US EditionMining giant Anglo American faces class action appeal over alleged lead poisoning in Zambia
The appeal challenges a 2023 dismissal of claims that Anglo American South Africa caused lead poisoning for 140,000 people in Kabwe, one of the world’s most polluted areas.
- On Monday, an appeal hearing opened in South Africa on whether a subsidiary of British-based Anglo American PLC was responsible for decades of lead poisoning in Kabwe, with women and children plaintiffs asking the Supreme Court of Appeal to overturn a 2023 dismissal.
- Kabwe, in central Zambia, has long suffered severe contamination and was named in a 2022 United Nations special report for permanent mining alteration; a Human Rights Watch report this year found soil lead contamination reaching 60,000 milligrams per kilogram.
- Rights groups including Amnesty International back the plaintiffs, citing medical studies showing Kabwe children have record-high lead levels, while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns lead over 200 mg/kg is hazardous and causes permanent organ damage.
- Anglo American South Africa says it only held a minority share in the Zambian company that operated the Kabwe mine and argues attempts to hold it liable target a mine it never owned or operated.
- The judge in Johannesburg lower court described the case as 'an unmanageable class action,' noting consulting all claimants could take 10 years, which may prolong proceedings for years.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Legal Battle Over Lead Poisoning: Anglo American Faces Historic Class Action in South Africa
An appeal hearing in South Africa questions the liability of Anglo American PLC's subsidiary for decades-long lead poisoning affecting 140,000 people in Zambia. The class action case, dismissed by a lower court due to lack of evidence, seeks accountability for pollution linked to a Kabwe mine.
Associated Press News
Mining giant Anglo American faces class action appeal over alleged lead poisoning in Zambia
An appeal hearing has opened in South Africa on whether a subsidiary of British-based mining company Anglo American PLC was responsible for lead poisoning over decades that affected around 140,000 people in Zambia.
Anglo American faces class action appeal over alleged lead poisoning in Zambia
An appeal hearing opened Monday in South Africa on whether a subsidiary of British-based mining company Anglo American PLC was responsible for lead poisoning over decades that affected around 140,000 people in Zambia. The class action by women and children asks South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal to overturn a judgment by a lower court …
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