By Abdullahi Lukman
South Africa’s shift to a low-carbon future has sparked calls from communities impacted by the extractive economy for inclusion in the transition process.
On Monday, May 12, 2025, the Sekhukhune Combined Mining-Affected Communities (SCMAC), in collaboration with 350Africa.org, Ahinasa, and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS), launched a case study titled “Concrete Models of Socially-Owned Renewable Energy (SORE): The case of Sekhukhune Combined Mining Affected Communities.”
The report serves as both a call to action and a blueprint for change, challenging traditional extractive energy models and advocating for social ownership to ensure a just, equitable, and inclusive energy future.
For years, mining-affected communities, particularly those in regions like Burgersfort within the mineral-rich Bushveld Complex, have endured land dispossession, environmental degradation, and socio-economic exclusion, while seeing little benefit from the wealth extracted in their areas.
The report highlights the failure of mining companies to comply with provisions in the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), which mandates companies to contribute to local development through social and labor plans (SLPs).
As a result, community members still face human rights violations and lack access to basic services, jobs, and infrastructure.
The ongoing closure of coal mines and the global demand for transition minerals add to the uncertainty, raising concerns that these communities will be further marginalized in the shift to renewable energy.
The case study proposes a community-led, socially-owned renewable energy model, focusing on solar mini-farms and decentralized energy solutions as a way to restore agency to communities.
These solutions would enable local residents to directly shape and benefit from their energy systems, while promoting economic regeneration, skills development, and long-term resilience.
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The report also calls for the support of public institutions like Eskom, proposing the establishment of a Green New Eskom that is accountable, decentralized, and focused on public benefit.
Among the report’s key recommendations are:
. Public financing and legislation to support community-led renewable energy projects in mining-affected areas.
. Mandatory investments by mining companies into community-driven transition projects as part of their obligations under the MPRDA.
. Strengthened regulatory frameworks and transparent mechanisms to ensure justice and fairness.
. Capacity-building, training, and feasibility studies to ensure local ownership and sustainability.
. Recognition of community-defined energy solutions within national Just Transition frameworks and climate policies.
Robert Krause, Researcher and Acting Head of Programme: Environmental Justice at CALS, emphasized the need for a truly just transition.
“It must include redistribution of power and resources, and repair the historical harms caused by a mining economy rooted in colonialism and apartheid.
It must center those who have been excluded and harmed,” he said.
SCMAC spokesperson Katlego Malesa added, “Too often, decisions are made about our future without our input.
This report is proof that we have the knowledge, the vision, and the will to lead our own transition.
What we need now is investment, policy support, and real accountability.”
The full report, discussed by community leaders, policy experts, legal practitioners, and renewable energy advocates, outlines a path for social ownership in renewable energy as a key component of South Africa’s just transition.
