Keypoints:
- 176 villagers sue over toxic spill
- Demand clean water, aid, compensation
- Case could set Southern Africa precedent
IN what campaigners are calling a landmark test of environmental justice, 176 residents of Kalusale, Chambishi in Zambia’s Copperbelt province have petitioned the High Court against Sino Metals Leach Zambia Limited and NFC Africa Mining Limited.
The case, filed on September 12, 2025, is backed by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) and seeks accountability for what lawyers describe as one of Zambia’s worst mining disasters.
Tailings dams collapse
On February 18 this year, four tailings dams run by Sino Metals collapsed, releasing an estimated 50 to 900 million litres of acidic mine waste into the Mwambashi and Kafue river systems. The toxic surge poisoned vital waterways relied on by thousands of rural families for drinking, farming, fishing and livestock.
For seven months, affected communities have endured hazardous conditions. Many households still lack clean water, medical care or proper compensation. Sino Metals apologised and offered limited payouts to a small group of farmers, but most victims were excluded and asked to sign rights waivers deemed unlawful by campaigners.
Rights violations alleged
Lawyers for the villagers argue the companies breached constitutional rights to life, dignity, property, a healthy environment and access to justice. The petition calls for immediate clean water and medical aid, emergency compensation, resettlement in safe areas, an independently monitored environmental remediation plan, fair payment for destroyed farmland and long-term health impacts, and an escrow fund to restore contaminated land and water.
SALC Executive Director Anneke Meerkotter said the case tests Zambia’s resolve to protect citizens from corporate power. ‘The people of Kalusale and Chambishi have been living with poisoned water, devastated farmland, and grave health risks. This case is about restoring their dignity and holding powerful companies accountable,’ she said.
Lives disrupted
Community members, largely small-scale farmers, recall life before the disaster as peaceful and self-sufficient, growing maize, cassava and vegetables while drawing water from the Chambeshi stream, Mwambashi and Kafue rivers. Those rivers now carry dangerous levels of heavy metals, confirmed by both Zambian regulators and independent researchers.
International concern followed the collapse. In March and April 2025, the Zambian Environmental Management Agency confirmed widespread contamination, while the US and Finnish embassies warned citizens to avoid affected areas. Civil society groups say the spill highlights chronic weaknesses in Southern Africa’s mining oversight.
Weak oversight and climate strain
Multinational mining firms have been accused of exploiting investment treaties and regulatory gaps to evade liability. Underfunded and politically constrained state agencies struggle to enforce environmental safeguards, leaving rural families vulnerable to pollution and displacement. Climate change is already straining Zambia’s rivers, and toxic spills intensify pressure on scarce water resources.
The High Court is expected to set a hearing date in the coming weeks. Observers say a ruling for the villagers could set a precedent for corporate accountability across Southern Africa.
For the residents of Kalusale, however, the case is about more than legal reform. ‘Every day we drink this poisoned water because we have no choice,’ said one farmer who joined the petition. ‘We want justice, but more than that, we want to live.’
