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.
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Ongoing Cases
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…
Challenging grievous human rights violations and injustice subjected to people of Senior Chief Muchinda
On 3 February 2022, fifty-five community members (“Petitioners”), with the assistance of the Southern African Litigation Centre (SALC), filed a Petition in the High Court of Zambia against Mr. Gregg…
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…
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…
Completed Cases
Commonwealth Lawyers Association 26 June 2020 Brigadier Siachitema In a recent decision of the High Court for Zambia, a community of displaced Zambian villagers succeeded in a land dispute against…
The Muchinda Royal Establishment, the Zambia Land Alliance and SALC supported a displaced community who is currently residing in Musangashi Forest Reserve after they were violently displaced from their ancestral…
SALC is working with Youth Watch Society (YOWSO) to help a poor single woman, Mary, and her widowed mother, Idesi retain the…
SALC worked with Women and Law in Southern Africa –Zimbabwe (WLSA – Zimbabwe) to challenge the decision of the Master of the High Court (Master) that approved a distribution plan…
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…
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,…
Using the court to protect vulnerable people: Perspectives from the judiciary and legal profession
In February and March 2014 the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, the National Association of Women Judges and Magistrates (Botswana) and the judiciaries in Malawi and Zambia co-hosted judicial colloquia on…