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Lesedi: His mom would yell at him. Tell him to stop. But Oliver Nyirenda just couldn’t. He was obsessed with playing soccer, and his friends needed him on the pitch.

Oliver: I was never left out of the team, no matter what and usually, I’ll find myself as the striker, yeah, and really, I really like that position.

Lesedi: So when his mom wasn’t looking, Oliver would sneak off to play. But she always found out. The evidence was all over him.

Oliver: My clothes were covered in dust, my feet covered in dust, even my eyelids in dust, yeah.

Lesedi: And so it went. Mom would say stop. Oliver wouldn’t. Until one day, when he was about 13 and his mom tried a new approach.

MUSIC 

Oliver: You know, if you don’t listen in Africa, in an African home, there’s always a way to make you. And I was really scared because I didn’t like a beating… Yeah.

Lesedi: So he stopped playing soccer. For good. Oliver’s 18 now. And with hindsight, he gets it. His mom wasn’t mad that he got dirty. She was trying to protect him. Because what’s in the dust kills almost a million people every year.

This is Radio Workshop. I’m Lesedi Mogoatlhe. So, what’s in the dust? To answer that question, we went to Zambia to meet Oliver and his family in their hometown of Kabwe. Kabwe is the capital of Zambia’s central province. It’s home to about 300, 000 residents, a major university, the province’s most popular radio station, and a sprawling crop of avocados destined for sale in South Africa and Europe. Oliver says for people who’ve never been to Kabwe, it’s important to know that his town is full of hardworking people.

Oliver: Kabwe is a busy place, so immediately, you will hear a lot of people chattering because this one will be advertising his business on the loud voice. There are many entrepreneurs, and their businesses are prospering. Kabwe

Lesedi: The town’s origins date back to the early 1900s, when an Australian geologist discovered large deposits of lead and other valuable minerals. Prospectors called the area ‘Broken Hill’ after a lead mining town in Australia. Years later, the town was officially renamed ‘Kabwe’ which translates to the ‘Stone of Ore’ in Bemba, the local language.

MUSIC

Lesedi: The lead mine is long since shut down. But its legacy remains central to the town’s story for all the wrong reasons. Kabwe is one of the most polluted towns on earth. Experts call it a sacrifice zone because it’s been left permanently polluted. You see, almost a hundred years of mining released staggering amounts of lead into the air, and the wind blew it all across Kabwe. The lead got into the soil. Still today, the wind carries that toxic lead dust. It gets into food, water, and people’s homes. And that’s why Oliver’s mom kept him away from the soccer field.

Juliane: If I was a mother and had my child in Kabwe, I would also be very concerned.

Lesedi: That’s Juliane Kippenberg. She spent many years trying to protect children in Kabwe as part of her work with Human Rights Watch. Juliane says lead is a silent killer. It can trigger a long list of health problems that can go completely unnoticed… until it’s too late.

Juliane: Basically, what lead does, it attacks the brain and the nervous system. So oftentimes what it causes is learning difficulties, memory loss, reduced IQ, reduced attention spans, attention deficit, essentially, and developmental delays.

Lesedi: Lead is a deadly neurotoxin. It can cause anaemia and weight loss. Also vision, kidney, and heart problems. Lead poisoning kills almost a million people around the world every year. Children are especially vulnerable. They can develop lifelong health problems.

Juliane: Even later in life, cardiovascular disease is considered one of the key killers, actually, for people who have suffered lead poisoning or high exposure to lead.

Lesedi: 200,000 people in Kabwe have lead poisoning. That’s two-thirds of the town’s population. The World Health Organization, or WHO, recommends treatment for people with 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. Hold that number in your mind; 5.

Juliane: There is no safe level of lead exposure. So even two or three micrograms per deciliter are already problematic.

Lesedi: When Oliver was two years old, his mom took him to the clinic for a routine checkup. Doctors told her he was underweight. She remembers that he was also slow to respond to her voice. And so they ran blood tests. And they found Oliver’s lead levels were 117. More than 20 times higher than the WHO’s threshold. All the clinic could offer was a nutrition-based treatment plan.

Oliver: The government used to provide milk, soya, as well as eggs for us who were poisoned by lead.

MUSIC

Lesedi: Oliver’s mom says he’d get confused and forget things easily. She’d ask him to fetch a cup, and he’d bring something else. Studies show children under the age of seven absorb up to 5 times more lead than adults. Malnourished children are even more vulnerable. And so foods high in iron and calcium, like eggs and milk, can help to slow down the rate of absorption.

Juliane: But that doesn’t of course, heal anybody. Because there is no real healing. That’s the issue.

Lesedi: While there is no cure, there is a treatment called chelation therapy that removes lead from the body. But it’s expensive and not easily available in Kabwe. Oliver never received it.

Juliane: Even the chelation treatment that can be given is not actually a proper healing process. It just means that the lead in the body will be reduced.

Lesedi: But in Kabwe, people are constantly re-exposed to lead by just walking around.

Oliver: My mom said, uh, she really tries to keep me away from the things which are contaminated, but it’s really hard because almost everywhere I go, the contamination is there.

Lesedi: Oliver’s dad has lead poisoning too. His mom and siblings were never tested. Oliver’s sitting next to his mom at their home.

[SETTING UP FOR THE INTERVIEW]

Lesedi: He’s holding a microphone and looks nervous. He’s always had questions about his diagnosis. But this is the first time he’ll sit down and ask his mom about it.

Oliver: After you got the results, what were you feeling at that time?

Oliver’s Mom: Oliver, when I was pregnant with you, I ate a lot of soil. I always thought that’s why you got lead poisoning.

Oliver: What was the main reason you were eating soil?

Oliver’s Mom: My child, I had no idea the soil was polluted with lead. I know it’s not a good idea to eat soil, but it’s just a craving women get during pregnancy.

Lesedi: Studies have found that pregnant women with an iron deficiency sometimes develop the urge to eat soil. It’s called geophagia and is common in many parts of the world, especially in Africa. But it’s extremely dangerous in Kabwe because the soil is contaminated. Certain neighbourhoods are more polluted than others.

[SOUNDS OF MAKULULU]

Lesedi: Like the place where Oliver was born, Makululu. Makululu is one of seven lead hotspots in Kabwe, where the likelihood of exposure is very high. 60 000 people live here. It is one of Zambia’s largest informal settlements.

Elizabeth: Because this is their home. This is where they’ve grown up from. They cannot go anywhere else.

Lesedi: That’s Elizabeth Njovbu, our reporter who lives in Kabwe. She says the people in Makululu are warm and welcoming. And while they face many hardships, they haven’t given up.

Elizabeth: So where we are standing right now, we are surrounded by a lot of shops because we are close to a market where people come to trade and also, we are close to houses. So here…

Lesedi: Houses are mostly made of mud bricks, which don’t hold up well against heavy rains and seasonal floods. The community’s water is not safe to drink. And then, there’s the lead.

Caleb: I’ve grown up in this community. And, uh, in my growing up, I also tested positive for lead.

Lesedi: That’s Caleb Mulenga, an activist with the Kabwe Youth Network. He says, in Makululu, unemployment and poverty levels are through the roof. People sell charcoal and vegetables to get by. But there’s another way to make money in Kabwe.

[WALKING] 

Elizabeth: So can you just describe where we are? And, um, what is this place?

Caleb: All right, so we are in the mine area at a place called the Broken Hill Mine. So this used to be a mine that used to mine lead.

Lesedi: Though the mine has been closed for almost 30 years, it’s not entirely abandoned.

Caleb: So presently, what we have is young people, uh, mothers and children that are trying to look for lead and zinc in those deposits. And, uh, they are working under risk conditions, no protective clothing at all.

Lesedi: This is known as artisanal mining. It’s informal work, done by hand, using basic tools.

Caleb: So most of these young people that are living in underserved communities come to this place to look for sources of income. And for them, lead and zinc mining is a profit-making business.

Lesedi: Across the developing world, it is estimated that artisanal miners bring in more money than subsistence farmers. There are over 40 million artisanal miners, mostly in Africa and Asia. Many are women and children.

Elizabeth: So, um, how, how many people do you think work around this area in the main area?

Caleb: Hmm. Probably over 200 or 300 people that are coming from Makululu, Chowa, Katondo, and those surrounding areas.

Lesedi: Next to the mine is a 100-foot-tall pile of mine waste. It’s the leftovers from a century of lead mining, and still contains valuable minerals. It’s such a dark and imposing structure that residents have given it a nickname, Black Mountain.

MUSIC 

Caleb: So as you see, it’s uncovered. So, the wind blows into people’s homes, affecting over 200,000 residents that live around Kabwe.

Lesedi: The government has cleaned up a few homes in Kabwe, as well as a highly polluted canal. Using a World Bank loan, it also rolled out testing and treatment for some children. New mining laws are being discussed, and an agency is being set up to rehabilitate polluted land.

But in the meantime, Black Mountain still stands. The wind still blows, and people in and around Kabwe continue to be exposed.

MUSIC 

Lesedi: So, who is responsible for poisoning the residents of Kabwe? That’s a complicated question. So bear with me while I try to explain. In 2019, a team of human rights lawyers announced a class-action lawsuit on behalf of over 100,000 people living near the mine. They’re seeking compensation for residents suffering from lead poisoning.

MUSIC

Lesedi: The case is against Anglo-American South Africa, a British-owned mining firm. Anglo admits to investing in the Kabwe mine and providing it with technical advice until the early 1970s. But the firm disputes ever owning or operating the mine, and does not believe it’s responsible for the lead poisoning of residents in Kabwe.

The human rights lawyers disagree. They say the mine was part of the Anglo-American group, when the mine’s doctors found cases of children being poisoned and killed by lead. At the time, an expert recommended the whole community be relocated, but nothing changed. Many years passed. The mine changed hands. But at no point did anyone clean up the toxic waste. Not the government. Not Anglo-American. No one. A court decision is expected in 2025. And while the residents await a verdict, local activists continue their work.

Radio: Power Connect on Power 87. 9 FM. The people’s station…

Lesedi: Oliver became an activist in high school. He joined his school’s eco club. They planted trees, and spoke at churches and community halls to encourage parents and kids to get tested for lead poisoning. And sometimes he went on radio.

Oliver on radio: My name is Oliver Nyirenda. And my experience with working with the issue of lead poisoning is that growing up actually, I was also once a victim of this poison. And during my last six months, I’ve spent… I know this may sound crazy, but it makes me feel good. Yeah, it makes me feel good because I can tell those people that I’m raising awareness to the advantages of doing the testing at a young age.

Lesedi: When he was 9, Oliver’s family moved out of Makululu, the lead hotspot. At 13, his mother stopped him from playing soccer, and she made him eat more nutrient-dense food. Oliver’s lead levels fell from 117 micrograms per deciliter to 10. That’s still twice the threshold set by the WHO, but Oliver seems to have avoided the worst of it. At school, he was always top of his class.

Oliver’s Dad: You used to always pass number one. Number one was your good position, but when you pass number two, the teacher used to know your boy has failed.

Lesedi: That’s Oliver’s dad, Austin Nyirenda.

Oliver: So, what kind of work were you doing when you first arrived here in Kabwe?

Lesedi: Oliver just graduated from high school and wants some career advice. So he’s asking his father about the path he took…

Oliver’s Dad: I was working at the Orion Mining Company. We are making cobalt from ore. From the ore? From ore, making cobalt.

Lesedi: Orion employed about 500 people from Kabwe. It’s a foreign-owned firm that had Swiss, German, and South African investors. Austin says he worked 7 days a week.

But when the company fell on hard times, they let him go. For the next few years, he moved from one factory to the next. And recently, he’s worked at a copper manufacturing plant…

Oliver’s Dad: They are making cables, batteries, solar panels, which means it’s a very good thing we are making.

Lesedi: Solar panels. Wind turbines. Batteries that power electric vehicles. Copper is an essential mineral in those “good” things. And the world needs these clean-energy technologies to stop climate change. But an increase in demand for copper means more mining. Zambia’s government says it plans to triple the country’s copper production over the next 6 years. But Oliver says, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

Oliver: It only becomes bad when it is not properly done and the health of people and the like is not considered. But mining itself is good for the Zambian people.

Lesedi: A Zambian economist told us that Zambia has exported hundreds of billions of dollars worth of copper. 6.6 billion dollars of raw copper in 2022 alone. But all he sees in his country is crushing poverty.

And now, a new wave of copper mining is coming to Zambia. One company, backed by billionaires like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, has already discovered vast untapped deposits. Anglo American, the company being sued for poisoning women and children in Kabwe, is also back on the ground.

Oliver: If things does not change this time around, then I don’t think the Zambian people will allow it. If they don’t care, then they have no right to take the minerals.

Lesedi: From Angola to Zambia, many African countries are scrutinizing their contracts with foreign mining firms. They want a bigger share of the profits and the minerals from their mines. In Mali, the government arrested three mining executives over millions of dollars in unpaid company taxes.

The Australian company, Resolute Mining, disputed the allegations but agreed to fork out 160-million-dollars to set them free. Juliane from Human Rights Watch says the way mining is done has to change.

Juliane: I think, you know, the way to, to approach this now and really ensure much greater transparency, greater accountability and give communities the right to, to, to participate, but also the community, the right to, to basically, say no if they don’t want mining to continue.

Lesedi: Residents in mining communities want to decide how mines are run and how profits are used. They also want a way to hold polluters accountable. As the world depends on more mining to prevent climate change, communities want protection, so that the energy transition is also a just transition.

MUSIC

Juliane: Yes, the energy transition is obviously absolutely needed, urgently needed to address the climate crisis. There’s no question about that. At the same time, human rights and the rights of mining communities really have to be front and center in this process, and they’re currently not.

Lesedi: All of this weighs heavily on Oliver as he considers his next move. Part of him sees the value of being an activist, and fighting for the rights of his community. But he also wants a successful career to support himself and his family. With all of this on his mind, he tells his dad about his plans.

Oliver: So, I want to tell you what I see for my future. In my future, I see that I’m a mechatronics engineering, in this big lab designing equipments, which are more efficient and can be helpful for the development of the Zambian technology. That’s what I see about my future. Do you have any advice for me?

Oliver’s Dad: No, you can go ahead with your, your, your thoughts. No, I’m seconding you. Go ahead.

Oliver: So, you’re in support that me working in a mine, even though it caused my illness back then, it’s fine?

MUSIC

Oliver’s Dad: I am supporting it… Ah, what, when a person grows up, he has to go and stay alone. So it won’t worry me because you are going there to do for your future life.

[ZIPPING] 

Oliver: You might be wondering, why is this person suddenly packing up his bag?

Lesedi: A few months after we traveled to Kabwe to interview Oliver, he sent us a voice note to let us know what he’s been up to.

Oliver: So right now I’m even finishing up, uh, with packing. I’m almost done.

Lesedi: With his dad’s support, Oliver applied to study mechatronics engineering at one of Zambia’s top universities. He wants to learn how to design, build, and operate mining equipment.

Oliver: I just found out that I’ve been accepted at the Copperbelt University.

Lesedi: The university is about 5 hours from Kabwe. It’s located near some of the world’s largest reserves of copper in the aptly named Copperbelt province. As a student, Oliver will go on class field trips to the mines to learn what it’s like to be an engineer.

Oliver’s Mom: Ah, dust…

Lesedi: But his mom isn’t as easy-going as his dad about the path he’s chosen. She thinks he’ll be in danger.

Oliver’s Mom: I’m worried you’re going to inhale the dust. But just remember to take care of your health, and avoid anything harmful. Oliver, I’ll always pray for you, my child. God bless you.

Lesedi: As Oliver works his way into the very same industry that made him sick, he sees the worry in his mom’s eyes. A worry he’s seen time and time again.

Oliver: Mom, I’ve never told you how grateful I am to you for really stopping me to play in the dust back then. Without you, Mom, uh, I really don’t know what I could have become, for sure.

MUSIC 

Lesedi: This story was reported and produced for radio workshop by Dhashen Moodley, Naomi Grewan, and Mo Isu with support from Sam Broun. Our contributing producers in Kabwe were Elizabeth Njobvu from Environment Africa and Caleb Mulenga from the Kabwe Youth Network. A special thanks to Human Rights Watch, and Mubanga Konde and the team at Power FM Radio.

Thanks to Mary-Ann Nobele, our translator. Rob Rosenthal and I edited this podcast. Production assistance from Elejha-ze Gengan and Kondwani Banda. Elejha also designed our episode artwork. Original music by Qhamani Sambu at Edible Audio in Cape Town. Jo Jackson is our sound engineer and managing producer.

Mike Rahfaldt is our sound designer and executive producer. This episode and the work of Radio Workshop would not be possible without the support of the UMI Fund, the Doc Society and the African Climate Foundation. Find out more about what we do and support our work at RadioWorkshop.org.