Zambia's toxic town - 26 Aug 07

Kabwe is a wasteland, about 150km from Lusaka, Zambia's capital, full of the remnants of the country's once glorious mining past.

Decades of mining however have now turned Kabwe into Africa's most toxic town.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• kabwe
• zambia
• mining
• lead
• Yvonne
• Ndege
• jazeera
• aljazeera

[jameech]

This is extremely biased. The mines were run extremely well and safely up until the government took over in the 1970s and drove the mines into the ground such that they could not be adequately maintained and were forced to shut down in the early 90s. Now that the mines have been privatised we will see improvements returning.

[andrewpaulallen]

Hopefully BMR can secure the mines in Kabwe & help the local economy/environment!

[fixzimbabwe]

This problem is not confined to Africa. Even in Europe companies change names or fake bankruptcy to avoid having to pay for ecological damage.

Russia and China treat its people with contempt when the environment is concerned. Mines in Zimbabwe are in African hands now, the situation is worse than before. The little man suffers everywhere.

[TheMambavenom]

This an an example and result of so called Foreign Investment with the collusion And assistance of UNCLE TOM LEADERSHIP.

[kasaliyaba]

Is there any organization responsible to execute the mandate of cleaning up the wastelands and what contacts can we have, please and thank you

[cassava99]

Well done, this video shows the reality of mining in Africa and the human consequences. I lost my own relatives in Kabwe, how many have died in total? Too many Southern African families have paid the price of mining through death, displacement, cancers and broken families. The mining companies and some few elites take all the money and claim they are benefiting the economy. Do the math, the economies bread only inequality, poverty and death. The long result is environmental disaster.

[TotallyRespOnsiBle]

Am missin Zambia!! I was born in ChingOla

and Came to holland, i live here already 10 yrs missin zambia so much .. I have 2 gO back , i think.

[allmiles22]

Its sad to see my town like this, I love that place

[junge1984]

no report is complete without bashing the west somehow. no matter what, we're the evil people. if we help, we're in the way. if we don't help, they cry for aid.

[edenstudent]

it is sad that poor people are suffering and the ones who profited have left without thinking of the local Zambians in Kabwe