Konkola Copper Mines – a subsidiary of the UK-based mining giant Vedanta – has been polluting the main water source of surrounding villages in Chingola, in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, and leaving a trail of human rights and environmental abuses for nearly two decades.
A legal action, brought by more than 2,500 Zambian villagers, including 643 children, against Konkola Copper Mines Plc and Vedanta Resources Limited, has settled out of court, it was announced today (19 January) in a joint statement from the mining companies and Leigh Day, the English law firm representing the claimants.
ActionAid Zambia works closely with communities in the Chingola area through its partner, the Catholic Diocese of Ndola. This work provides a platform and resources to support villagers to claim their rights and advocate for regulation of corporate conduct through progressive policies and legislation.
By Nalucha Nganga Ziba, Country Director, ActionAid Zambia
The hiring of Highgate Advisory Limited as the government Communications advisor for the debt management process at a total cost of more than three hundred thousand pounds is not economical.
Not overlooking the communication challenges observed by the bondholders from their second statement responding to the Zambian Government’s request for a six-month interest repayments suspension, ActionAid is of the view that public debt restructuring communication services should be done either by Lazard or the government through the Ministry of Finance with help from Lazard our public debt restructuring consultants to avoid replication of work and save the much-needed public resources. Our expectation is that Lazard must be able to communicate to lenders on behalf of the Zambian government or guide the Zambian government with communication to lenders.
Jessie Chisi/ActionAid
Konkola Copper Mines – a subsidiary of the UK-based mining giant Vedanta – has been polluting the main water source of surrounding villages in Chingola, in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, and leaving a trail of human rights and environmental abuses for nearly two decades.
A legal action, brought by more than 2,500 Zambian villagers, including 643 children, against Konkola Copper Mines Plc and Vedanta Resources Limited, has settled out of court, it was announced today (19 January) in a joint statement from the mining companies and Leigh Day, the English law firm representing the claimants.
ActionAid Zambia works closely with communities in the Chingola area through its partner, the Catholic Diocese of Ndola. This work provides a platform and resources to support villagers to claim their rights and advocate for regulation of corporate conduct through progressive policies and legislation.
Country Director, ActionAid Zambia
ActionAid Zambia welcomes the much-anticipated firing of Dr. Chitalu Chilufya as the Health Minister. We note that even before the HoneyBee scandal, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya had been at the center stage of various corrupt allegations in the Ministry of Health such as the theft of medication. ActionAid Zambia is of the considered view that Dr Chilufya must be held accountable for his actions in endangering the lives of Zambians and must face the law.
We demand that all those involved in this case be equally be relieved of their duties such as Zambia Medical Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) Management and Board together with the Medical Stores and the two Permanent Secretaries at the Ministry of Health. We also expect the Doctor’s Association of Zambia to take keen interest at the issue as it borders on medical ethics as they uphold professional ethical standards in the medical profession.
By Nalucha Nganga Ziba Country Director, ActionAid Zambia
As the year 2020 comes to an end, ActionAid Zambia has witnessed with concern a downward spiral in relation to the socio-economic, political governance, and human rights violations in the country.
2020 can be described as a difficult year for Zambia on the economic front, where most of the economic fundamentals deteriorated drastically. The nation’s economic growth was projected at 3 percent; however, it plummeted to negative 4.2 percent as early as quarter two (2) of 2020. The nation experienced its first recession in more than two decades, mainly exacerbated by the advent of COVID-19 and the ever-increasing public debt stock, now standing at $18.5billion. With all recommended debt sustainability indicators and/or benchmarks breached, Zambia became the first African country to default on its debt interest repayments after failing to meet the US$ 42.5 million debt repayment on its US$ 3 Billion Eurobonds on 14th of Novembe