Strengthening Community Voices in Critical Minerals Governance

On 18 March 2025, a multi-sectoral convening of women, youth, environmental justice organisations, faith-based groups, and trade unions met in Harare, Zimbabwe, to deliberate on taking the Pamoja Critical Minerals Alliance (PCMA) campaign to the next level. The inception planning workshop resolved to form a national committee that will lead the campaign for a just, transparent, and people-centred minerals economy.

The gathering was hosted by Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW), bringing together voices from communities affected by mining, organised labour, and civil society to map out a shared agenda for change in the governance of Africa’s critical minerals—lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, and others.

“We are building a united front,” said Edward Lange, SARW’s Senior Programme Officer. “The goal is to shift power towards communities and workers, and ensure the mineral wealth of this continent benefits its people—not just corporations and elites.”

What’s at Stake

As demand for critical minerals continues to grow, so does the risk of extraction-led injustice. Many communities face displacement, unsafe working conditions, and lasting environmental harm, while profits flow out of the continent.

The workshop focused on four core issues:

• Local beneficiation and value addition: Africa must stop exporting raw minerals and start processing them locally to drive jobs and industrial growth.

• Labour rights and decent work: Miners—formal and informal—deserve fair wages, workplace protections, and the right to organise.

• Environmental justice: Mining cannot continue to degrade land, water, and ecosystems. A sustainable approach is non-negotiable.

• Transparency and accountability: Communities must have a say in how mining projects are approved, monitored, and managed.

A Campaign Rooted in Communities

The newly formed national committee will coordinate advocacy, organise public awareness drives, and engage with government and private sector stakeholders to push for people-first policies. Among the priorities: including communities in decision-making, securing stronger legal protections, and promoting women and youth leadership in resource governance.

This marks the beginning of a broader mobilisation effort across the region—anchored in grassroots voices and aimed at holding both government and industry accountable.

“Pamoja is not just a campaign,” Lange added. “It’s a movement to put people before profit in the governance of Africa’s mineral wealth.”