28/09/2025
Lumwana Mine sued over contaminated water
MORE than 190 former employees of Lumwana Mining Limited have dragged the mining giant to court, demanding nearly K2 billion in compensation for allegedly being exposed to uranium-contaminated drinking water during their years of service.
They are also demanding an order for the company to pay K10 million to each plaintiff, totalling K1.93 billion, special damages to be assessed by the court,and interest on all sums awarded.
According to a statement of claim filed by Abraham Kamanga and 192 others, the ex-workers accuse the company of negligence and breach of duty, saying it knowingly supplied unsafe water drawn from Chimiwungo Crossing Dam between 2012 and 2023.
The workers allege that from as early as 2015, several of them began experiencing serious health complications linked to uranium exposure.
By 2023, at least 41 had been medically discharged, 51 had resigned, and four left through voluntary separation, while others continued to suffer from various ailments.
The shocking discovery came on November 8, 2023, when a memo mistakenly circulated to the general workforce at the Incoming Pre-Shift (IPS) Unit revealed that the drinking water at the mine contained unsafe uranium levels. Follow-up tests conducted on November 16, 2023, confirmed uranium concentrations up to six times higher than the safe limit of 0.03 milligrams per litre, with results showing levels as high as 0.19 mg/l (190 mcg/l).
The plaintiffs argue taht that the company’s failure to ensure a safe supply of water amounted to negligence, exposing them to illness, trauma, and long-term health risks.
In fact, 69 employees required trauma counselling after the revelation, while four have since been diagnosed with serious ailments and one former worker has died from complications allegedly linked to uranium exposure.
The group, represented by MSK Advocates, is now seeking a declaration that Lumwana Mining Limited was negligent in exposing workers to uranium.
Credit; Kalemba, September 27, 2025
