In March 2003 a small community group, ‘The Concerned People Against Asbestos (CPA)’ based at Prieska in the Northern Cape, won a court case in a foreign country. That case may change the way in which multinational corporations behave in the developing world...Despite its lack of resources the CPA was able to synchronise an elaborate game of small and big politics. The group’s victory suggests that such communities have levels of political and organisation skill which given the right alignments can be irresistible...The big mines were owned and operated by British firms the Cape Asbestos Company (later Cape PLC) and the Griqualand Exploration and Finance Company Limited (Gefco) [fully owned subsidiary of Gencor].