INkantolo yase-USA ihambisana nezinkampani mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwezingane e-Afrika
INkantolo Yokudlulisa Amacala ngoLwesibili yenqabile ukubopha izinkampani ezinhlanu ezinkulu zobuchwepheshe ngezinsolo zokweseka ukusetshenziswa kwezingane ezimayini ze-cobalt eDemocratic Republic of the Congo.
Esinqumweni, iNkantolo Yokudlulisa Amacala yase-US Yesifunda SaseColumbia yakhipha isinqumo esivuna inkampani i-Alphabet, i-Apple, iDell Technologies, iMicrosoft kanye neTesla, yachitha isikhalo salabo ababengabavukuzi abayizingane kanye nabameleli babo.
Abamangali basola izinkampani ezinhlanu ngokujoyina abahlinzeki ebhizinisini “lokusebenza ngempoqo” ngokuthenga icobalt, esetshenziselwa ukwenza amabhethri elithium-ion asetshenziswa kakhulu ezintweni zikagesi. Cishe izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zecobalt yomhlaba zivela eDRC.
Ngokwalesi sikhalo, izinkampani “zakusitha ngamabomu” ukuthembela kwazo ekusetshenzisweni kwezingane, kuhlanganise nezingane eziningi ezicindezelwa yindlala nobumpofu obukhulu ukuba zisebenze, ukuze ziqinisekise ukuthi isidingo sazo (izinkampani) esikhulayo secobalt sizohlangatshezwa.
Abamangali abali-16 bahlanganisa abamele izingane ezinhlanu ezashona emsebenzini wokumba icobalt.
Kepha iNkantolo Yokudlulisa Amacala ithe ukuthenga icobalt ochungechungeni lokuhlinzekwa kwempahla emhlabeni wonke akubandakanyi “ukubamba iqhaza ebhizinisini” ngaphansi komthetho wenhlangano ovikela izingane nezinye izisulu zokushushumbiswa kwabantu kanye nokusetshenziswa ngenkani.
UMehluleli wesifunda uNeomi Rao uthe abamangali abanawo amaphuzu asemthethweni okufuna amademeshe, kodwa abakhombisanga ukuthi izinkampani ezinhlanu zinobudlelwano ngale kobomthengi nomdayisi nabaphakeli, noma zinamandla okumisa ukusetshenziswa kwezingane.
Wengeze ngokuthi ezinye izinhlangothi eziningi ezinesandla kukushushumbiswa kwabasebenzi, okuhlanganisa amalabour broker, abanye abathengi becobalt kanye nohulumeni waseDRC.
“Ngaphandle kwezinsolo eziqondile, umbuzo uthi ukuthenga kwezinkampani icobalt inani layo engashiwongo ephuma ezimayini zaseDRC kukhombisa ngokusobala ukuthi nazo izinkampani zibamba iqhaza kukusebenza okuphoqiwe ,” kubhala uRao. “Sikholelwa ukuthi akunjalo.”
UTerry Collingsworth, ummeli wabamangali, nge-imeyili uthe amakhasimende akhe angase adlulise icala, futhi angavula amacala amasha uma ukuziphatha kwezinkampani kuhlangabezana nokuhlolwa kweNkantolo.
Lesi sinqumo sinikeza “isikhuthazo esinamandla sokugwema noma yikuphi ukubeka izinto obala kubahlinzeki babo, njengoba bethembisa umphakathi ukuthi ‘banezinqubomgomo zokungabekezeleli neze’ ngokumelene nokuqashwa kwezingane. Sisekude nokuqeda ukufuna ukuziphendulela,” kubhala lo mmeli
Inkampani iDell ithe esitatimendeni izibophezele ekuhlonipheni amalungelo ezisebenzi kulo lonke lolu hlelo, futhi akakaze iyithole ngamabomu imikhiqizo eyenziwe ngokusetshenziswa kwezingane.
UGoogle wona awuphawulanga ngokuphuthuma kulolu daba. U-Apple, uMicrosoft, uTesla kanye nabameli babo abahlukene abazange baphendule izicelo zokuphawulwa. Isinqumo sangoLwesibili sisekele isinqumo sikaLwezi wezi-2021 waBehluleli wesiFunda sase-US uCarl Nichols eWashington.
Abahlinzeki becobalt bahlanganisa i-Eurasian Resources Group, iGlencore, i-Umicore kanye noZhejiang Huayou Cobalt, umbukiso wamaphepha asenkantolo. Akekho emaphepheni asenkantolo ovele njengommangalelwa.
