The Zambian government has been implicated in facilitating a cover-up of a major mining pollution incident linked to a Chinese-owned company, according to findings from a U.S. House Select Committee on China. The report, revealed more than a year after a tailings dam collapse at a mine operated by Sino-Metals unleashed toxic sludge into the Kafue River, details extensive environmental and public health impacts in the affected region.

The disaster contaminated farmlands along the river valley, leaving hundreds of residents without access to clean drinking water and exposing local communities to heavy metals. Despite the severity of the incident, the committee found that Zambia refrained from holding Sino-Metals accountable due to concerns about its substantial debt owed to China. Zambia currently owes approximately $6.6 billion to Beijing and Chinese financial institutions, which has shaped the government's response to the disaster.

Sino-Metals, a subsidiary of the state-owned China Nonferrous Mining Corporation, collapsed a tailings dam that released toxic waste into the environment. According to the committee’s report, the Zambian government actively collaborated with the company to suppress warnings from domestic regulators about dam safety risks. Efforts were also made to obstruct an independent investigation and intimidate civil-society groups engaged with pollution victims.

High-ranking Zambian officials have made frequent visits to China since the collapse to encourage further investment, the report noted. Meanwhile, Sino-Metals was permitted to resume mining operations in February, prompting ongoing concern among affected residents and their legal representatives who argue that the mine’s infrastructure remains unsafe.

Zambian environmental activist Benson Zimba criticized the government’s lenient handling of the situation, warning that it could embolden foreign mining firms to disregard environmental protections. “We owe China money, but that doesn’t mean we should let them destroy our country,” he said.

Zambian authorities have offered limited comment on the matter. The country’s presidential spokesman declined to respond, and attempts to reach the Chinese Embassy in Zambia and Sino-Metals were unsuccessful. Information Minister Cornelius Mweetwa has described Zambia’s financial relationship with China as a partnership rather than “debt-trap diplomacy.”

Beginning around 2012, Zambia borrowed heavily from Chinese lenders to fund infrastructure projects, many of which have faced delays or failed to generate anticipated revenue amid depressed global metal prices. Meanwhile, affected residents continue to seek compensation from Sino-Metals through lawsuits filed in Zambian courts.