Mining Affected Communities United in Action

Voices of the people. Power in unity. Together we are MACUA — building justice for mining-affected communities.#nodecisionaboutuswithoutus #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

MACUA leadership stood in solidarity today at the handover of a critical memorandum to Glencore and the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition. Under the call “No South African Coal for Israel’s Grid”, the South African BDS Coalition submitted a detailed report exposing coal exports to Israel, and outlining the legal and moral obligations on government to act. This is not just about trade. It is about accountability. It is about ensuring that South Africa does not enable injustice through its resources. MACUA joined this action in defence of human rights, standing with all communities affected by exploitation and oppression, locally and globally. The message is clear: our minerals, our resources, must never be used to sustain a genocidal oppression. 🇵🇸🇿🇦✊ #NoCoalForGenocide #Solidarity #MACUA #BDS

WAMUA Thabong Branch continues to stand up for the dignity and protection of children in our communities. At a meeting held on 16 March 2026 in Ha Sekese, members engaged critically with a disturbing viral incident showing a child excluded from a basic act of care, being denied food while others ate. The discussion was not just about one video, but about a deeper and ongoing issue: the everyday ways children can be neglected, excluded, and emotionally harmed. The branch called for stronger community responsibility, where caregivers, parents, and neighbours actively ensure that every child is treated with fairness, dignity, and compassion. Silence and inaction were challenged, with members urging communities to speak out and intervene when children are mistreated. This is not only about awareness, it is about accountability and building environments where no child feels invisible or unwanted. WAMUA Thabong remains committed to ongoing community dialogues and action to protect children and strengthen support systems. #ChildrensRights #WAMUA #CommunityCare #EndExclusion #ProtectOurChildren

WAMUA Thabong Branch continues to stand up for the dignity and protection of children in our communities. At a meeting held on 16 March 2026 in Ha Sekese, members engaged critically with a disturbing viral incident showing a child excluded from a basic act of care, being denied food while others ate. The discussion was not just about one video, but about a deeper and ongoing issue: the everyday ways children can be neglected, excluded, and emotionally harmed. The branch called for stronger community responsibility, where caregivers, parents, and neighbours actively ensure that every child is treated with fairness, dignity, and compassion. Silence and inaction were challenged, with members urging communities to speak out and intervene when children are mistreated. This is not only about awareness, it is about accountability and building environments where no child feels invisible or unwanted. WAMUA Thabong remains committed to ongoing community dialogues and action to protect children and strengthen support systems. #ChildrensRights #WAMUA #CommunityCare #EndExclusion #ProtectOurChildren

YAMUA Rabokala Branch joined the #WaterCAN Schools Testing Week at Jethro Pelle High School, and what they found is deeply concerning. 📷 Both water samples tested at the school were found to be contaminated. This is a direct threat to the health, dignity, and future of learners. Safe, clean water is not a privilege. It is a basic right. The findings raise urgent questions: Why are learners exposed to unsafe water? Who is responsible for ensuring water quality in schools? What immediate steps are being taken to protect children? YAMUA calls for urgent intervention, transparency, and accountability. Communities cannot accept a reality where children are placed at risk in spaces meant to nurture and protect them. This is a call to act, not later, but now. #WaterCAN #WaterJustice #SafeWaterNow #WAMUA #ChildrensRights

Today the Nyakallong (Allanridge) and Meloding branches are gathered for an Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Workshop, and this is about far more than discussion. This is about organizing, asserting rights, and confronting a long history where communities have been excluded from the wealth beneath their own land. But let’s be clear: claiming “the era is over” is not a given, it has to be built, contested, and defended. Formalization alone won’t shift power unless communities are equipped, united, and able to challenge both state failure and corporate dominance. That’s why MACUA and WAMUA are on the ground, not just facilitating, but strengthening community capacity to engage, negotiate, and demand accountability. The real question is not only access to minerals, but: Who controls the process? Who benefits? And how do communities avoid being absorbed into the same exploitative systems they are resisting? This is a step toward answers, through education, organisation, and collective power. #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #ArtisanalMining #CommunityPower #MACUA #WAMUA MACUA & WAMUA Published byCJ Mouy Rutledge📷 ·6 minutes ago · YAMUA Rabokala Branch joined the #WaterCAN Schools Testing Week at Jethro Pelle High School, and what they found is deeply concerning.… See more Channels

Mining-affected communities and civil society organisations have written to Parliament of South Africa demanding urgent action on the governance crisis in the mining sector. Recent events at Jagersfontein, Stilfontein, Kriel and the liquidation of Ekapa reveal a troubling pattern of regulatory failure, corporate exit and the abandonment of communities. The open letter calls on Parliament to respond to the petition submitted by mining-affected communities on 26 November 2025, hold public hearings, and strengthen oversight of proposed amendments to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA). Communities have asked Parliament to provide a written response within 14 days. #MiningJustice #Accountability #CommunityVoices

Smoke Over the Quarry: The Lives Behind South Africa’s Mine Closure Crisis In Heidedal, Bloemfontein, families still gather at the edge of the Witherow quarry, a place where it is claimed up to 50 children have drowned over the past decades, in water left behind by an abandoned mining site. For many parents, the tragedy is not abstract policy failure. It is the empty chair at the dinner table. The quarry, like thousands of sites across South Africa, remains unsecured, and unrehabilitated, a deadly legacy of a regulatory system that allowed the site to be closed on paper while danger remained on the ground. From Heidedal to Jagersfontein, Stilfontein, and the coalfields of Mpumalanga, the warning signs are everywhere. Yet our Parliament continues to deal with the symptoms while ignoring the causes and risking more lives in the process. 📷 Read the full article: iol.co.za/news/opinion/2… #Heidedal #MineClosure #MiningJustice #CommunitySafety #Accountability

MACUA members today attended the powerful theatre production “Isitha Sabantu” at the Market Theatre in Newtown, on invitation from Empatheatre. The play tells the story of the late Mam’ Fikile Ntshangase, the courageous environmental defender, and MACUA Member, who stood against the expansion of the Ikhwezi Mine in KwaZulu-Natal and paid for that resistance with her life in 2020. Through a moving and deeply human performance, the production brings to life the realities faced by communities and activists who defend land, water, and livelihoods against destructive extraction. The production is extraordinary, powerful, emotional, and beautifully staged. It reminds us that the struggle for environmental justice is not abstract; it is lived daily by communities across South Africa. Alongside the performances, Citizen Assemblies are being hosted by Empatheatre to create space for activists, organisations, and communities to reflect on the themes of the play, share testimonies, and contribute to a growing body of research aimed at strengthening protections for environmental defenders. MACUA encourages activists, community leaders, and organisations to attend this important work and be part of the conversations it sparks. Mam’ Fikile’s story continues to inspire resistance, courage, and solidarity in the fight to protect our communities and our future. ✊

WAMUA participated in the launch of the 2025 Embrace Birthing Survey Report at Wits University, which exposes the alarming scale and nature of obstetric violence in South Africa. The report documents how many women experience mistreatment, abuse, and violations of dignity during childbirth, revealing a deeper crisis of inequality, under-resourced health systems, and lack of accountability in maternal care. As women from mining-affected communities know too well, these experiences are not isolated incidents but part of broader structural injustices faced by poor and marginalised women. Mpho Nkawana, national Convenor of WAMUA was there to stand in solidarity with all mothers and communities demanding respectful maternity care, accountability in public health facilities, and the protection of women’s bodily autonomy and dignity.

MACUA participated in the South–South Dialogue in Windhoek, engaging critical discussions on the legal protections and human rights implications surrounding the emerging green hydrogen industry. Representing MACUA and the Advice Office, Fatima Vally contributed to advancing this work as part of the Green Hydrogen Coalition, ensuring that the development of new energy sectors does not come at the expense of communities’ rights, participation, and environmental justice. As the green hydrogen economy grows across the Global South, it is essential that human rights, accountability, and community protections remain central to the transition.

📷 WAMUA will be participating in the launch of the 2025 Embrace Birthing Survey Report tomorrow at Wits University. The report examines the extent and nature of obstetric violence in South Africa, highlighting the experiences of women and birthing people in the country’s healthcare system. WAMUA is part of the Obstetric Justice Coalition, which is calling for accountability, dignity, and respectful maternity care for all women. Obstetric violence, including abuse, humiliation, forced procedures, and denial of care, remains a serious violation of women’s rights and can lead to severe harm for mothers and babies. Through our participation, we stand in solidarity with women across South Africa demanding safe, respectful, and dignified maternal healthcare. 📷 Wits University – Chalsty Auditorium 📷 11 March 2026 📷 09h00 – 12h30 Nothing About Us Without Us. #WAMUA #ObstetricJustice #RespectfulMaternityCare #WomenRights #HealthJustice

Artisanal miners are often labelled as “illegal.” But what happens when poverty leaves people with no other way to survive? In this important podcast interview, MACUA’s National Coordinator speaks about the criminalisation of poverty, the realities faced by artisanal miners, and what real solutions should look like. Watch the full interview on YouTube and join the conversation. #EndCriminalisationOfPoverty #ArtisanalMining #MiningJustice #MACUA m.youtube.com/watch?v=dyYU5D…

WAMUA Ekurhuleni held a successful Arts and Crafts Workshop today, bringing women together to learn valuable skills while strengthening solidarity and empowerment within our community. One of our members, Phuleng Ncokazi, a professional bead maker, facilitated the session and generously shared her expertise with the group. Women were taught how to make beaded crafts, creating an opportunity for skills development that can help them start their own small businesses and grow as entrepreneurs. This initiative reflects the spirit of “each one teach one,” where women empower one another by sharing knowledge and supporting each other’s growth. The activity was made possible through fundraising efforts by WAMUA Ekurhuleni, where members contribute small monthly donations. These contributions enabled the purchase of beads and materials so that women could participate fully in the workshop. Importantly, the workshop also created a safe and supportive space. Some women shared touching personal stories about their experiences of loneliness and struggle, reminding us how important it is to build strong networks of care and solidarity among women. Participants were given homework to continue their beading and to share their progress in the group until the next Bead Day. Looking ahead: This programme will continue as an ongoing initiative every Friday, creating regular opportunities for learning, empowerment, and economic participation, while we also continue to strengthen our petition drive and community organising. Viva WAMUA! ✊✊✊

Join us as we , Define a Just Energy Transition for affected and interested youth. Mining shaped our past. It shaped labour laws, land dispossession, economic exclusion, and the formation of mining towns that still reflect inequality today. It built economies, yes , but it also built systems that left mining communities devastated, displaced, young people unemployed, and future compromised. Now the world speaks of a “Just Energy Transition" that will be powered by our critical minerals, But we ask: Just for who? Designed by who? And accountable to who? A true Just Energy Transition Framework must be community driven ,centred around people affected and interested and align with international and constitutional obligations that protect the dignity of the people the environment, including the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, and the rights protected under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Climate justice is not optional it is a generational responsibility. The transition should not only be about energy , It must confront history, It must repair structural injustice and It must align policy frameworks with constitutional promises and it must recognise the systems that continue to exclude young people from land, economic participation, and decision-making spaces. Let us unite,challenge, define, and declare. ✊🏿 Forward. Always forward. #JustEnergyTransition #YouthInMining #ClimateJustice #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #YAMUA #GenerationalJustice Why does it matter for young people...? Join the conversation and be part of shaping the JET. teams.microsoft.com/meet/350185236… #Sign the MPRDA Proposed amendment bill petition and share with those who are affected and interested. awethu.amandla.mobi/petitions/comm…

📢 Budget 2026 & Inequality: A Crisis Still Ignored The government’s 2026 Budget has been presented, but one big question remains unanswered: why does inequality continue to deepen in South Africa? Despite evidence of persistent wealth gaps and structural exclusion, the Budget fails to grapple with the root causes of inequality or meaningfully redistribute wealth. Instead, the focus remains on fiscal stability and technical fixes while the economic divide widens, especially for working-class families and communities denied the benefits of our country’s resources. Genuine transformation would require tackling wealth extraction, investing in communities, and shifting power, not just balancing the books. 📌 We cannot accept budgets that stabilise the economy but ignore the suffering of the majority. It’s time to put people, dignity, and justice at the centre of fiscal policy. #Budget2026 #Inequality #EconomicJustice #RedistributeWealth dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/20…

Today, WAMUA stands with Embrace, Women’s Legal Centre, the Obstetric Justice Coalition, CALS, Perinatal Mental Health Project, SRJC, Abortion Support SA, Grow Great, Section27, Patti Good Method and DGMT to take a clear stand against obstetric violence in South Africa. Women have spoken. They have shared painful experiences of abuse, neglect, humiliation and mistreatment in labour wards and clinics. Obstetric violence is real, and it is a serious, yet often ignored, contributor to South Africa’s broader GBV crisis. We are demanding: • Formal recognition of obstetric violence as a distinct violation • Clear redress mechanisms for survivors • Dedicated budget allocation • Accountability within the health system • Dignified, respectful maternity care for all The coalition is also calling for a senior representative from the National Department of Health to attend the 2025 Birthing Survey Launch at Wits University on 11 March 2026. Childbirth should never be a site of violence. Women deserve dignity. Women deserve justice. Women deserve care. Organise. Speak out. Stand with us. #EndObstetricViolence #RespectfulMaternityCare #WAMUA #GBV #Amandla ✊

WAMUA Thabong | Support Group Session – 19 February 2026 WAMUA Welkom Thabong convened a meaningful support group session at Ha Sekese, creating a safe and affirming space for members to reflect on trauma, healing, and emotional well-being. Facilitated by Social Worker Refiloe Rasipe, Auxiliary Social Worker Neo Monyane, and linkage officers Mamtloi Nkaota and Boitumelo Mating, the session encouraged open dialogue about the different forms of trauma affecting our communities and practical pathways toward healing. Members shared deeply personal reflections on resilience, drawing strength from prayer, siblings, spouses, family support, and from one another. The conversation reinforced the power of unity, collective care, and shared understanding in overcoming hardship. The session closed with words of encouragement and appreciation to the facilitators, and a renewed commitment to continue walking the journey of healing together. To all women in our communities: you do not have to face trauma alone. Organise. Connect. Join WAMUA. Together we build strength, dignity, and solidarity. #WAMUA #WomenOrganising #CommunityHealing #Solidarity #Thabong

WAMUA Rabokala | Love Month Community Dialogue on GBV WAMUA Rabokala, in collaboration with Sisterhood from Letlhabile Network Center NPO, hosted a powerful Love Month engagement focused on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) awareness and prevention. The session unpacked how abuse is often disguised as love, and educated community members on the different forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, verbal, and cyber abuse. The discussion created space for honest reflection, awareness-building, and empowerment. We were honoured to be joined by Katlego Mmamabolo (Miss Teen 2026, representing North West) and Mrs. Apolonia Daniel from Namibia, representing Hlanganani NGO (Letlhabile). Their presence reinforced the importance of young women’s leadership and cross-border solidarity in the fight against GBV. Together, we affirmed that love should never harm, silence, or control. Real love respects dignity, safety, and equality. To the women of our communities: awareness is power, but organisation is strength. Join WAMUA. Stand together. Break the silence. Build safer communities. #WAMUA #EndGBV #WomenOrganising #LoveShouldNotHurt #Rabokala #NorthWest