Ghanaian lawmaker launches petition against renewal of South African-owned Gold Fields Tarkwa lease

• Davis Opoku has launched a petition urging the Ghanaian government not to renew the Tarkwa mining lease of South African-owned Gold Fields.

• The petition calls for greater Ghanaian ownership, local value addition, and a full review of existing mining agreements.

• The move comes amid growing debate over foreign control of strategic resources and recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa targeting foreign nationals.

The petition, addressed to the Presidency, Parliament, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and other state institutions, argues that Ghana must secure greater long-term value from its mineral resources through increased local ownership and participation in the mining sector.

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According to the petition, although Ghana remains one of Africa’s leading gold producers, many mining communities continue to struggle with underdevelopment, unemployment, and environmental challenges despite decades of mining activity.

“The central issue is not simply whether mining companies pay taxes. The real question is whether Ghana retains enough long-term value from its own mineral resources to build sustainable national prosperity,” the petition stated.

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It further argued that Ghana now possesses the technical expertise and professional capacity needed to manage large-scale mining operations more independently.

“The question before us is therefore no longer about capacity. It is about national vision and political will,” the statement added.

The petition is calling for:

• Suspension of any automatic renewal of Gold Fields’ Tarkwa lease

• A full public and parliamentary review of existing mining agreements

• Greater Ghanaian ownership and participation in strategic mining assets

• Increased focus on industrialisation, local value addition, and sustainable community development

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The petition also pointed to countries such as Botswana as examples of how natural resources can be used to build stronger national economies and long-term prosperity.

“Tarkwa was once proudly known as the State Gold Mine. That history serves as a reminder that Ghana’s mineral resources fundamentally belong to the Ghanaian people,” the petition noted.

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The move comes at a time of heightened public discussion around foreign ownership of strategic national assets, following recent xenophobic attacks and tensions involving African migrants and businesses in South Africa.