The Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) expresses its deep outrage and heartbreak over the disastrous pollution of the Kafue River caused by the collapse of the tailings dam at Sino-Metals Leach Zambia. This environmental catastrophe released approximately 50 million liters of toxic waste—including highly acidic solutions and heavy metals—into the Mwambashi River, a tributary of the Kafue River, with devastating consequences for the environment and the lives of countless Zambians.
As rural women, we bear the burden of this devastation. The Kafue River sustains our households, our farms, our children, and our dignity. It is not just a water source—it is the heart of our ecosystems and communities. The pollution has killed fish, poisoned our crops, and robbed us of clean water. These are not just losses; they are violations of our basic human rights.
We face:
- Health Crises: The toxic spill has exposed our families to severe health risks—from skin diseases to long-term illnesses due to heavy metal exposure.
- Economic Destruction: The river was a source of income through fishing and small-scale irrigation. Now, our livelihoods are destroyed.
- Labor Burden: Women and girls now walk longer distances in search of safe water, deepening gender inequality and robbing children of time for school.
The ecological toll is immense. Indigenous fish species—part of our diets, economy, and cultural identity—are disappearing. This is not only environmental destruction but cultural erasure. We assert, unequivocally, that rural women have a right to access and restore indigenous species of fish that have been lost due to corporate negligence. The destruction of biodiversity in the Kafue River Basin is an attack on the heritage and sustainability of rural communities.
OUR DEMANDS
In the wake of this preventable disaster, the Rural Women’s Assembly demands:
- Support for Affected Communities: Immediate provision of safe water, medical treatment, and emergency relief. Long-term recovery must include livelihood restoration, compensation for damaged farmlands, and targeted assistance to rural women farmers and fishers.
- Strengthened Environmental Regulations and Enforcement: The government must review and tighten mining regulations. Regulators such as WARMA, ZEMA, and the Mines Safety Department must be adequately resourced to monitor, inspect, and hold violators accountable.
- Inclusion of Women in Decision-Making: Rural women must be actively included in all recovery efforts, compensation negotiations, and future environmental policy design. We are not victims—we are stakeholders and custodians of our environment.
- Restoration of Ecosystems and Indigenous Species: The government and responsible companies must finance the restoration of river ecosystems, including the reintroduction of native fish species. This must be done in consultation with local communities and ecologists.
Our Rivers, Our Rights
This tragedy has exposed not only the fragility of our environment but also the fragility of our justice systems when corporate interests override community well-being. We, the Rural Women’s Assembly, declare that our rivers are not dumping grounds for corporate waste, and our lives are not collateral damage in the pursuit of profit.
We call on the government, regulators, and international observers to stand with us and ensure that never again will rural communities be silenced or sacrificed in the name of development.
