SARW Calls for Urgent Action on Environmental and Labour Violations in Zambia’s Mining Sector

Zambia’s Mining Sector Plunges into a Health, Safety and Environmental Crisis: SARW Calls for Immediate Action to curb persistent Environmental and Labour Violations

26 March 2025: Lusaka, Zambia — The Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) expresses deep concern over recent incidents in Zambia’s mining sector that signal serious environmental, social and governance (ESG) failures. The acid spills in the Kafue River and the tragic death of a worker at Rong Xing Investment are the latest in a troubling pattern of ESG breaches, particularly in operations run by Chinese-owned companies.

These are not isolated events. They reflect broader regulatory and enforcement weaknesses in the mining sector. In our recent report, Mapping the ESG Impacts of Chinese Companies in Mining Communities in DRC, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, we flagged several systemic weaknesses in Zambia’s mining sector.

• 54% of mine workers report that their rights are not respected
• 81% receive no benefits beyond basic wages
• Only 50% of companies conduct mandatory environmental impact assessments
• Communities report poor grievance mechanisms and a lack of post-mining rehabilitation plans.

We are worried by the lack of enforcement of laws and regulations and believe that investors are escaping the scrutiny of the rule of law. Profit is prioritised at the expense of people and ecosystems.

SARW is calling for immediate action in line with best practices:

• Full accountability for recent and past environmental and labour violations
• Strengthened enforcement of existing labour and environmental regulations
• Transparent, independent oversight of all foreign and domestic mining operations.
• Shift from voluntary to regulatory compliance and enforcement of ESG standards to protect workers, uphold community rights, and safeguard human life and the environment.

We remains committed to promoting responsible, ethical, and accountable mining practices across the region.

For more information or to access the full Zambia ESG report, please visit:
🔗 Mapping the  ESG Impacts of Chinese Companies in Mining Communities