The launch of the Just Transition Centre brought together more than 150 participants from surrounding villages, including members of the Mulambwane community – who are directly affected by the proposed Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) – as well as local traditional leadership.
Earthlife Africa Johannesburg continues to highlight practical, community-based energy justice solutions and capacity building that can deliver immediate benefits and strengthen participation in a just transition. In early-May, Earthlife Africa – joined by the traditional leadership of Malale and the Mulambwane community, who are directly affected by the controversial Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) – demonstrated this commitment by opening its second community-based Just Transition Centre in Malale Village, Venda, and handing over solar cookers to 10 families. Local communities are already expressing excitement about the benefits the centre will bring to everyday life.
Coordinator of the Malale Just Transition Centre, Brian Nelugunda says, “The centre is designed as a practical community resource. In addition to information on climate change and the just transition, it will support activities such as a community garden, a recycling station, a study hall and meeting space. Some services are already available, including solar power for phone charging and access to water, which means the centre is already meeting real needs in Malale and nearby villages.”
Senior Programmes Officer at Earthlife Africa, Thabo Sibeko says, “This year’s energy budget continues to prioritise large-scale, centralised investment in carbon-intensive fossil fuels such as gas and coal, as well as dangerous and costly nuclear power. Our work in Limpopo shows that a just transition must also include practical, local solutions that respond to how people actually live. In rural areas, technologies such as solar cookers can reduce household costs, ease pressure on energy-insecure families and provide immediate, tangible benefits.”
Building on the success of its Rivoningo Just Transition Centre in Soweto, which has hosted more than 1,000 community members since opening in August 2025, Sibeko says the Malale Community Just Transition Centre is a vital resource for rural communities facing energy poverty, deep inequality and the growing impacts of climate change. He says the centre will help ensure that rural and energy-insecure communities have access to the information they need to better understand climate change and its effect on daily life. It will also serve as a practical example of what a just transition can look like.
Community members showing off their solar cookers they’ve assembled during the training in the Venda district.
“The Malale centre shows what this can look like in practice – from solar power and solar-based cooking to water access and community learning. It gives people a place to build knowledge, share experience and explore affordable clean energy options that support everyday life and local resilience,” he adds.
A facilitator involved in the Malale Just Transition Centre, Thompo Mudau says, “For us, the centre is also about participation. It creates a space where community members can ask questions, learn about climate change, receive training and take part in decisions about their future. If the transition is managed properly and with communities at the centre, it can open up economic opportunities, create jobs and restore dignity.”
Chairperson of Mulambwane Women, Tshiwela Tshihuwa says, “What matters most to us is that people can already see how these solutions work in daily life. Families are already using the solar cooker and high-pressure cooking system to prepare food and heat water, and that makes renewable energy real and practical rather than something distant or abstract.”
Community responses to the launch of the Just Transition Centre:
Tsumbedzo Nemakhavhani, from the Masisi area, says, “For many rural families, one of the most important changes is having safer alternatives to firewood. Learning how to use solar energy for cooking can reduce risk, protect local natural resources and help households move towards more sustainable ways of meeting everyday needs.”
Tshienda Ritshidze, from Malale, says, “One of the biggest benefits for our community is the learning space the centre will provide. Having a local library and study area will make a real difference for primary and secondary school learners who need a safe place to read, study and access educational resources close to home.”
Community members dancing and celebrating the launch of the Just Transition Center.
Margaret Molea, from Malale, says, “The community garden is especially important because it can support food security, build skills and bring people together around something practical. It gives residents a shared project that can strengthen the community while creating opportunities for learning and support.”
Mufhadi Tshilisanani, from Kombo, says, “What is encouraging is that the centre will not only serve Malale, but neighbouring villages as well. For families in the area, access to a place where children can study after school and community members can charge phones during power cuts will make everyday life easier and more reliable.”
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