2,500 Zambian Villagers To Be Compensated By British Mining Company

Over 2,500 villagers in Zambia are to be financially compensated by a British mining company for significant water pollution to the region’s waterways.

The claim was brought by the thousands of locals — including 642 children, against Konkola Copper Mines Plc and its parent company, UK-based Vedanta Resources.

Issued in 2015, the claim centred on pollution caused by the Nchanga Copper Mine. A mine that employs 16,000 people in Zambia — the country’s biggest private employer, and sold a controlling share of its company in 2004 to Vedanta which is one of the largest mining companies in the world.

The plaintiffs alleged that the pollution severely impacted the lives and the livelihoods of people living in nearby villages Shimulala, Kakosa, Hippo Pool and Hellen — where the primary source of income is farming and fishing.

It was also claimed that toxic effluent discharge from the mine damaged local land and waterways used for irrigation. As a result, the use of polluted water for drinking, washing and bathing caused severe health problems in residents.

The villagers sought damages, remediation and cessation to the alleged continual pollution that they say is gravely impacting the quality of their lives.