TWO Chinese men have appeared in the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court for discharging sewer into the Kambwena stream in Chongwe district without permission from the Zambia Environmental Management Agency.

In this case, Tan Futian and Hu Xinqiou, both employees of Henan Gouji Development Company, appeared in court together with company representative Catherine Mweene, who is the managing director.

But the trio could not take plea because their lawyers and officials from ZEMA were in talks for possible plea bargaining.

It was stated that the accused were arrested by ZEMA following complaints by villagers, who live along Chalimbana river banks, that the water was contaminated with faecal colifom.

The employees have been charged with three counts of discharging pollutants into the environment without a license while the company has been charged with two counts of failing to comply with ZEMA Compliance Order to set up adequate mitigation measures to curtail the discharge of sewer effluent into the open environment.

The company has also been accused of failing to abide by the condition to construct septic tanks, sewage ponds and soakaways in the development of Silverest Housing Complex.

It was alleged that the offences were committed between June 12, 2012 and February 15, 2018.