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Kabwe, Zambia – In the heart of Kabwe, a city scarred by decades of industrial neglect, a new chapter of environmental injustice is unfolding. Children, already burdened by the devastating effects of lead poisoning from a defunct mine, now face intensified health risks as the Zambian government facilitates the resurgence of hazardous mining and processing of toxic lead waste.
A damning report by Human Rights Watch, “Poisonous Profit,” reveals a disturbing pattern of government inaction and corporate exploitation, where profit trumps the fundamental right to a healthy environment. The 67-page report exposes the issuance of mining and processing licenses to South African, Chinese, and local businesses, alongside a failure to enforce existing environmental and mining regulations.
“The Zambian government should be protecting people from highly hazardous activities, not enabling them,” stated Juliane Kippenberg, associate children’s rights director at Human Rights Watch. “Companies are profiting in Kabwe from mining, removing, and processing lead waste at the expense of children’s health.”
The scale of the crisis is staggering. Research indicates that over 95% of children near the former mine suffer from elevated blood lead levels, with half requiring urgent medical intervention. Lead poisoning, a silent killer, can lead to irreversible neurological damage, intellectual disabilities, and even death.
Despite this well-documented crisis, businesses have been permitted to conduct hazardous mining and processing operations, extracting zinc, lead, and other minerals from the contaminated waste. Startling satellite imagery reveals the proliferation of waste piles across Kabwe, posing a direct threat to residents, particularly children who play in these areas.
“The waste piles across Kabwe are very concerning,” an 18-year-old activist told Human Rights Watch. “Number one, because children tend to play around them or on top of them. Also, those mountains of waste are taken to other places in Kabwe – they are not sealed off from the public, and this makes those areas toxic, too.”
Small-scale and artisanal miners, desperate for survival, work in these toxic environments, often bringing their children with them. One mother poignantly described her son’s severe memory problems, a direct result of their exposure to lead.
The government’s designation of zinc and lead in Kabwe as “critical minerals” for the global energy transition has seemingly overshadowed the urgent need to address the city’s environmental catastrophe. The lack of enforcement of existing regulations, the absence of publicly available environmental impact assessments, and the failure to establish a promised remediation committee paint a picture of systemic neglect.
The legacy of the Kabwe mine, opened during the British colonial period and closed in 1994, is a stark reminder of the long-term consequences of unchecked industrial activity. An estimated 6.4 million tons of uncovered lead waste dumps have contaminated residential areas, affecting up to 200,000 people.
Human Rights Watch calls for the immediate suspension of operations and revocation of licenses for companies involved in hazardous activities. They urge the Zambian government to embark on a comprehensive remediation program, seeking technical and financial support from donor agencies and responsible companies.
“The Zambian government should prioritize children’s health over mining profit,” Kippenberg concluded. “Only comprehensive remediation of the mine waste can protect children and future generations in Kabwe from toxic lead.” The fate of Kabwe’s children hangs in the balance, a stark testament to the urgent need for accountability and action.
