In Zambia’s Copperbelt province, hundreds of residents have taken two mining companies to court following a devastating tailings dam collapse earlier this year. The February disaster released millions of litres of toxic sludge into nearby rivers and farmland, contaminating water sources, destroying crops, and threatening the health and livelihoods of entire communities in Kalusale and Chambishi. Backed by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, the residents have launched a landmark lawsuit in Zambia’s High Court — a case being closely watched as a major test of corporate accountability and environmental justice in the country. To help unpack the details and implications, is Dr Atilla Kisla, International Justice Cluster Lead at the Southern Africa Litigation Centre.​

<p>In Zambia&rsquo;s Copperbelt province, hundreds of residents have taken two mining companies to court following a devastating tailings dam collapse earlier this year. The February disaster released millions of litres of toxic sludge into nearby rivers and farmland, contaminating water sources, destroying crops, and threatening the health and livelihoods of entire communities in Kalusale and Chambishi. Backed by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, the residents have launched a landmark lawsuit in Zambia&rsquo;s High Court &mdash; a case being closely watched as a major test of corporate accountability and environmental justice in the country. To help unpack the details and implications, is Dr Atilla Kisla, International Justice Cluster Lead at the Southern Africa Litigation Centre.​</p>