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Socio-Economic Rights

Challenging large-scale agricultural and extractive land use that results in customary land dispossession without adequate consent, consultation and compensation, and increases poverty, environmental degradation and social inequality.

Ongoing Cases

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Botswana

Botswana: Indigenous San and Bayei communities fight to protect ancestral land and indigenous rights

Tawana Land Board v Botswana Khwedom Council & 10 Others The Southern Africa Litigation Centre is working with the Botswana Khwedom Council to support the San and Bayei communities in…
Kabwe mine
International Justice

South Africa / Zambia: Amicus in class action on lead poisoning by Anglo America in Zambia

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…
Socio-Economic Rights

Zambia: Illegal dam construction on Munte River: Chisenga Beriat & 8 Others v Serenje Properties Limited

The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) is supporting a community that relies on the Munte River in Serenje, Zambia, in challenging the violation of their rights arising from the construction…
Equality Rights

Encroachment of a protected area in Chitambo District: Kasanka Trust Limited & Others v Lake Agro Industries & 6 Others

On 19 October 2021, the Mapepala and Nabowa Community Forest Management Groups (CFMG), together with Kasanka Trust Limited, which co-manages the operations of the Kasanka National Park  in Chitambo District with…

Completed Cases

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Botswana: Chobe Land Board v Rebeccah Banika

| Botswana, Equality Rights, Equality Rights Completed Cases, Equality Rights Women Ongoing Cases, Socio-Economic Rights, Socio-economic Rights Climate Justice, Socio-economic Rights Climate Justice Completed Cases, Socio-economic Rights Completed Cases, Socio-economic Rights Extractives, Socio-economic Rights Land Rights, Socio-Economic Rights Land Rights Completed Cases | No Comments
The Southern Africa Litigation Centre is working with the Botswana Khwedom Council to support Kgosi Rebeccah Banika, a female Chief, who challenged the decision of the Chobe Land Board to…

Unconstitutional deprivation of land: Ba-Ga-Malete Tribe contest constitutionality of Section 7 of the Tribal Territories Amendment Act No. 3 of 1973

| Botswana, Equality Rights, Equality Rights Completed Cases, Equality Rights Women, Equality Rights Women Completed Cases, Socio-Economic Rights, Socio-economic Rights Completed Cases, Socio-economic Rights Land Rights, Socio-Economic Rights Land Rights Completed Cases | No Comments
SALC is assisting the Ba-Ga-Malete Tribe, represented by Kgosi Mosadi Seboko and the Gamalete Development Trust, against the Malete Land Board and the Attorney General to retain the land known…

Eswatini: Supporting the right to protest at a university

| Civic Rights, Civic Rights Association & Assembly, Civic Rights Association & Assembly Completed Cases, Civic Rights Completed Cases, Civic Rights Expression, Civic Rights Expression Completed Cases, Eswatini, Socio-Economic Rights, Socio-economic Rights Completed Cases, Socio-economic Rights Education, Socio-Economic Rights Education Completed Cases | No Comments
SALC is concerned that the doctrine of common purpose is on occasion used by university councils to punish student leaders where damages of university property occurred during a student protest.…

Malawi: Challenging refusal of admission to school

| Civic Rights, Civic Rights Completed Cases, Civic Rights Expression, Civic Rights Expression Completed Cases, Equality Rights, Equality Rights Completed Cases, Malawi, Socio-economic Rights Completed Cases, Socio-economic Rights Education, Socio-Economic Rights Education Completed Cases | No Comments
Factual Background The applicant was refused enrolment at a school on the basis that he had dreadlocks. Over the years, there have been a number of reports of schools refusing…

Articles

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Articles

Desertification and Drought Day: Access to water information for drought resilience

Botswana Guardian 20 June Emmanuela Sakala This year’s UN Desertification and Drought Day is commemorated under the theme “Restore the Land. Unlock the opportunities”, highlighting how land restoration boosts water…
Articles

Urgent call to fully establish land dispute structures in Malawi and ensure adequate representation of women

 Youth Watch Society (YOWSO), Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), the Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (CHREAA) and Paralegal Advisory Service Institute (PASI) welcome the Ministry of Lands'…
Articles

When it comes to foreign aid cuts, we need to move from grief to action

Polity Botswana Guardian 14 May 2025 By Anneke Meerkotter Over the past five months, important national and international agencies such as USAID, PEPFAR, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, WHO and…
Articles

The US is killing us softly with its climate policies

Polity 4 March 2025 Anneke Meerkotter Africa is at the receiving end of the impact of climate change caused by countries like America without them feeling remotely guilty or obligated…

Resources

Angola

Compêndio de jurisprudência sobre direitos humanos

Entre 2014 e 2024, os juízes e a comunidade jurídica que participaram no Fórum Regional Africano de Juízes (ARJF) discutiram vários casos que fizeram avançar os direitos humanos e a…
Botswana

Recueil de jurisprudence sur les droits de l’homme

Entre 2014 et 2024, les juges et la communauté juridique participant au Forum régional annuel des juges africains (FRAJ) ont discuté de diverses affaires qui ont fait progresser les droits…
Botswana

African Regional Judges Forum human rights case law compendium

Between 2014 and 2024, the judges and legal community attending the annual African Regional Judges’ Forum (ARJF) have discussed various cases that have advanced human rights and equity across the…
Resources

Civil Liability for Human Rights Violations: A Handbook for Practitioners

The Bonavero Institute of Human Rights led the project on civil liability for human rights violations from 2019 to 2022, which involved an analysis of existing domestic law mechanisms or…