Creative Resistance Against Fossil Colonialism

By Trust Chikonzo

HARARE, ZIMBABWE – On 20 August, at Moto Republik, one of Zimbabwe’s leading safe

spaces for youth creativity, 28 young people, including artists, students, and activists, gathered

for the Kick Polluters Out Campaign: Total Smackdown Teach-In.

A teach-in is an innovative form of protest and political education that combines learning,

creativity, and collective action. Unlike a lecture, it is interactive and rooted in grassroots

organising, which helps participants understand the challenges and be involved in the

problem-solving process as well as map a way forward.

This action was part of the Africa Week of Action to Kick Total Out of Africa (18–24 August

2025), a continent-wide mobilisation against TotalEnergies’ fossil fuelled neo-colonialism and

greenwashing, including its controversial sponsorship of AFCON 2025.

Trust Chikodzo, Kick Polliters Out Coordinator for Magamba Network, set the tone in his

opening remarks:

“This is not only an opportunity to learn but also artivise and show solidarity, to unmask

TotalEnergies for what it truly is, a profiteer of Africa’s destruction. We must call for their

expulsion and expropriation from our beloved continent, and shift towards socially owned

renewable energy.”

The teach-in, meticulously organised to follow a public narrative approach, began with a

screening of the “100 Years of Pollution” video , which sparked reflections on how TotalEnergies’

century-long existence has meant devastation rather than development. One participant, a

former City of Harare Junior Councillor, expressed shock, stating, “I didn’t even know what Total

was doing until today. This is eye-opening.

Spoken word artist Star then performed her piece, Total Enemies, moving the room with a call to

resistance. Bhanshee returned later with a second performance, chanting: “We must heal the

world to make it the best place for you, for me, for us.”

A key moment of the day came during a fireside chat which was centered around the question

on whether Africa should use its own natural gas. Chikodzo responded, “Gas is found in fragile

ecosystems like the Northern Mozambique Channel, one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in

the world. Extracting it risks stranded assets, worsens cyclones that even hit Zimbabwe, and

1deepens cycles of debt. Fossil fuels don’t offer us ownership; they siphon resources away and

sell them back to us at a cost we cannot afford.”

One motivating and inspiring development was the recent ruling against Total’s interest in

exploring in Cape Alguhus, which was ruled against after Natural Justice and Green Connection

had taken them to court.

The discussion was deepened by a screening of the Video on LNG (Liquified Natural Gas)

Video, which exposes how African leaders are often misled by fossil fuel companies. As one

young woman noted, “We need to make sure our leaders are truly capacitated. Right now, they

are victims of a much bigger system.”

Campaign Strategist Chloe McGrath gave a practical guide on creative non-violent action,

reminding participants: “Artistic activism is peaceful and persuasive. Creative actions can be

accessible and provide multiple avenues for engagement and fun”

The group turned theory into action in a Do-It-Yourself session, co-creating a chalkboard mural,

painting thrifted t-shirts art spelling out “Kick Total Out Africa,” and protest placards with bold

messages.

The day closed with collective energy, affirming that a new chapter of creative resistance has

been launched, pledging to carry the momentum into the next continental front: the Kick Total

Out of AFCON campaign, aimed at toxifying Total’s sponsorship of Africa’s most beloved

tournament.