Community leaders, legal experts and grassroots organisations have renewed calls for governments, mining companies and international financiers to respect community land rights as mining and large-scale development projects continue to displace families across Africa.
Speaking at the ongoing African Ecofeminism Convening in Harare, participants from Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and other African countries shared experiences of communities losing ancestral land through forced evictions, pollution, inadequate compensation and exclusion from decisions affecting their livelihoods.
They argued that communities should be treated as partners in development, not obstacles, and called for meaningful consultation before mining and infrastructure projects are approved.
“We cannot continue to see communities paying the price for development while receiving little or no benefit,” said Dr. Melania Chiponda, Executive Director of Shine Collab.
She called for land-for-land compensation instead of cash, saying financial payments cannot replace the cultural, social and economic value of ancestral land.
GreenFaith Africa lawyer Tricia Abwooli said many affected communities continue to face forced displacement without proper consultation, loss of ancestral land and traditional livelihoods, environmental pollution and weak enforcement of legal protections.
She also highlighted inadequate compensation, limited access to justice and a lack of transparency in the awarding of mining licences as major concerns.
Participants pointed to the Hanyanya community in Bikita, Zimbabwe, as an example of successful community advocacy, where residents used research, legal action and peaceful mobilisation to delay harmful mining projects, negotiate better compensation and secure commitments for schools, clinics and other essential services.
The meeting concluded with renewed calls for stronger protection of community land rights, greater transparency in mining projects and policies that ensure local communities share fairly in the benefits of development.
