The AMAP Advantage

Grievance Redress and Community Reporting in South Africa’s Mining Sector

 

 

On 23–24 April 2025, we held a landmark training in Sekhukhune, Limpopo, under the theme “The AMAP Advantage: Grievance Redress and Mining Accountability.” Hosted at Thaba Moshate’s Peermont Metcourt Hotel, the two-day session brought together community leaders, environmental justice advocates, and civil society actors from Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga.

The purpose? To build participants’ ability to use the Africa Mining Accountability Platform (AMAP) as a practical tool for reporting harms and strengthening grievance redress in the mining sector.

From Community Tools to Collective Power

Participants were introduced to AMAP as a digital platform where they can log violations, upload evidence, and escalate complaints using structured reporting formats. Many reflected on how existing mechanisms had failed them.

“They say we exaggerate. But when we upload pictures of polluted rivers or broken promises, they can’t ignore us,” shared one participant from Ermelo.

From unsafe working conditions to environmental degradation and broken relocation agreements, the sessions showed how AMAP can help centralise evidence, build a shared voice, and increase pressure for meaningful change.

What People Raised

• Silencing of Communities: A systemic lack of response from mining companies and regulators was a recurring concern.
• Gendered Exclusion: Women remain excluded from formal grievance spaces, which directly affects family and community wellbeing.
• Threats to Activists: Participants raised alarm about the harassment and intimidation faced by human rights defenders.

What the Training Offered

• Social Media Advocacy: Participants practised crafting shareable stories using photos, captions, and video. A WhatsApp peer group was launched to sustain cross-provincial solidarity.
• Power Mapping: A practical tool helped participants unpack who holds influence—from government to traditional leadership and private sector actors.
• Offline Access: Trainees tested AMAP’s offline reporting features, making it usable in areas with limited connectivity.

“We’ve been documenting injustice in our notebooks and WhatsApp chats. Now we have a home for that data—and the power to act on it,” one trainee shared.

What Comes Next

This South Africa-based training is just the beginning. AMAP will next be rolled out in Zambia, Zimbabwe, DRC, and Gabon. Upcoming sessions will focus on grievance escalation pathways, multilingual access, and building long-term reporting capacity at the grassroots.

As digital tools reshape global accountability, AMAP is proving to be more than an app—it’s a vehicle for communities to speak, organise, and demand justice in extractive economies.