Rights organization condemns Zambia mining activities linked to lead poisoning in children News
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Rights organization condemns Zambia mining activities linked to lead poisoning in children

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report Wednesday that unveiled harmful mining practices in Zambia, specifically at Kabwe, the capital of Zambia’s Central Province. The report accused the Zambian government of facilitating the lead poisoning of its citizens instead of protecting them from the hazardous effects of mining.

Associate children’s rights director at HRW Juliane Kippenberg stated, “Companies are profiting in Kabwe from mining, removing, and processing lead waste at the expense of children’s health.” Children have been particularly affected, with medical research showing that over 95 percent of minors in that area have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Other human rights violations affecting children include learning and physical disabilities, behavioral issues, brain, liver, kidney and stomach damage, and even death, with many side effects considered irreversible after prolonged exposure. The report urges the government to develop and implement a strategy in Kabwe that is in line with international environmental standards.

Kabwe’s mines have yet to be cleaned up, and as a result of decades of mining in the region,  there are approximately 6.4 million tonnes of lead waste piles left untouched. Lead dust blown by the wind has left up to 200,000 residents exposed. Soil contamination is also remarkably high, with 60,000 milligrams of lead per kilogram. The lead poisoning has also negatively impacted several pregnancies, causing miscarriages and stillbirths.

Government efforts to contain lead poisoning have been far from adequate. The Zambian government focused on grass-planting as a home remedy to little avail. The Zambian government has obligations to ensure the right to a healthy environment as recognized under Article 24 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. 

Kabwe’s lead mine operated for over ninety years, between 1904-1994, and was owned by a British colonial company that refused to partake in the cleanup. In 2023, Zambian communities brought a case against a South African mining company seeking accountability for lead poisoning in Kabwe.

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