By 
When multinational mining giants rake in billions from Zambia’s soil, should local communities be left to drink poisoned water and harvest withered crops?
That is the moral and legal question now before the Lusaka High Court, where 175 farmers from Kalusale in Chambishi have launched a landmark lawsuit demanding an eye-watering USD 80 billion in compensation and the creation of a USD 200 million emergency fund, against Sino Metals Leach Zambia Limited and NFC Africa Mining Limited.
The petition, filed on September 12, 2025 by Messrs. Malambo and Company, accuses the Chinese-owned companies of unleashing one of the country’s worst environmental disasters after a tailings dam collapsed on February 18, 2025, spilling up to 900 million litres of toxic waste into waterways that sustain livelihoods across Kalulushi District and beyond.
Read more: Sino-Metals denies backlash on Kafue pollution as incident attracts global scrutiny
According to the farmers, the acidic sludge, laden with heavy metals, swept through streams, rivers, farms, and villages, devastating maize and groundnut fields, killing livestock, and triggering mass fish deaths in the Kalusale and Mwambashi streams.
The contamination, they say, spread as far as the Kafue River, disrupting water supply for the city of Kitwe after treatment plants were forced to shut down.
A ZEMA incident report the day after the collapse confirmed that about 75 percent of the residue from the tailings leach plant had spilled into the environment, contaminating soils, wells, and rivers.
Subsequent government statements described the water as “extremely acidic,” with pH levels plunging to 1.92, far below the safe range of 6.5–8.0,posing an ecological and public health crisis.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock warned on April 2 that the Kafue River, supporting over 300,000 households had become a source of contaminated fish, undermining food security across the Copperbelt.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Agriculture officers barred affected farmers from harvesting crops, threatening arrests for non-compliance.
Despite this, NFC Africa denied responsibility in a letter dated August 29, 2025, distancing itself from the tailings dam disaster even though the structure sits within its surface area. The petitioners, argue that the denial directly contravenes provisions of the Minerals Regulations Commission Act, the Mines and Minerals Development Act, and Zambia’s Constitution.
The farmers, led by Peter Shula, are demanding the provision of safe water, emergency food supplies, monthly compensation, temporary accommodation in unpolluted areas, soil and water remediation, medical surveillance, and an immediate halt to earth-moving operations until a remedial plan is in place.
Most dramatically, they are asking the court to order the mining companies to set aside USD 80 billion in an escrow account to cover full environmental restoration and community compensation, a move that would rank among the largest environmental claims in Africa’s history.
“Their right to life, property, and dignity has been trampled under toxic sludge,” the petition argues, calling the spill not only a violation of environmental law but a direct assault on constitutional rights.
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