SINCE the collapse of a leach dam at Sino Metals in February this year, which released highly toxic mining waste into the Kafue River ecosystem, there have been many attempts to downplay the extent of the pollution caused by the catastrophe. Seven months on, the public is still in the dark. There is no comprehensive, independent report that has been made available to Zambians about the scale of the damage to the environment and to human health. Instead, what we have are contradictory statements from Sino Metals, Drizit Zambia, and government officials. The Environmental Impact Assessment that should guide clean-up, restoration, and compensation has not yet been conducted. In the absence of verifiable facts, one would expect government to exercise...