Dr. Kgomotso Tshaka, a mining and sustainability executive has called for a shift in how mining companies and governments approach mine closure, arguing that the process should mark the beginning of a new economic and social chapter for host communities rather than simply the end of mining operations.
Speaking at a webinar followed by The High Street Journal and organised by the African Centre for Energy Transition (ACCET) on Friday, November 6, 2026, under the theme “Rethinking Africa’s Mining Legacy: From Mine Closure to Community Regeneration,” Dr. Tshaka said traditional mine closure practices have focused largely on technical and environmental rehabilitation without adequately addressing the long-term economic prospects of communities that depend on mining.
She argued that a mine could be technically rehabilitated and formally closed while the surrounding community experiences economic decline following the loss of jobs, incomes and business opportunities associated with mining operations.
According to her, this reflects a fundamental weakness in the conventional approach to mine closure, which often treats it as a technical and legal endpoint rather than a broader responsibility to secure lasting value for host communities.
“My core proposition really for today is around closure not being an end of mining, rather a beginning of a new economic, social and ecological chapter in our host communities,” she said.
Dr. Tshaka maintained that mining companies must move beyond a narrow focus on meeting closure requirements and consider how their operations can contribute to sustainable livelihoods, economic diversification and long-term community resilience.
She further argued that planning for life beyond mining should not be postponed until operations are approaching their end, but should form part of the initial planning and development of mining projects.
This, she explained, would allow companies to identify alternative economic opportunities, undertake rehabilitation progressively and prepare communities for the eventual transition away from mining.
Dr. Tshaka’s argument places the future of host communities at the centre of mine closure planning, challenging mining companies and governments to look beyond the restoration of mining sites and consider whether the communities built around those operations can sustain themselves long after the mines have closed.
