ActionAid today challenged Anglo American’s board to drink water from villages close to platinum mines in the Limpopo region of South Africa.

Outside the company’s AGM, ActionAid campaigners held up bottles of what the charity claims is seriously polluted water.

Independent water sampling analysis commissioned by ActionAid and conducted on 28th and 29th of November 2007 discovered pollution at four sites near mines run by Anglo Platinum, a subsidiary of Anglo American.

The analysis concluded that mining activities were a likely cause of the pollution, making the water unfit for human consumption.

Whilst Anglo Platinum disputes these findings, ActionAid says that with high levels of nitrates present in all four sites, the company should, at the very least, establish that its mining operations have not caused the contamination.

ActionAid bought a share for community activist Phillipos Dolo to attend the Anglo American AGM and tell shareholders about the high price the global platinum boom is having on his community.

He said: "We have lost our main means of survival - access to land and water. Relocation deals are inadequate and there has been little compensation from the mining companies.

"I doubt board members would drink the water that we must every day. My people are suffering."

Alex Wijeratna, campaigner at ActionAid said that despite Anglo American's claims to be a responsible company, the charity's research indicated that they needed to clean up their act.

"We need action in South Africa and also at the United Nations to ensure multinationals like Anglo American are held to account on human rights issues."

ActionAid is calling on:

• Anglo American to work with relevant authorities to investigate water problems and both ActionAid’s and community concerns around access to farmland.
• The South African parliament to reject proposed amendments to mining laws that would substantially weaken environmental and social safeguards.

ActionAid’s report 'Precious Metal: the impact of Anglo Platinum on poor communities in Limpopo, South Africa' shows how communities in Limpopo are suffering increased hunger and poverty whilst the company reaps record profits from the growing world demand for platinum.