Voices of the Amadiba: how and why this community is resisting 'development' projects, and sustaining its own alternatives
Ashish Kothari
Friends, this series of interviews taken recently (June 2026) in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, may be of interest. They depict voices of the Amadiba people, who have been resisting outside authority and imposition for several generations, and are currently in struggles against proposed mining, oil & gas exploration, and a major expressway that threatens to cut through their territory. I ask about their traditional governance structure and how it enables the voices of 'ordinary' people within the community; how and why women have had a strong presence; why they are opposing what the govt is proposing and what are their own localised alternatives; what is the ecological, spiritual, and cultural connection with the land and ocean; and why several young people have stayed or come back to work in their villages, bucking the general trend of migrating to cities.
Voices of the Amadiba: the full set of videos on this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTs5_RxPU_g
Individual videos and descriptions are given below.
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thanks,
ashish
-- Ashish Kothari Apt 5 Shree Datta Krupa 908 Deccan Gymkhana Pune 411004, India https://ashishkothari.in
Siyabonga Nduvela, young activist, researcher and guide of Mtentu village, Mpondoland region of Eastern Cape in South Africa, talks of the Amadiba struggle against destructive development. The movement has mobilised much of the community to resist proposed mining by an Australian company, oil and gas exploration by Shell Corporation, a major expressway cutting through the territory, and other unwelcome impositions. Siyabonga describes the governance structure of the community that enables such a movement, the importance of the commons, the role of youth, the alternatives (some already being tried, others proposed) to destructive 'development', and more. Siya is an Executive Committee member of the Amadiba Crisis Committee, which leads the mobilisation of the community. Interview by Ashish Kothari at Mtatya village, Amadiba territory, 16.6.2026
Cromwell Monwabisi Sonjica, of Mtentu village in the Amadiba region of Mpondoland, Eastern Cape, South Africa, talks of the community's resistance against proposed mining, oil & gas exploration, and mega-expressway. He is an Executive Committee member of the Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC), set up to coordinate the resistance. As one of many young people involved in the movement and in creating alternative livelihood options, he talks of his motivations and passion. Interview by Ashish Kothari on the sidelines of a youth workshop organised by ACC, at Sigidi village, Mpondoland, 15.6.2026.
Lungelo Mtwa Sukude, of Baleni village, in the Amadiba people's region of Mpondoland, South Africa, talks of why as a youth he has come back to his village rather than migrating out to a city. He is a tourist guide, runs an internet cafe in his village, writes, and makes films (currently one on food in his area). He started the Amadiba Community Network to enable access to 'remote' villages. He talks about wanting to do all this not only out of interest, but also to give back to his community, to make products that are meaningful to his people's lives, to change the narrative away from mainstream dominant ones to what is emerging from his own community - 'to tell our stories'. Lungelo is also part of the struggle against mining and other destructive 'development' that are bring proposed here, convinced that "this is the good fight", helping the Amadiba Crisis Committee (leading the struggle) in documentation and media. Interview by Ashish Kothari at Mtatya village, 16.6.2026.
Neliswa Mtukisa, sub-headwoman of Mpindweni village, and Bhekeni Danca, member of the area's Traditional Council, in the Amadiba community of Mpondoland, South Africa. They speak about their roles in governance, dispute resolution, land issues, etc, and why they are opposed to proposed mining in the area. Translation by Sinegugu Zukulu of the NGO Sustaining the Wild Coast. Interview by Ashish Kothari at Mpindweni village, 17.6.2026.
Sinegugu Zukulu, activist, researcher, guide, and founder of Save the Wild Coast, speaks about the ecological and spiritual values of the Amadiba territory in Mpondoland, S. Africa. One of the first petitioners in a historic court case that upheld the right of the Amadiba people to say no to mining, Sinegugu is also a recipient (along with Nonhle Mbuthuma) of the Goldman Prize. He talks of the region being a biodiversity and geological hotspot, a centre of endemism, and of both the land and ocean and their creatures being part of the kinship that the movement (led by the Amadiba Crisis Committee) is struggling to protect. Interview by Ashish Kothari at Mtentu village, 17.6.2026.
"If we protect the land, the land will protect us", says Khumbulani Hlongwe, young farmer of Mtolani village, in the Amadiba territory of Mpondoland, South Africa. Khumbulani grows several crops on his land, and does tour guiding. He asserts that the people have to protect their land against mining, and protect nature, since these provides them with everything they need. Youth must be in the movement, and must cultivate so they can eat fresh everyday. He is a member of the Amadiba Crisis Committee, which leads the community movement against mining, oil & gas exploration, and the current (highly damaging) route of the N2 expressway. Interview by Ashish Kothari in Mtolani village, 17.6.2026.
Nozolile Shude, expert farmer who grows several dozen species and varieties of crops, in Mtolani village of the Amadiba territory of Mpondoland, Eastern Cape, South Africa. As a midwife and healer, Nozolile talks about the importance of food from their own land and the ocean, and of cultural and spiritual relations to these. She talks about how creatures of the sea come to them in dreams and show them where to find useful things, that their ancestors reside in the ocean, and that it has important healing properties. She asserts, as have most people of her community, that proposals for mining and other 'development' projects in the area would be disastrous. "Here, we are free to go where we want; in the city, there is congestion, there are fences and we cannot walk free, here we have a peaceful life and we want to protect it", she says. Even during COVID, when people in cities were suffering, we had no problems. Even if they bring guns, she asserts, we will oppose the projects with our mouths. Interview by Ashish Kothari, with translation by Sinegugu Zulu, at Mtolani village, 17.6.2026.
Ntimba Mtshono, sub-headman of Sibonda part of Mtentu village, Mpondoland, South Africa, talks with passion about why they don't want mining in the area. This is in the context of long-standing proposals by an Australian company to mine coastal red sand for titanium and other minerals, and the community's equally long-standing resistance against it. Interview by Ashish Kothari with translation by Sinegugu Zulu, at Mtentu village, 18.6.2026.
Fundile Madikizela, elder of the Amadiba community in Mpondoland, South Africa, and member of Sivukile Development Committee, talks about why women's voice is important in decision-making, and how it has increased in recent times. He also describes why mining proposals are unwelcome, and how tourism and agriculture are alternatives for youth livelihoods. Interview by Ashish Kothari at Mtentu village, Mpondoland, 18.6.2026
(two interviews taken in 2025):
https://youtu.be/S9VMSh29tvI?si=_mxmhwVfHzscaDTu
https://youtu.be/UTW9emqhEus?si=7IZIVg8zxxAJ2zIq