Tarkwa Communities Urge Government to Renew Gold Fields Contract

Four host communities in Tarkwa are urging the government to renew Gold Fields Ghana Limited’s mining contract. This plea centres on the company’s ongoing development projects and its importance for creating jobs for local youth. The communities involved are Abekoase, Tebe, Huniso, and Pepesa.

This appeal emerges as a national debate grows about whether the government should decline the renewal of the South African company’s lease. Some Ghanaians want to see economic retaliation against South African firms. This is due to recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa that targeted foreigners, including Ghanaians.

Leaders from these four communities state that Gold Fields Ghana has delivered visible benefits since it began operations in Tarkwa. They pointed to infrastructure projects, scholarship programmes for students, and employment opportunities as key reasons for supporting a lease renewal. The queen mother of Huniso, Nana Esi Damoah, issued a warning. She said that any attempt by the government to terminate the contract would have serious consequences for the area. She stressed that this could lead to massive unemployment and negatively impact the area's development.

Enwurnee Philip, the Assemblyman for Huniso Electoral Area, acknowledged the public anger over the xenophobic attacks. However, he appealed to the government to keep the lease renewal process separate from that issue. He stated, "Use the lease renewal process as a form of retaliation against South Africans to sustain the youth in the communities under the mining enclave." Mr Philip argued that penalizing Gold Fields Ghana would harm local workers and their families more than it would affect South Africa.

Gold Fields Ghana Limited operates the Tarkwa mine. This mine is one of Ghana’s largest gold-producing assets. The mine directly employs thousands of people. It also supports many more jobs indirectly. It also boosts local businesses through its operations. The debate over the lease renewal intensified after the recent xenophobic violence in South Africa. The government has not yet made a decision on the contract renewal.

The Minerals Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources will review the company's performance. This will include its compliance with regulations, its local content efforts, and its commitments to community development. Community leaders intend to continue discussions with Members of Parliament and traditional authorities. They aim to advocate for the contract's renewal. They are also calling for town hall meetings. This is to ensure residents' voices are heard in the final decision-making process. For now, the priority for residents in Abekoase, Tebe, Huniso, and Pepesa is to protect their jobs. They also want to maintain the development projects that rely on Gold Fields’ continued operations.