Source: Greenpeace Statement –
Johannesburg – Constitution Hill was awash with green banners, hand-painted placards, and the sound of singing and chanting today as activists, young people, and community members took to the streets for the Human Rights Festival People’s Walk. The march, led by Greenpeace Africa (GPAF) and allies, drew urgent attention to the human cost of Africa’s critical minerals boom and the growing gap between promises of a just transition and the lived realities of communities on the front lines.
From the steps of one of South Africa’s most historic human rights sites, marchers carried a clear message: the global race for so-called “green” minerals cannot come at the expense of African lives, land, and dignity.
“The energy transition cannot be built on exploitation,” said Siya Myeza, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa. “We are seeing a new scramble for Africa’s minerals dressed up as climate action. But for many communities, it’s a painfully familiar trajectory: displacement, pollution, and broken promises. A truly just transition must start with people, not profits.”
The People’s Walk was part of Greenpeace Africa’s broader call for resource sovereignty and accountability in the extraction of critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and manganese, resources essential for renewable energy technologies but often sourced under harmful conditions.
“Communities are being told to sacrifice everything in the name of ‘green growth,’ yet they are the last to benefit,” said Cynthia Moyo, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa. “We are here to say: no more decisions about us without us. Justice means communities have power, protection, and a real share in the future being built from their resources.”
Participants in the march included youth activists, civil society organisations, and members of affected communities, many of whom shared personal testimonies of environmental degradation, economic exclusion, and human rights violations linked to mining activities.
Greenpeace Africa is calling on governments, corporations, and international institutions to commit to a people-centred just transition that prioritises:
- Community consent and participation in decision-making
- Strong environmental and human rights protections
- Fair distribution of benefits from mineral wealth
As the chants echoed through Constitution Hill, one message stood above the rest: Africa’s future must be shaped by its people.
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Ferdinand Omondi Communications Lead, Greenpeace Africa 📧 Ferdinand Omondi 📞 +254 722 505 233
Siyabonga Myeza Climate and Energy Campaigner 📧 Siyabonga Myeza 📞 +27 83 693 8150
Greenpeace Africa Pressdesk: Pressdesk Africa
Greenpeace Africa is an independent campaigning organisation that uses peaceful, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
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