The mining sector is a critical economic pillar, yet faces persistent challenges in skills shortages, labour relations, and local content development. Effective human resource management (HRM) is essential for aligning workforce capabilities with strategic national objectives and sectoral competitiveness. This policy analysis evaluates the strategic alignment and governance of HRM practices within the sector. It aims to assess the coherence between national policy frameworks and corporate-level HRM implementation, identifying key enablers and constraints. The study employs a qualitative document analysis of extant policy documents, legislative frameworks, and published corporate sustainability reports. This is synthesised with a thematic analysis of stakeholder interviews to triangulate policy-practice gaps. A significant misalignment was identified between national localisation policies and on-the-ground talent management. Notably, a predominant theme was the continued reliance on expatriate skills for technical roles, with over 60% of senior technical positions still held by non-citizens, undermining skills transfer objectives. Current HRM governance structures lack the integrated monitoring and incentive mechanisms required to ensure corporate practices advance national human capital development goals, creating a strategic vulnerability for long-term sectoral sustainability. Policymakers should mandate and standardised detailed skills transfer audits within mining licences. Furthermore, a tripartite council should be established to oversee the implementation of localisation targets with transparent reporting. human resource management, policy analysis, strategic alignment, governance, localisation, mining, skills development This analysis provides a novel framework for evaluating HRM policy-practice coherence in resource-dependent economies, demonstrating how disaggregated governance leads to suboptimal strategic outcomes.