Tuesday, 2 Apr 2002

KITWE, Zambia

Today was another early morning; I woke up slightly before 6:00 a.m., just in time to watch the BBC news. The recent events in the Middle East are extremely worrying. I have now developed a habit of following what is happening to people in that corner of the world, and, against the odds, I hope for the best for them.

The mines at Munkulungwe.

My original schedule was to leave for Ndola-Munkulungwe before 9:00 a.m. Then I remembered I ought to wait for Bernard Handima, the director of technical services at CBE, who was coming back to the office from Chambishi, a township north of Kitwe. Bernard is a metallurgist and has some 13 years of very advanced experience in the mines.

Usually, Bernard and I go out on assignments together, because I very much value his input. But sadly, my friend and compatriot has not been too well since November of last year. He phoned me yesterday to tell me that he was not going to join me on my mission to Bwana Mkubwa, because he was suffering from coughing, feverishness, and loss of appetite. The news depressed me, and we agreed to meet today first thing in the morning, before I left for Munkulungwe Ndola.

A farmer in Munkulungwe surveys the damage.

Around 10:00, after I helped Bernard through his medical examinations, I left Kitwe for Ndola in the company of Jones Likokoto. If you read yesterday’s entry, you know that the Bwana Mkubwa in Ndola discharged tailings into the Munkulungwe stream, destroying aquatic life and imperiling the livelihoods of subsistence farmers who depend on the water to irrigate their crops.

CBE had been active in trying to see justice done — to restore the stream to its former state and compensate farmers for their losses. Today, Jones and I met with the management of Bwana Mkubwa briefly to formalize our Memorandum of Understanding with respect to supplying fresh water to the farmers. The exact wording of the MOU was an issue, but it’s finished now, and the signing is scheduled for tomorrow.

After the brief meeting with management, I dedicated most of my time in Ndola to inspecting the work being done by mine management to stop the tailings discharge.

I arrived back from Ndola at 5:00 p.m., and called up my friend Bernard to ask him to join me for a cup of tea.