees must be tested for manganese levels in their blood every six (6) months.
My Ministry would like to stress that the well-being of employees and the environment is of the utmost importance and will continue to enforce the law and those found wanting shall be prosecuted.
In addition, the Ministry revised the Environmental Management Act and the Bill is before Parliament undergoing legislative processes.
Among the issues the Bill intends to resolve to reduce the cost of doing business by reducing the licence fees and processing time.
In addition to that, the bill also introduces stiffer punishment to deter would be environmental offenders.
And speaking earlier when he met the commercial farmers at Silverland Farm in Nansanga Farming Block in Serenje District, Hon Nzovu encouraged Commercial Farmers to work with Government to increase food production for local and the regional market.
Further, he urged the farmers to consider implementing carbon emissions offset projects on degraded areas and plant trees to promote afforestation and environmental sustainability as these will reduce climate change impacts as well as generate revenue through carbon markets.
In the same meeting, a representative of the commercial famers Mr. Jason Sawyer of Nyamanza Farming Limited complained of the bad state of the road, the rampant cutting down of trees by people harvesting caterpillars in the area and constant load-shedding by Zesco which was affecting their farming businesses and called upon Government to intervene to sustain their operations.
