Published: 1 hour ago

Zimbabwe is losing millions of dollars through the illicit export of raw lithium, despite a government ban introduced in 2022 to force miners to process the mineral locally. The ban, first imposed under Statutory Instrument 213 of 2022 and extended to all other base minerals in 2023, was meant to boost earnings by keeping value-addition within the country.

However, a recent Global Press Journal investigation, backed by research from the Africa Policy Research Institute, reveals that miners have continued to smuggle raw lithium by falsifying export declarations at the country's borders. Cabinet extended restrictions in June this year, announcing that even lithium concentrates will not be allowed for export from 2027, but critics say these measures fall short as smugglers remain largely unchecked.

Analysts point to collusion between miners-most of them Chinese, who dominate about 90 percent of Zimbabwe's lithium sector-transporters, freight agents and poorly paid customs officers. Officials at border posts often accept bribes to wave through shipments, largely destined for China, in return for looking the other way. With most civil servants earning barely US$300 a month, enforcement has proved weak.

Lithium is a critical resource in the global shift to green energy, powering batteries for electric vehicles and solar systems. For Zimbabwe, home to some of the world's richest deposits, effective management of this resource could transform the economy. But as long as smugglers continue exploiting porous borders and lax penalties, the country risks losing out on billions in potential revenue.

Calls are growing for stronger action, including deterrent jail terms for smugglers, withdrawal of mining licences for offenders, modernisation of border infrastructure, and better pay for customs staff. Without decisive enforcement, critics warn, Zimbabwe's much-touted "zero tolerance to corruption" slogan will remain empty rhetoric while its lithium wealth slips away.
- BD

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