As Mozambique continues to record a proliferation in large investments in the extractive industries, PSAf has also scaled up its work to ensure that the country’s poor and marginalised citizens also have a say in the extraction of natural resources, especially minerals.

At the beginning of 2011, PSAf embarked on a project to strengthen citizen demand for transparency in policy enforcement as it applies to extractive industries in the wake of problems brought about by mega mining projects springing up all over Mozambique. This pilot project, funded by the Mozambique Civil Society Support Mechanism (MASC) in Maputo, led to increased dialogue between citizens, media, civil society organizations (CSOs) and elected representatives.

A baseline study was carried out under the project to establish the extent of the extraction of various resources including minerals, petroleum products, forests and fisheries. A comprehensive analytical report has provided PSAf a clear picture of at which extent the media is succeeding in holding the governors accountable and also where the media is failing, including an indication of the main constraints to report critically on development issues. The study established that extractive industries have far reaching effects on the poor and vulnerable groups who in most cases have limited understanding of the policies at work.

This in turn resulted in an increase in the use of evidence-based approaches in engaging with government actors and institutions to promote transparent, responsive, accountable and effective development policies in Mozambique, with particular focus on the extractive industries sector. In addition to work done under the project, PSAf is also part of a CSOs network on extractive industries in Mozambique, and the organisation’s role in the network is specifically to incorporate media capacity building issues into the activities.

A number of media outputs have also been produced under the project. There have also been cases where the authorities have taken serious actions based on the articles published by journalists taking part in the project.