Makoma Lekalakala

Environmental activist leading community resistance against nuclear power projects in Southern Africa

Makoma Lekalakala (born 1970) is a South African environmental lawyer and co-founder of Earthlife Africa, a NGO that successfully halted nuclear deals threatening African ecosystems. Her campaigns exposed radioactive threats from Russian nuclear projects in Namibia and South Africa, preventing dangerous waste dumping. In 2017, her coalition secured a court ruling against the $52 billion nuclear deal with Russia, protecting taxpayers and ecosystems.

Lekalakala's work since 2014 has focused on empowering communities affected by extractive industries. She pioneered participatory legal strategies that gave rural populations a voice in energy decisions. Her 2018 report Nuclear Roulette revealed corruption in nuclear procurement, leading to criminal investigations. She was arrested during a 2019 protest but later acquitted, becoming a symbol of environmental justice.

Her advocacy connects climate action with social justice, showing how nuclear projects disproportionately harm marginalized groups. Lekalakala has advised the UN Environment Programme and was featured in the documentary 《Power Plays》. Follow her work on Earthlife Africa's website.