Chiwenga bans lithium exports, miners scramble

Zimbabwe will stop allowing companies to ship unprocessed lithium out of the country, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga announced during a visit to Kamativi Mining Company in Matabeleland North. Mining firms must build facilities for local processing and manufacturing by January, he said. The policy aims to transform the nation from a supplier of raw materials into a producer of finished goods such as electric vehicle components and mobile phone parts.

Chiwenga praised efforts to revive previously closed mining operations but stressed the government will no longer permit simple extraction and export of resources. Cabinet officials have already approved the shift toward greater industrial development, he said. The vice president linked the directive to Zimbabwe's participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area and its goal of becoming a regional economic leader.

All lithium operations must start creating final products rather than sending spodumene ore overseas for refinement, Chiwenga said. The change is expected to generate additional jobs and allow the country to capture more value from its mineral wealth. He described a vision where goods carry labels identifying them as manufactured within Zimbabwe and the broader region.