Rights groups support Zambia residents in South Africa mining appeal

Amnesty International and the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) intervened Monday on behalf of Zambian residents in an appeal in a South African mining case.

South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal is hearing the case, which concerns allegations of severe lead poisoning in Kabwe, Zambia, caused by British-owned mining giant Anglo American. Amnesty International and SALC emphasize in their submission that the appeals court must “consider international law, such as the global consensus on the corporate responsibility to respect human rights and the duty to provide effective remedies to victims even when abuses occur beyond national borders by multinational corporations.”

This case centers around generations of Kabwe residents who have accused Anglo American of conducting lead