Zimbabwe has reiterated its commitment to banning the export of unprocessed minerals as government and lawmakers intensify pressure to ensure the country fully benefits from its vast mineral resources through value addition and beneficiation.
The renewed policy push comes amid growing concern in Parliament that Zimbabwe continues exporting raw minerals such as chrome, lithium, platinum and iron ore, while missing out on billions of dollars in industrial value, jobs and technology creation.
During a recent question-and-answer session in the National Assembly of Zimbabwe, lawmakers challenged the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development over the continued export of unprocessed minerals to countries including South Africa and China.
Rushinga MP Tendai Nyabani questioned why Zimbabwe continues to “export jobs” instead of processing minerals locally.
“Our minerals are being taken out of the country and we are not seeing any work being done to ensure that these are mined and processed locally,” he said.
Responding, Deputy Mines Minister Caleb Makwiranzou said government had already begun restricting raw mineral exports, particularly lithium concentrates, which are now required to be processed into lithium sulphate before export.
“We now expect lithium to be exported as lithium sulphate because that is a more processed product used in battery manufacturing,” he said.
Makwiranzou warned that exporting raw minerals denies the country jobs and industrial growth, adding that further processing would help stimulate domestic employment.
“If there is further processing in Zimbabwe, we will be creating our own jobs in the country,” he said.
However, MPs pressed for clear timelines, arguing that policy statements must be matched with implementation as raw mineral exports continue.
Mines Minister Winston Chitando said beneficiation was a gradual process but insisted government policy remained firm that no mineral should leave the country unprocessed.
“This is not an event, but a process,” he said.
He cited ongoing investment such as the Dinson Iron and Steel Company project in Chivhu, where iron ore is being processed into steel as part of broader industrialisation efforts.
Kambamura also said several investors had shown interest in establishing chrome smelting facilities in Zimbabwe, aimed at producing ferrochrome and other alloys locally.
The debate also highlighted Zimbabwe’s ambitions to position itself within global supply chains for electric vehicle and renewable energy minerals.
Lawmakers argued that the country risks remaining a raw materials exporter unless stronger enforcement and industrial investment follow policy announcements.
Zimbabwe holds significant global reserves of lithium, chrome and platinum, minerals increasingly central to the global clean energy transition, but analysts warn that limited downstream processing continues to cost the economy billions in lost value.
Source – newsday
