LEAD POISONING: It’s an embarrassment having other countries take action on Kabwe’s lead poisoning

By KETRA KALUNGA

It is an embarrassment that South African and British lawyers started a class action lawsuit against mining giant Anglo American over lead poisoning in Kabwe and yet the Zambian government is quiet about it, says Golden Party of Zambia president Jackson Silavwe.

Mr Silavwe said the Zambian government should be in the forefront of pursuing the case because the impact of lead poisoning in Kabwe was still being experienced 52 years since the damage was done.

He said in an interview that it was not too late for the government to join the lawsuit to make it extremely solid on behalf of the 140, 000 children and women whose health has been damaged.

Mr Silavwe said it was only right that the government takes a leading role whilst the cooperating partners offer support. 

“The government should be in the forefront, we cannot leave this process to the World Bank alone, Kabwe is in Zambia and the people that are being affected are our people,” he said.

Mr Silavwe has also urged the government to buy equipment for the testing and treatment of lead working in collaboration with the cooperating partners.

He said the government should take the leading role to ensure the standard machinery is procured for the treatment of lead in Kabwe.

Mr Silavwe has commend the World Bank who have been funding a project to provide medical help to the affected communities in Kabwe since 2019.