Thursday, 28 March, 2024
HomeMedico-LegalAnglo American seeks more documents in Zambian mine lead poisoning action

Anglo American seeks more documents in Zambian mine lead poisoning action

Anglo American won a bid in the High Court to extend the timing of its responding affidavit in what could be a class action suit against the SA operations of the multinational mining giant, reports MedicalBrief.

According to Mail & Guardian, a team of lawyers in SA and London is representing 13 claimants on behalf of 100 000 women and children poisoned by the world’s biggest lead mine in Kabwe, Zambia. The lawsuit was filed in October last year.

Mbuyisa Moleele, a Johannesburg-based law firm, and Leigh Day, a leading international law firm specialising in human rights and mass environmental tort claims, have brought the lawsuit against Anglo American alleging corporate human rights abuses resulting in multi-generational lead poisoning of children and women in Kabwe. This is the second time that Anglo American has received an extension to respond to the case and the company is expected to argue that it is not responsible for the poisoning because it did not own the mine after nationalisation in 1974. The court will have to rule whether there are legitimate grounds for a class action suit.

The company has argued that the lawyers launching the case have failed to hand over all the documentation it needs to respond to the case, but lawyers for the claimants said some of the documents were part of a similar case against Anglo American and AngloGold for failing to protect their workers from silicosis.

"Anglo American believes that it has the right to access and review the same relevant documentation as Mbuyisa Moleele and Leigh Day, in addition to any other relevant documentation that it believes exists, a belief confirmed by the emerging confirmation of the highly selective nature of the claims and the flawed assumptions that underpin the entirety of the claims," the company reportedly told the M&G.

It was incorrect to conflate responsibility on Zambia Broken Hill Development Company with Anglo American, it said. "With Anglo American not owning or operating the mine, we do not have such records – medical or otherwise – relating to the operation of the mine. Operational information was transferred."

 

Full Mail & Guardian report – Anglo American wins extension to respond to Zambian mine lead poisoning case (Subscription)

 

See more from MedicalBrief archives:

 

Anglo American ‘knew of lead danger’ at Zambian mine

 

Ex-miners in landmark silicosis settlement

 

Class action settlement reached for miners with silicosis and/or TB

 

Green light for SA silicosis class action suit

 

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