“Amnesty International and SALC intervene on landmark multinational mining case at South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal”, 3 November 2025

This case is about more than one class action or one community in Zambia. It is about whether South African corporations can operate abroad without being held to the same human-rights standards we demand at home...,” said Dr Atilla Kisla, International Justice Cluster Lead at SALC [Southern Africa Litigation Centre].

In their submission, SALC and Amnesty International emphasise that South Africa’s Constitution requires courts to 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...

Mandi Mudarikwa, Head of Strategic Litigation at Amnesty International, highlighted that: “This class action lawsuit stands as a quintessential David versus Goliath confrontation, marking a long-awaited step toward justice for the residents of Kabwe, who have suffered the devastating effects of lead poisoning for generations as a result of multinational mining operations.”

As the Court considers whether to certify the Kabwe community class action, SALC and Amnesty International underscore that the decision will resonate far beyond this case, setting an important precedent for how South African courts address corporate accountability and international law and transnational human-rights abuses within the framework of class actions.

The Kabwe lead mine, once known as the ‘Broken Hill’ mine, was allegedly operated and managed by Anglo American between 1925 and 1974 and reportedly contributed to extensive environmental pollution in towns and communities living in the vicinity of the mining site.

Today, experts describe Kabwe as one of the most lead-polluted places on earth. Medical studies have shown that children from Kabwe have record-high levels of lead in their blood....

The High Court in Johannesburg dismissed the application to certify the class action on 14 December 2023.