Zambian villagers get go-ahead to sue Vedanta in England
Villagers allege their land and livelihood have been destroyed by water pollution caused by the Nchanga Copper Mine
The UK supreme court has ruled that a case brought by Zambian villagers against multinational mining company Vedanta and its Konkola Copper Mines must be heard in England. The ruling, handed down by the UK’s final court of appeal on Wednesday, relates to case brought on behalf of more than 1,800 Zambian villagers against the UK-based miner and its copper mining subsidiary for their roles in the alleged pollution of a river in the Zambia. Vedanta is headquartered in London, although the company was originally founded in Mumbai, India. Vedanta entered SA in 2011 when, through its subsidiary Vedanta Zinc International, it bought up Anglo American’s zinc assets in the Northern Cape, The company has significantly invested in these assets since, and under President Cyril Ramaphosa’s $100bn investment drive, Vedanta has committed to investing a further $1.2bn in the country. In the two-day hearing, which took place in January this year, the UK supreme court was asked to decide whether th...
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