NGO urges AG to join Anglo American case on Kabwe lead poisoning
By Kombe Chimpinde Mataka
THE Zambia Community Development Initiative Programme has written to the office of the Attorney General asking the State to be joined to the case in which South African and British lawyer have sued Anglo American for lead poisoning experienced in Kabwe.
Organisation executive director Hendrix Mwale said in a statement that his organisation had taken interest in the matter after seeing the devastating effects of lead that was still affecting women and children in Kabwe.
“As Zambia Community Development Initiative Programme, write to the office of the Attorney General asking the State to be joined to the case in which a South African and British lawyer have sued Anglo American for lead poisoning that was experienced in Kabwe town,” Mwale stated.
“Anglo American have been sued in South Africa by a group of Zambian women and children alleging that the company caused widespread lead poisoning that was experienced in Kabwe. …On Wednesday law firms Mbuyisa Moleele and Leigh Day, are seeking compensation for about 100,000 people and a clean up of the area.”
Mwale stated that it was the role of the Attorney General to represent the interest of Zambians.
“Kabwe is one of the most polluted towns in the world and the devastating effects of lead poisoning still goes on with a huge number of women and children affected,” he noted. “The office of the Attorney General is there to represent the Zambian people and in this case it is the Zambian people who have suffered loss and as an organisation we strongly feel that the Zambian women and children have a legal representation from the State using your office.”
Mwale urged the Attorney General chambers to be joinder to the said matter before a South Africa court.
He stated that lead was considered as a highly poisonous material and that according to WHO, there was “no level of lead exposure that is known to be without harmful effects”.
“Exposure to high levels of lead could impair growth, damage organs such as the liver and brain and increase the risk of miscarriage, a recent report by Human Rights Watch showed,” stated Mwale.