By Tinashe Raphael Matika
As someone who lives in a community deeply affected by these changes, I want to break down what this transition means for us and the hurdles we need to overcome, focus on key policies shaping the energy sector, and the challenges we face in ensuring a fair and inclusive transition.
One of the main issues we explored was the National Renewable Energy Policy, which sets an ambitious goal: by 2030, at least 27% of our energy should come from renewable sources. This is a significant step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy access, especially for rural communities like mine.
However, while the target is commendable, the policy itself lacks the legal and institutional frameworks needed to drive real action. Without clear regulations and incentives, attracting investment remains a challenge. There is also a lack of coordination among government agencies responsible for implementing these policies, which leads to confusion and delays.
The Role of Biofuels and Critical Minerals
Beyond renewable energy, we also discussed the biofuel policy and the country’s approach to critical minerals like lithium, graphite, and PGMs (platinum group metals). The biofuel policy is designed to reduce our dependence on imported petroleum, making our energy system more self-sufficient. Similarly, the global demand for lithium—one of our most valuable resources—has put our mining sector under the spotlight.
The challenge here is that while our country has vast mineral wealth, we have not built the capacity to fully benefit from it. Take lithium, for example. In 2022, the government banned the export of raw lithium to encourage local processing. This was a good move in theory, but we still don’t have enough refineries to process lithium domestically. Without proper infrastructure, these policies remain symbolic rather than transformative.
The Problem with Public-Private Partnerships
One of the biggest challenges we discussed was the reliance on public-private partnerships (PPPs) to fund renewable energy projects. These partnerships are supposed to bring in much-needed investment, but they often come with serious drawbacks.
For example, private investors are given huge tax breaks and other incentives, which means they contribute very little to local development. In many cases, they are not required to reinvest in the communities where they operate. There is also the issue of skills transfer—foreign companies come in with their own experts, and our people are left out of the value chain. This leaves us in a cycle of dependency, where we extract resources but don’t build the knowledge or industries to benefit from them.
Skills Development and Industrial Capacity
A major issue affecting our transition to renewable energy is the lack of technical skills and industrial capacity. In communities like Hwange, which has been built around coal mining, there are no vocational training centers to help workers transition to jobs in renewable energy. Without investment in education and skills development, our people will be left behind.
Another problem is that our national grid is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Even if we build renewable energy plants, we don’t yet have the technology and infrastructure to integrate them smoothly. This means we are not fully prepared for the shift, and unless we address this, we could face serious energy supply issues in the future.
Environmental and Social Challenges
While moving toward clean energy is important, we cannot ignore the environmental impact of extracting the minerals needed for this transition. For example, lithium mining requires a lot of water, and many of the areas where lithium is found already face water shortages. If we don’t put proper environmental protection in place, we could end up creating new problems while trying to solve old ones.
Another concern is community beneficiation. Right now, there is a policy that says 2% of lithium sales should go back to host communities. But there is no clear framework for how these funds are used or who oversees them. This lack of transparency means that many communities may never see the benefits of the resources extracted from their land.
What Needs to Change?
From our discussion, it became clear that while we have many good policies on paper, we need to make them work in practice. Here are some key steps that should be taken:
- Stronger Regulations and Coordination – We need clear legal frameworks to ensure that renewable energy projects are implemented effectively.
- Investment in Skills Development – More vocational training centers should be set up in resource-rich areas so that local people can benefit from the new industries.
- Fairer Public-Private Partnerships – Private investors should be required to contribute more to local communities, not just take advantage of tax breaks.
- Transparent Community Benefit Mechanisms – There should be clear guidelines on how funds from resource extraction are distributed and used.
- Sustainable Mining Practices – Environmental protections must be strengthened to ensure that lithium and other mineral extraction do not cause long-term damage.
Final Thoughts
The just energy transition is not just about shifting from fossil fuels to renewables—it’s about ensuring that the shift benefits everyone, not just big corporations or a few individuals. As communities, we must demand more transparency, better policies, and real investment in our future.
If we don’t act now, we risk repeating the same patterns of exploitation that have left many of our communities struggling despite sitting on valuable resources. A just transition means more than clean energy; it means economic justice, environmental sustainability, and a future where no one is left behind.