Skip to main content

Business and Human Rights

SALC’s Business and Human Rights work is integrated within its other programmatic areas and focuses on the following objectives:

  • To address lack of accountability for environmental pollution by mining companies.
  • To address corporate complicity in international human rights violations.
  • Research on intellectual property rights and access to medicines.

On-going cases:

Completed cases:

Publications:

Submissions:

Advocacy:

Business and Human RightsChildren's RightsInternational Criminal JusticeOngoing casesSouth AfricaZambia

Human rights groups intervene in historic class action for lead poisoning launched by Zambian children and women

On 9 May 2022, Amnesty International and the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) have applied to intervene in an unprecedented class action lawsuit. The case was brought by a group of children and women against the mining giant Anglo American in South Africa and seeks compensation for the long-term impacts…
Staff Writer
10 May 2022
Business and Human RightsChildren's RightsInternational Criminal JusticeNewsSouth AfricaZambia

News Release: South Africa – Human rights groups intervene in historic class action for lead poisoning launched by Zambian children

Amnesty International and the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) have applied to intervene in an unprecedented class action lawsuit in a case brought by a group of Zambian children and women against the mining giant Anglo American in South Africa, the organizations have announced after filing papers today. The claimants…
Staff Writer
9 May 2022
Business and Human RightsOngoing casesWomen’s Land and Property RightsZambia

Zambia: Challenging illegal deforestation and encroachment of the Kasanka National Park and the Kafinda Game Management Area

On 19 October 2021, the Mapepala and Nabowa Community Forest Management Groups (CFMG), together with Kasanka Trust Limited, commenced an action in the Lusaka High Court challenging large-commercial agriculture and related activities within the protected Kafinda Game Management Area (KGMA) and the Mapepala and Nabowa Community Forest (MNCF). The said activities…
Staff Writer
20 Oct 2021
Business and Human RightsCriminal JusticeFreedom of Expression, Assembly and AssociationHealth RightsRule of LawSubmissionsZimbabwe

SALC SUBMISSION ON ZIMBABWE’S 3RD UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW

Zimbabwe is in the midst of an economic crisis, which has only been exacerbated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdown restrictions have led to a decrease in manufacturing, non-mineral exports, hospitality, trade and transport sectors. Despite Zimbabwe’s Constitution, there is a serious deterioration of the political, economic and…
Staff Writer
15 Jul 2021
Business and Human RightsOngoing casesWomen’s Land and Property RightsZambia

Zambia: Challenging the taking over of customary land and allocation to commercial farmers and the destruction of property and contamination of the environment without consent or compensation

SALC is supporting four residents (Petitioners) of Senior Chief Muchinda in Serenje District of the Central Province of Zambia. In 2015, the Petitioners were approached by an investor and commercial farmer who claimed that he owned the land the Petitioners had resided on and farmed for generations. After the Petitioners…
Brigadier Siachitema
5 Apr 2019
Business and Human RightsOngoing casesWomen’s Land and Property RightsZambia

Zambia: Challenging the taking over of customary land and allocation to commercial farmers and the destruction of property and contamination of the environment without consent or compensation

SALC is supporting four residents (Petitioners) of Senior Chief Muchinda in Serenje District of the Central Province of Zambia. In 2015, the Petitioners were approached by an investor and commercial farmer who claimed that he owned the land the Petitioners had resided on and farmed for generations. After the Petitioners…
Staff Writer
5 Apr 2019
Business and Human RightsMalawiOngoing casesWomen’s Land and Property Rights

Malawi: Protecting rural women from negative impacts of the extractive industries

SALC is assisting the Kanyika Community based at Kanyika in the Mzimba District of Malawi to recover damages and compensation arising from extensive mining and prospecting operations conducted by Globe Metals and Mining (Africa) Limited (Globe Metals) with the authority of the Mzimba District Commissioner. The Kanyika Community—consisting of 1042…
Brigadier Siachitema
18 Sep 2018