In February, a tailings dam at a Chinese-owned mine in Zambia collapsed, releasing 50 million liters of acid waste into the Kafue River—a critical water source for millions. The spill sparked national outrage and raised urgent questions about environmental oversight, China’s expanding role in Africa’s mining sector, and Zambia’s ability to safeguard its natural resources.

Freeman Chiwele Mubanga, head of research at the Centre for Environmental Justice in Lusaka is part of a growing civil society movement demanding accountability from both the Chinese mining company and the Zambian government. Freeman speaks with Géraud and CGSP’s new Transitional Minerals Editor, Obert Bore, about the fallout from the disaster and what it reveals about the environmental track record of Chinese mining operations across the continent.