In the district of Ulanga, in Southern Tanzania, the Australia-based company Black Rock is running the Mahenge Graphite Project. The project is receiving financial support from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) through a US$ 59.6 million loan, among other financiers.
Despite promises of benefits for the local community, the project is leading to many harmful impacts, as shown in this documentary produced by the Tanzanian civil society organization Women’s Action Towards Economic Development (WATED), one of our partners of the Community Resource Exchange.
Tanzania is rich in critical minerals used for so-called “green” technologies and digitalisation projects, including graphite, rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt and nickel. Benefits, however, are not always trickling down to local communities in mining-affected areas.
According to local community members, the area around the Mehenge mine is marked by high poverty levels, especially among women. Despite the promises of economic growth, locals in these areas lack opportunities for productive engagement and economic participation. Communities are excluded from key decision-making processes, and they are treated merely as passive recipients rather than active stakeholders in the mining project. And when they try to voice their concerns, they are being threatened by the police and some have also faced arrests and criminalization. Compensation is another key issue, as residents feel they were not adequately compensated for their loss of land. And despite being promised two hectares of land per household, many did not receive it.
Additionally, there are environmental and health concerns. Despite there being laws to protect water sources, because of the high demand for graphite, companies and authorities are prioritizing mining interests instead of protecting water sources, increasing health risks for local communities.