POISONED PROMISES

... ZCCB bemoans Zambia’s silent struggle against environmental injustice

By MacPherson Mukuka 

In the copper-rich heartlands of Zambia, where the soil once promised prosperity and the rivers whispered life, a slow violence is unfolding. It doesn’t come with sirens or headlines. It seeps into groundwater, clings to children’s lungs, and settles in the silence of abandoned farms. And now, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) has broken that silence with a blistering pastoral statement that reads less like a sermon and more like a moral indictment.

Their message is clear: Zambia is being poisoned and not just its land, but its conscience.

From the Copperbelt to Central Province, the Bishops document a trail of destruction. In Kabwe, lead poisoning has become a generational curse. In Chingola, mining operations edge dangerously close to primary schools. In Chambishi, a tailings dam burst released toxic sludge into the Mwambashi Stream and the Kafue River, contaminating water sources for thousands.

These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of systemic neglect, where environmental regulation is treated as an afterthought and corporate accountability is virtually nonexistent.

“We are deeply concerned about the casual approach by government agencies,” the Bishops write. “ZEMA has failed to act proactively, and offenders walk free.”

Zambia’s mining sector is the backbone of its economy. But the Bishops argue that this backbone is fractured, held together by foreign interests and short-term profits, while Zambians bear the brunt of the consequences.

In Mpika, Rufunsa, and Mumbwa, young men risk their lives in unregulated gold mines. Some are killed not by collapsing tunnels, but by bullets fired by private security forces. The Bishops call this “a grave violation of human dignity,” demanding justice for lives lost in pursuit of survival.

“The taking of life is never justifiable,” they declare. “Every person bears the image and likeness of God.”

Environmental degradation in Zambia is not just ecological it’s existential. Polluted rivers mean failed crops. Toxic air means rising respiratory illnesses. And communities, often poor and rural, are left voiceless.

The Bishops accuse the government of failing to enforce existing laws and of allowing companies to operate with impunity. Compensation, when offered, is meagre. Restoration of damaged ecosystems is rare. And the people, those most affected are rarely consulted.

This pastoral statement is more than a lament. It’s a call to action. The Bishops demand stronger enforcement of environmental laws, an end to violence against unarmed civilians, restoration of polluted ecosystems, and transparent, inclusive decision-making.

They invoke Pope Francis’ 'Laudato Si’, reminding Zambia that “the earth herself is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor.”

The Bishops’ statement lands at a critical moment. As Zambia grapples with economic pressures and climate change, the question is no longer whether development should happen but how.

Will Zambia continue down a path of extractive exploitation, or will it embrace a model of stewardship and justice?

The Bishops have made their choice clear. Now, it’s up to the nation to decide whether it will listen.