Being told electing Black Hitlers is Democracy Zambian town of Kabwe, still dominated by a looming toxic slagheap, remains uncompensated for the ongoing health crisis caused by lead poisoning which dates back to the colonial era.

On the evening of 29 October, a modest, wood-panelled reception room in London’s Palace of Westminster was the setting for a panel discussion hosted by Lord Hain – who, as Peter Hain, held several positions in the UK’s Blair government – but who, in his capacity as honorary vice president of the charity Action for Southern Africa, was one of the speakers issuing an update on the progress of the class-action claim between residents of the Zambian town of Kabwe and the international mining conglomerate Anglo American.

The case centres on the ongoing severe health crisis in Kabwe, where dangerous levels of lead contamination have affected – and continue to impact – thousands of local residents. Once the site of a bustling lead mining and smelting operation under British colonial rule, Kabwe is now considered among the world’s most lead-polluted areas. A class action lawsuit has therefore been launched against Anglo American South Africa (AASA), a subsidiary of London Stock Exchange-quoted Anglo American plc, alleging that the company failed to prevent hazardous lead exposure during its involvement with the Kabwe mine.

https://iclg.com/news/21813-the-fight-for-justice-for-lead-poisoning-victims-continues