A South African-owned company is providing access to toxic lead-bearing waste in the Zambian city of Kabwe despite immense health risks for local residents, Human Rights Watch said today. The material derives from waste material at a former mine that has never been cleaned up and has been the source of mass lead poisoning among residents, especially children.
Enviro Processing Limited (EPL), a subsidiary of the South African company Jubilee Metals Group, holds a small-scale mining license for the former Kabwe mine area and its waste, known as "Black Mountain." Jubilee Metals claims it "improves the quality of life of those living in proximity" of former mines. The company has apparently entered a deal with a Zambian company and a Chinese company to sell the waste for the purpose of extracting zinc. But the planned removal and transport of waste risks spreading the toxic lead further.
"The South African company Jubilee Metals, alongside Zambian and Chinese counterparts, are selling lead-bearing waste in a manner posing a serious risk to children's health," said Juliane Kippenberg, associate children's rights director at Human Rights Watch. "The Zambian government needs to fully enforce its environmental and mining laws, and protect people's right to a healthy environment."
Kabwe is one of the most lead-polluted places globally because of contamination from a former lead and zinc mine that was established during the British colonial period, closed in 1994, and was never cleaned up.
Human Rights Watch published a report in March 2025 documenting the ongoing harmful mining, removal, and processing of Kabwe's lead waste by several companies, including EPL, Union Star Industry, and several other Chinese processing companies. Human Rights Watch found that the Zambian government facilitated the activities by issuing mining and processing licenses to several companies.
Human Rights Watch said that the government should sanction companies violating Zambian environmental and mining law, such as causing "uncontrollable pollution" under article 36 of the Mines and Minerals Act. In late August, mediareported that province and district officials had suspended operations at four Chinese processing companies in Kabwe, saying their activities violated environmental regulations. However, Union Star Industry was not affected and continues operations.
Globally, zinc is a highly sought-after metal for a wide range of industrial uses, including in wind turbines for the urgently needed fossil-fuel phaseout and transition to renewable energy. The Zambian government has designated zinc and lead in Kabwe as "critical minerals," and said that their exploitation should be prioritized for the country's socio-economic development.
Lead is a highly toxic metal and is particularly harmful to children. Exposure can result in coma and death, as well as intellectual disability and illness. During pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage and other complications. Researchers estimate that over 95 percent of children living near the former mine in Kabwe have elevated blood lead levels, and about half of them urgently require medical treatment.
In a video conference with Human Rights Watch in September 2024, Jubilee Metals denied selling the waste material. However, Human Rights Watch has obtained a copy of a contract addendum detailing an agreement between EPL, the Zambian company Chitofu General Dealers Limited, and the Chinese company Union Star Industry Limited, dated February 15, 2025. The addendum states that Chitofu is a buyer of "zinc tailings" from EPL, and Union Star Industry is the "offtaker," a third party purchasing from Chitofu.
The addendum does not note that the tailings from the EPL concession contain lead and are highly toxic. Geological studies have confirmed the toxicity of the material. The addendum, which lacks digital signatures, states that the original contract - dated July 30, 2024 - was an agreement between EPL and Chitofu. Human Rights Watch does not have a copy of the original contract.
Union Star Industry has a processing plant eight kilometers north of the former Kabwe mine and holds a valid mineral processing license for zinc, lead, and copper. Chitofu is registered under Zambia's Patents and Companies Registration Agency as a company that carries out "other mining and quarrying" and "specialized construction activities."
Local observers have told Human Rights Watch that large trucks have been removing waste from the EPL concession as recently as late July, seemingly taking waste for processing in Kabwe. Two residents observed trucks with "Chitofu" signs. Several residents have described Chitofu's leaders as local political leaders or "cadres" with a following of "party youths," mostly young men who work for political leaders.
Chitofu's owners, Wisdom Lweendo and Godfrey Shibalwa, have links to the United Party for National Development (UPND), Zambia's ruling party. During the 2021 election period, Lweendo was the coordinator for Hakainde Hichilema's presidential election campaign in Central Province. Shibalwa was a UPND candidate for Kabwe's mayor in 2021.
A Zambian newspaper reported that rival groups of "cadres" from the UPND clashed on May 14 at "Black Mountain" over the tailings. A local UPND politician, Don Mwenda, was arrested for assault.
Human Rights Watch wrote to Jubilee Metals Group and to Chitofu and Union Star Industry, in April and June respectively, to request information including the original contract between them and their environmental impact assessments. Human Rights Watch only received a response from Jubilee Metals. Its response, dated May 22, 2025, stated that Chitofu was established in collaboration with Central Province authorities to represent "youth groups" that had previously accessed the waste illegally or pressured Jubilee Metals to do so, causing violent altercations "placing EPL and Sable Refinery's staff at risk."
Jubilee Metals stated that Chitofu has been given "exclusive access" to a "small quantity" of the waste material "subject to approval from ZEMA" (the Zambia Environmental Management Agency). The letter did not clarify whether this approval was granted, or whether and how much Chitofu paid for access to the material. Jubilee Metals did not mention or provide an environmental impact assessment or the original contract with Chitofu.
The Zambian government has facilitated the removal of harmful lead waste by helping to establish Chitofu and by issuing licenses to EPL for small-scale mining and to Union Star Industry for mineral processing, Human Rights Watch said. Under Zambian law, the government has the authority to sanction companies because of an "unsafe working environment" or "uncontrollable pollution." The government, as far as Human Rights Watch has been able to determine, has not taken such steps against EPL, Chitofu, or Union Star Industry if such grounds have been found to exist.
"The Zambian government recently took a significant step by suspending Chinese processing companies that violate environmental law in Kabwe," Kippenberg said. "The government should also suspend operations for the removal of lead waste from the EPL concession, investigate the links between Chitofu and political party leaders, and ensure that anyone involved in wrongdoing is held accountable, regardless of their political affiliation."
The government should develop a comprehensive remediation program for Kabwe's lead waste in close consultation with the affected community, civil society groups, and domestic and international experts, Human Rights Watch said. Kabwe residents and civil society groups have long called for remediation. The program should include all areas where lead waste is present, including lead waste piles that have been removed from the EPL concession.
"The Zambian government should initiate the cleanup of the former lead mine and its waste and provide a remedy to affected residents," Kippenberg said. "Strong action is the only way to protect children and future generations in Kabwe from the contamination."
