THE family of Dickson Nyoni, a miner who perished in an acid accident at Rong Xing Mine in Sabina on the Copperbelt early this month have complained of neglect from both the Chinese-owned company and the government.
Nyoni, 25, who at the time was a mine operator at the time was tragically killed after being exposed to acid in a workplace accident.
The accident occurred on February 2, 2024 when Nyoni and his workmate were offloading acid from a tanker truck at the offloading bay. During the process, the offloading pipe accidentally disconnected from the truck, causing acid to spill on Nyoni’s legs.
According to CCTV footage seen, when the concentrated sulphuric acid spilled on Nyoni’s legs, he attempted to reach for nearby water tap near a drainage system but lost his balance and fell into the drainage, which was filled with acid, resulting in severe burns that left his body almost charred beyond recognition.
Nyoni’s remains were buried in his native town of Mufulira on the Copperbelt this month after the postmortem.
“The problem is that these Chinese bosses don’t give us proper personal protective equipment PPE kit that someone who is offloading acid is supposed to wear; Nyoni’s death could have been prevented but they allowed him to die just like that,” a former workmate complained anonymously.
According to another source, a safety inspection conducted at the mine after the accident by the Mines Safety Department (MSD) confirmed that Nyoni and other workers at Rong Xing Mine were not provided with proper PPE, thereby putting them in harm’s way at the notorious Chinese mine.
But MSD is reluctant to announce the final verdict for Rong Xing Mine and also the compensation for Nyoni’s family.
Leonard Nyoni, the brother of the deceased, stated in an interview with Diamond News that the company’s report on the incident is unsatisfactory, prompting the family to request that other government agencies fully investigate the matter.
And Obby Wachishale, the father of the deceased, expressed disappointment that the family has not received any funeral assistance from the employer.
Kalemba February 19, 2025
Leave a Reply