Toxic lead mining in Zambia puts children at risk
Children in Kabwe, Zambia, are being poisoned by lead waste from mining.
For years, the city has been one of the most polluted places in the world and the situation is worsening with new mining activities.
Companies are digging up and processing lead waste, spreading toxic dust across communities.
This has lingered as a result of the issuing of mining licenses by the government, even though the law says unsafe mining should not be allowed.
Lead is a dangerous metal which causes brain damage, memory loss and even death, especially for children. Pregnant women exposed to lead risk miscarriages and other complications.
Health experts say that almost all children living near the old mine in Kabwe have unsafe levels of lead in their blood.
Many need urgent medical treatment, but help is limited.
Mining in Kabwe dates back to British colonial rule. The mine was closed in 1994, but it left behind millions of tons of lead waste.
Since then, about 200,000 people have been exposed to contamination.
Families live close to piles of toxic waste, and children often play in these areas, unaware of the danger. Some small-scale miners even bring their children to work with them because they have no other way to make a living.
In recent years, businesses from South Africa, China, and Zambia have started mining in the lead-contaminated areas.
They have moved large amounts of waste and left new piles of toxic material near homes and workplaces. Satellite images show that by early 2024, at least nine waste piles had been dumped around Kabwe.
The Zambian government has the power to stop unsafe mining but is yet to take action, according to the Human Rights Watch. The law allows it to suspend operations or punish companies that break environmental rules. However, mining continues raising concerns.
In 2020, lawyers filed a case against the British company Anglo American, which ran the mine for decades. They wanted compensation for victims and a plan to clean up the area. The court dismissed the case, but the fight for justice is not over.
The government has promised to clean up Kabwe, but little has been done. A World Bank project has tried to reduce pollution, but the source of contamination remains. President Hakainde Hichilema has twice announced a government committee to address the problem, but no committee has been formed, according to the Human Rights Watch.
