Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has said Zimbabwe must stop exporting raw minerals, warning that the current generation risks being remembered with contempt if it fails to industrialise rural communities and retain value from the country’s vast mineral wealth.
Speaking during a familiarisation tour of Sandawana Mine on Wednesday, Chiwenga backed the government’s decision to immediately ban the export of raw lithium and lithium concentrates, bringing forward a prohibition that had originally been planned for 2027.
The mine is owned by the Mutapa Investment Fund (MIF).
Chiwenga said it would be unforgivable for the present generation to squander what he described as Africa’s largest lithium resource without creating lasting wealth that goes beyond today’s leadership.
Standing before a vast open pit at the mine, Chiwenga said:
“It would be foolish to leave no legacy for future generations. They will ask about those pits, and we will tell them it was a lithium mine.
“They will ask what we benefited, and if there is nothing to show, it will be a shame on us.”
He warned that history would judge leaders harshly if they allowed the country’s resources to be exported without any value added. Said Chiwenga:
“If we don’t leave anything for the future generations, they will spit on our graves. Let us leave a legacy that will be respected.”
He criticised Zimbabwe’s experience with raw lithium exports, saying they caused environmental damage and harmed infrastructure without delivering any meaningful national benefits. Said the Vice President:
“We were exporting lithium ore, our roads were getting destroyed by trucks, pollution and everything, but we were getting nothing. When we do mining, we should do value addition for economic growth.”
Chiwenga’s remarks came as Sandawana Mine revealed plans to fast-track a lithium concentrator plant costing up to US$275 million. The facility is expected to process three million tonnes of ore annually, with commissioning scheduled for December 2027.
Government officials say the accelerated ban on raw lithium exports was prompted by widespread abuse of the window period, which had been intended to give companies time to prepare for local beneficiation.
On Tuesday, Mines and Mining Development Minister Polite Kambamura said that some miners had instead rushed to mine and stockpile ore, including illegally transporting it to a neighbouring country for future export.
Related:
No related.