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Chamber of Mines Mobilises Members for Strategic Gains at Mining Indaba

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Chamber of Mines Mobilises Members for Strategic Gains at Mining Indaba

The Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (CoMZ) is orchestrating a coordinated push for the country’s mining houses at the upcoming Investing in Africa Mining Indaba in Cape Town, with a focus on connecting members with critical opportunities in investment, technology, and markets, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Kelvin Sungiso

In an exclusive interview, Chamber Vice President Munashe Shava outlined the organisation’s strategic role in representing the diverse interests of its constituents at the global forum.

“The Chamber of Mines is mandated to represent the interests of our constituents, which are the various mining houses,” Shava stated. “As such, we have various mines with different expectations from the Mining Indaba. Some are looking for investors, while others are looking for markets.”

To address this spectrum of needs, the Chamber will ensure active participation across the conference’s many platforms.

“We are going to be participating in the various forums where all these issues are going to be discussed,” Shava confirmed.

A key area of focus will be technological advancement. Shava highlighted the intent to seek out innovations that drive operational efficiency, a crucial factor in improving competitiveness and margins.

“We have issues around technology to improve efficiencies,” he said. “What is it that our constituents can benefit from the suppliers and solution providers that are going to be participating in the Mining Indaba?”

With the event serving as a premier global gathering, the Chamber is positioning it as an unmissable opportunity for local miners. Shava issued a direct call to members, emphasising the concentrated access to world-class expertise and capital.

“We are encouraging all our constituents and members to be part of this grand opportunity where the world meets the best of the best in terms of solution provision, funding, and more,” he urged.

This organised approach underscores the mining sector’s strategy to leverage international partnerships and cutting-edge solutions. By facilitating these connections, the Chamber aims to help Zimbabwean mining houses not only secure vital resources but also enhance their operational capabilities, directly contributing to the sector’s growth and its pivotal role in the national economy under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).

The Chamber of Mines will be hosting its annual Mining Conference from the 26th to the 29th of May 2026.

Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 6 February 2026

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Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 6 February 2026

Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 6 February 2026, from the official gold buyer and exporter Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR).

1 oz = 31.1035 g

CategoryPrice ($/g)Price ($/oz)
SG 90% and above144.984,509.89
SG 85% and above but below 90%143.454,462.30
SG 80% and above but below 85%141.914,414.34
SG 75% and above but below 80%140.384,366.78
Sample 5g and above but below 10g138.084,295.26
Fire Assay CASH145.754,533.84

 

Note: The Fire Assay cash price applies to gold above 100g, with no sample deduction.

A sample of not more than 10g is deducted for the Fire Assay Transfer price.

Unki Production Declines 9 Percent in Q4 2025 Amid Grade and Plant Challenges

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Unki Production Declines 9 Percent in Q4 2025 Amid Grade and Plant Challenges

Valterra Platinum-owned Unki Mine in Shurugwi has reported a 9 per cent year-on-year decline in platinum group metals (PGM) production for the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2025, according to the company’s latest operational update, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

The mine produced 54,700 PGM ounces in Q4 2025, down from approximately 60,300 ounces in the same quarter last year (Q4 2024). The decline was driven by the continued mining of lower-grade ore blocks and disruptions to concentrator throughput resulting from power and plant instabilities.

This result also marks a significant quarter-on-quarter drop from the 60,300 ounces produced in Q3 2025, representing a 9 per cent sequential decrease.

A detailed breakdown of the production highlights consistent declines across the key metals, in line with the lower overall output and head grade:

  • Platinum (Pt): Estimated to have decreased significantly, likely in line with the overall 9 per cent drop.
  • Palladium (Pd): Also estimated to have seen a substantial decline.
  • Rhodium (Rh) and other PGMs: Production expected to have fallen proportionally.

The reported issues represent a combination of persistent geological factors and acute operational interruptions. The mining of lower-grade ore blocks is a planned, cyclical challenge the operation has navigated before. However, the mention of “concentrator throughput disruptions resulting from power and plant instabilities” points to additional external and internal pressures impacting recovery and output.

This quarter’s performance is a notable reversal from the relative stability reported in Q4 2024, when production saw only a marginal 2 per cent decline. The 9 per cent year-on-year drop is the most significant quarterly decrease reported since a 7 per cent fall in Q2 2024, which was also attributed to lower-grade mining.

The production dip at Unki occurs against a complex global PGM market backdrop. While the automotive sector’s long-term transition to electric vehicles continues to weigh on demand forecasts for palladium and platinum in autocatalysts, prices have shown volatility. Palladium has fallen sharply from its peaks, while platinum has sought a new equilibrium, finding some support in industrial and hydrogen economy applications. Rhodium prices remain under pressure following significant corrections from historic highs. This environment of subdued prices intensifies the focus on operational efficiency and cost control for producers worldwide, making throughput disruptions and lower grades particularly impactful on mine economics.

The update is among the first quarterly operational reports from Unki since its ownership transition from Anglo American Platinum to Valterra Platinum. It underscores the ongoing technical and infrastructural challenges facing mining operations in Zimbabwe, with power reliability remaining a key operational risk.

As a cornerstone asset for Valterra and a major contributor to Zimbabwe’s foreign exchange earnings, Unki’s ability to manage grade variability and stabilise plant operations will be critical to its performance in the coming year. The mine’s resilience is being tested amid a continued weak global PGM pricing environment, which continues to pressure margins across the industry.

U.S.-Africa Trade Commission Appoints Dru Kucherera as Mines Director, Eyes Strategic 2030 Goals

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U.S.-Africa Trade Commission Appoints Dru Kucherera as Mines Director, Eyes Strategic 2030 Goals

In a strategic move to deepen economic ties within the mining sector, the U.S.-Africa Trade Commission has announced the appointment of Dru Edmund Kucherera as its new Mines Director. The appointment, effective immediately, tasks the Zimbabwe-based executive with spearheading efforts to boost mining trade and investment between the United States and African nations, with a clear mandate aligned with the continent’s long-term development blueprint.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

According to an official appointment letter dated 14 January 2026 and signed by Regional Director Pauline Chiripanyanga and Global Chairman Dr. Davison Todson Gomo, Kucherera will lead the development and implementation of trade strategies specifically for the African mining sector. His core responsibilities will include facilitating trade missions, providing market insights on African mining opportunities, and collaborating with stakeholders to address trade barriers.

The appointment is seen as a significant step in bridging the gap between African mineral potential and global investment, particularly from the United States. Kucherera will serve a two-year term, reporting directly to the office of the Commission’s Executive Director.

A Vision Aligned with Continental Ambitions

Central to Kucherera’s new role will be advancing the objectives of the Africa Mining Vision (AMV), a continent-wide policy framework adopted by the African Union in 2009. The AMV advocates for transparent, equitable, and optimal exploitation of mineral resources to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development.

In accepting the position, Kucherera linked his mission directly to this framework and the pivotal timeline leading to 2030. “My focus is unequivocally on facilitating partnerships that translate Africa’s vast mineral endowment into tangible, shared prosperity for its people, in line with the Africa Mining Vision,” Kucherera stated. “The pathway to 2030 is critical. It is about moving beyond raw exports to building integrated mineral value chains, fostering beneficiation, and ensuring that mining catalyses industrialisation and creates lasting value within our communities.”

Strategic Role in a Critical Sector

The creation of this dedicated directorate underscores the increasing strategic importance of the mining sector in U.S.-Africa trade relations. Africa possesses over 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, including critical minerals essential for the global energy transition, such as cobalt, platinum, lithium, and copper.

Kucherera’s mandate will involve working closely with both African governments and private sector players to develop projects that are attractive to U.S. investors and technology partners. This includes promoting sustainable and responsible mining practices, which are increasingly prioritised by international markets and financiers.

“The Commission is confident that Mr Kucherera’s expertise and leadership will be instrumental in unlocking new opportunities and building stronger, more resilient mining economies across Africa,” the appointment letter noted.

Implications for Zimbabwe and the Region

For Zimbabwe, which holds the world’s third-largest platinum reserves and is seeking to revitalise its mining industry, having a national appointed to such an influential pan-African trade role is notable. It positions the country as a potential hub for facilitating broader regional mining investment and dialogue.

Kucherera’s work is expected to extend beyond bilateral deals, aiming to strengthen continental supply chains and enhance Africa’s position in the global mining landscape. The coming years, leading to the 2030 milestone, will be a telling period for the implementation of the Africa Mining Vision, with trade and investment facilitation being a key lever for its success.

The U.S.-Africa Trade Commission’s initiative signals a structured approach to harnessing this potential, with the new Mines Director at the forefront of this endeavour.

Kuvimba Era Ends as Mutapa Investment Fund Unveils Radical Restructuring into Specialised Commodity Verticals

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Kuvimba Era Ends as Mutapa Investment Fund Unveils Radical Restructuring into Specialised Commodity Verticals

In a landmark announcement that signals the most significant strategic shift in Zimbabwe’s state-linked investment landscape in a decade, the Mutapa Investment Fund (MIF) has decisively dissolved its legacy mineral resources holding structure, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

The Fund is ushering in a new era of focused management by organising its vast mining portfolio into five distinct, commodity-specific clusters, marking the effective end of the broad conglomerate model previously epitomised by entities like Kuvimba Mining House.

The announcement, delivered by Simbarashe Chinyemba, MIF’s Chief Investment Officer, at a press conference in Harare, frames the move as a critical step to unlock value, sharpen operational focus, and align with global best practices.

The restructuring dismantles what Chinyemba described as a “spiderweb of various entities” in favour of a streamlined, vertical architecture.

Gone is the old model where mining assets were held through a complex network under the MIF umbrella, including the mining house Defold Mine and other minority holdings. This structure, the CIO argued, led to inefficiencies and a “conglomerate discount,” where diversified holdings obscure value and dilute management focus.

In its place, MIF is establishing five dedicated verticals:

  1. Mutapa Gold Resources
  2. Mutapa Base Metals
  3. Mutapa Energy Minerals
  4. Mutapa Platinum Group
  5. Mutapa Frontier (dedicated to rare earth elements and other strategic minerals)

“This is neither unique nor experimental,” Chinyemba stated. “It simply reflects how the world’s leading mining houses organise themselves to be effective, accountable, and aligned with long-term shareholder outcomes.” He cited global giants like Rio Tinto, Vale, and BHP as precedents for this commodity-centric approach.

New Leadership for a New Structure

In a clear signal of operational intent, MIF has appointed seasoned executives to lead each vertical, moving away from a centralised holding company leadership. The newly announced CEOs, who joined Chinyemba at the announcement, are:

  • Trevor Barnard – CEO, Mutapa Gold Resources
  • Godwin Gambiza – CEO, Mutapa Base Metals
  • Innocent Rukweza – CEO, Mutapa Energy Minerals
  • Munashe Shava – CEO, Mutapa Platinum Group

The leadership for Mutapa Frontier is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. These appointments place direct accountability and technical expertise at the helm of each commodity stream, with a mandate for faster, more informed decision-making responsive to unique market cycles.

While the announcement provided the high-level framework, it implicitly confirms the dissolution of standalone operating companies that fell under the old MIF/Kuvimba umbrella.

Chinyemba positioned this restructuring as the foundational pillar of MIF’s 2026 FIRE strategy—an acronym for Fix, Revive, Strengthen, and Extract value. The new model is designed to:

  • Fix operational inefficiencies by removing administrative layers.
  • Revive and sharpen the strategic focus on each commodity’s fundamentals.
  • Strengthen capital allocation by tailoring investment to the specific needs and cycles of gold, platinum, or lithium, for instance.
  • Extract maximum value by identifying “crown jewel” assets within each vertical for scaling, while isolating underperforming or high-risk segments.

“The technical and economic drivers of gold mining differ vastly from those of lithium or coal,” Chinyemba emphasised. “This new structure allows us to calibrate capital allocation and technical oversight to the specific cycles of each commodity.”

Implications and the Road Ahead

This radical overhaul represents a bold bet on specialisation over diversification. By flattening the hierarchy, MIF aims to enhance agility in a “volatile global market,” where clarity of purpose is deemed its “most important tool.” The move is also seen as an effort to make the Fund’s holdings more transparent and legible to international investors and partners, potentially unlocking new capital.

The process remains subject to regulatory approvals. However, the definitive tone of the announcement suggests the blueprint is set. The dissolution of the old Kuvimba-era holding structure marks the closing of one chapter and the aggressive opening of another, where Mutapa’s mining portfolio is reimagined not as a web of interests but as a collection of focused, world-class commodity businesses tasked with being a “resilient and efficient engine for Zimbabwe’s economic development.”

The success of this ambitious restructuring will now hinge on the execution capabilities of the newly appointed vertical CEOs and their teams, as they begin the complex task of operationalising this new strategy across Zimbabwe’s mining sector.

Zimplats Ruling Reinforces Legal Certainty as Mining Sector Tax Disputes with ZIMRA Persist

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Zimplats Ruling Reinforces Legal Certainty as Mining Sector Tax Disputes with ZIMRA Persist

A recent High Court ruling in favour of Zimbabwe Platinum Mines (Zimplats) has reinforced the role of Zimbabwe’s courts in defining the limits of mining taxation, even as disputes between miners and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) continue to surface across the sector, Mining Zimbabwe reports.

By Ryan Chigoche

This follows a recent High Court ruling that the country’s number one platinum group metals (PGM) producer, Zimplats, is not liable for US$7.1 million in mining royalties on matte and concentrate exported between June 2018 and December 2021.

At the centre of the dispute was whether the Finance Act, as it stood before amendments that took effect on January 1, 2022, allowed ZIMRA to levy royalties on intermediate or mineral-bearing products.

The High Court found that royalty rates during that period applied only to “minerals,” not to matte or concentrate. With no legally fixed rate, no lawful obligation could arise. ZIMRA’s assessed shortfalls and penalties were effectively set aside.

The ruling goes beyond immediate financial relief. By applying the law strictly as it stood, the court reaffirmed a core principle: taxes and royalties must be grounded in clear statutory authority.

This mirrors earlier decisions, such as the Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of ZIMASCO, which blocked a US$7 million ZIMRA claim on chrome concentrates and ferrochrome produced before 2022. The court held that mineral-bearing products without prescribed rates cannot attract royalties.

Taken together, these rulings have boosted investor confidence. They show that Zimbabwe’s courts can resolve complex fiscal disputes predictably. In a sector long challenged by policy uncertainty, the judgments signal that legal clarity can exist alongside administrative oversight.

Yet, outcomes are not uniform. Afrochine Smelting, another ferrochrome producer, lost a High Court challenge after ZIMRA’s assessment was upheld. These contrasting results highlight that product classification and transaction specifics remain crucial.

Even with court clarity on historical royalties, taxation challenges persist. Industry bodies warn that uncertainty remains, especially in platinum group metals (PGMs) and lithium.

The Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe reports that PGM producers face ongoing export tax demands on concentrates and matte.

This comes despite an agreed phased beneficiation roadmap. Investments in domestic smelting have created excess capacity, allowing toll treatment of third-party material from mid-2025.

All PGM concentrates are expected to be processed locally by 2026.

Lithium producers are also raising concerns.

They say ZIMRA is levying royalties based on lithium carbonate prices while collecting beneficiation tax on concentrates.

Since VAT already recognises that spodumene, petalite, and lepidolite are exported, the dual tax amounts to double taxation.

Producers are calling for royalties to be based on actual concentrates or for the beneficiation tax to be removed when lithium carbonate pricing is applied.

Viewed together, the Zimplats ruling, earlier court decisions, and ongoing industry submissions reveal a structural challenge.

While courts have curbed retrospective claims, disputes over export taxes, beneficiation levies, and royalty valuation persist.

Without a clarified and consistently applied fiscal framework, friction between miners and ZIMRA is likely to continue.

For a sector expected to anchor Zimbabwe’s long-term economic growth, the message is clear: predictable taxation and legal certainty are now as critical to investment as the country’s mineral endowment itself.

Premier Dilution Continues as Canmax Converts Interest Into Shares

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Premier Dilution Continues as Canmax Converts Interest Into Shares

Premier African Minerals Limited has issued a further 591 million new shares after its strategic partner, Canmax Technologies Co., Ltd, elected to convert accrued interest into equity under the Zulu Lithium and Tantalum Project offtake and prepayment arrangements, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

The conversion, announced this week, relates to £177,329 (approximately US$242,949) in accrued interest owed to Canmax under the Restated and Amended Offtake and Prepayment Agreement. The amount has been settled through the issuance of new ordinary shares at an issue price of 0.03 pence per share, consistent with Premier’s most recent fundraising.

The interest conversion forms part of the addendum to the offtake and prepayment agreement announced in December 2024, which allows Canmax to convert outstanding interest into equity rather than receive cash repayment. Premier stated that the newly issued shares will rank pari passu with existing ordinary shares and are expected to be admitted to trading on AIM around 11 February 2026. Following the issuance, Premier’s total number of ordinary shares in issue has risen to approximately 13.9 billion, continuing a sharp expansion of the company’s share capital over the past two years.

The Canmax arrangement dates back to August 2023, when Premier secured a prepayment facility linked to a long-term offtake agreement for spodumene concentrate from the Zulu Lithium Project. The facility was intended to accelerate Zulu’s transition into production. However, ongoing operational challenges at the processing plant, including lower-than-expected recoveries and repeated optimisation efforts, have delayed meaningful cash flow from Zulu. As a result, Premier has increasingly relied on equity-based solutions to manage liabilities tied to the project.

Since late 2024, Premier has repeatedly amended the Canmax agreement to extend long-stop dates, allowed accrued interest to capitalise rather than be settled in cash, raised equity at progressively lower issue prices, and used shares to settle suppliers, contractors, and former directors. The interest conversion announced this week follows a £1 million equity raise in January 2026, also priced at 0.03 pence per share, which itself involved the issuance of more than 3.8 billion new shares.

Premier’s issued share capital has expanded rapidly as funding pressures persist. At the time of the original Canmax agreement in 2023, the company had a substantially smaller share base. Today, with nearly 14 billion shares in issue, each new equity settlement further dilutes existing shareholders. While Premier has consistently described these arrangements as necessary to preserve cash and maintain operational continuity at Zulu, the cumulative impact has been a material reduction in shareholder value on a per-share basis.

For Canmax, the conversion of interest into equity strengthens its position within Premier while avoiding near-term repayment risk. For Premier, the move reduces immediate cash obligations but reinforces the company’s dependence on equity issuance to manage project financing. The company maintains that Zulu’s fundamentals remain intact and that recent funding will support the installation of a new flotation plant aimed at improving recoveries and throughput. Whether this translates into sustained production—and a shift away from dilution-driven funding—remains a key question for investors.

Premier has not indicated that the Canmax conversion is the final equity settlement under the agreement. With long-stop dates extended into mid-2026 and interest continuing to accrue, further conversions remain a possibility if operational cash flow does not materialise. For shareholders, the latest announcement serves as another reminder that Zulu’s development has come at a high equity cost—and that execution at the project level will be critical in determining whether dilution slows or continues.

Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 5 February 2026

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Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 5 February 2026

Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 5 February 2026, from the official gold buyer and exporter Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR).

1 oz = 31.1035 g

CategoryPrice ($/g)Price ($/oz)
SG 90% and above149.014,634.73
SG 85% and above but below 90%147.444,585.90
SG 80% and above but below 85%145.864,536.76
SG 75% and above but below 80%144.284,487.61
Sample 5g and above but below 10g141.924,414.21
Fire Assay CASH149.804,659.30

 

Note: The Fire Assay cash price applies to gold above 100g, with no sample deduction.

A sample of not more than 10g is deducted for the Fire Assay Transfer price.

Karo Platinum to Build First-of-Its-Kind TSF with Advanced Safety in Zimbabwe’s PGM Sector

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Karo Platinum to Build First-of-Its-Kind TSF with Advanced Safety in Zimbabwe’s PGM Sector

Karo Platinum, Zimbabwe’s most promising platinum group metals (PGM) Tier 1 asset, is set to construct a tailings storage facility (TSF) that will feature advanced safety and stability measures as the company leverages its open-pit mining operations, Mining Zimbabwe reports.

By Kelvin Sungiso

A tailings storage facility is a critical component of modern mining operations, providing a controlled and secure system for storing waste material generated during mineral processing.

When properly designed and managed, a TSF reduces the risk of dam failures, water contamination, and dust emissions, while protecting workers, surrounding communities, and the environment.

It also plays a central role in regulatory compliance, operational continuity, and responsible mine closure.

At Karo Platinum, the TSF has been designed to leverage the project’s open-pit mining model, which generates significant volumes of waste rock.

The facility will be located approximately one kilometre from the main project site and will use waste rock from mining operations as a core structural component.

In an interview with Mining Zimbabwe, Karo Platinum Plant Manager Qhubekani Moyo said the TSF will have a high safety factor, something that is yet to be seen in the sector.

“We are building a tailings dam that is a first of its kind in the PGM sector in Zimbabwe. We’re taking advantage of the fact that we’re doing opencast mining and we’re generating a lot of waste rock from the opencast mining.

“The advantage of that tailings dam is that the safety factor on that tailings dam is very high. None of the tailings dam failures that have been recorded in the world so far involve that kind of tailings dam design,” Moyo said.

Unlocking the full potential of Karo Platinum will require a US$543 million investment to move the Tier 1 PGM asset into production, with the TSF expected to consume a significant portion of this capital.

The high capital expenditure is largely driven by the distance required to transport waste rock from the open-pit mine to the tailings dam site.

TSF to Combine Structural Stability with Operational Efficiency

The tailings storage facility will be constructed as a waste-banded tailings dam with an operational life of ten years. Development will be carried out in three distinct phases, referred to as raises, progressing from raise one to raise three over the life of the facility.

While the initial capital outlay is substantial, operating costs are expected to be significantly lower than those of conventional self-raised tailings dams.

Once the bund walls are in place, waste rock will be directly deposited into the facility, reducing ongoing operational costs by limiting the number of operators required and minimising construction material inputs.

The construction timeline for the TSF has been aligned with the commissioning of the processing plant. Raise one is scheduled for completion by the time the plant is commissioned.

Raise two will follow in the second year of operation, while raise three will be constructed in year three.

From that point, raise three will provide sufficient capacity to support operations for the remainder of the TSF’s ten-year lifespan.

Tharisa’s Karo Platinum Project, expected to commence production by 2027, is poised to secure the future of Zimbabwe’s platinum group metals (PGM) production amid growing calls for succession planning in the sector.

The project’s first phase is projected to produce 226,000 (6E) ounces annually, boosting national PGM output by 20 per cent and contributing nearly 2 per cent to Zimbabwe’s GDP, underscoring its strategic importance to the country.

Situated on the Great Dyke near Mhondoro-Ngezi in Mashonaland West, Karo Platinum is emerging as the most advanced new platinum development in the country.

Designed at scale and backed by significant capital investment, the project is increasingly seen as the natural successor required to ensure continuity in Zimbabwe’s platinum sector.

“We Please Ourselves”: Mnangagwa Stakes Zimbabwe’s Claim Between East and West

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“We Please Ourselves”: Mnangagwa Stakes Zimbabwe’s Claim Between East and West

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended Zimbabwe’s pragmatic foreign policy, saying the country will engage with global partners based solely on what best serves its national interests, rather than aligning with Western powers or the East.

By Ryan Chigoche

The remarks come as Zimbabwe deepens economic ties with a range of partners, including China, Russia, and Middle Eastern investors, while simultaneously calling for the normalisation of relations with Western countries amid ongoing sanctions-related constraints.

Like other African mining hubs, Zimbabwe has seen a surge of Chinese investment driven by the lithium boom and the green energy transition.

According to the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA), in 2024, Chinese firms secured 441 licences with projected inflows of over US$2.7 billion—more than 60 per cent of all foreign approvals—while U.S. investors accounted for just US$182 million, highlighting how China’s footprint now dwarfs that of the U.S., especially in mining.

This stark contrast in foreign investment flows set the context for questions at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, where Mnangagwa was asked whether Zimbabwe and other African countries were receiving better deals from Chinese investment compared to their historical engagement with Western nations.

In response, he rejected the framing of global engagement as a choice between competing power blocs, instead emphasising sovereignty and results-driven partnerships.

“You have to understand that Zimbabwe is a sovereign state,” Mnangagwa said. “We move on the basis that gives us the best results from our resources. Whether it is in relation with the West or the East, what is primarily important is what we ourselves, as an organisation, are satisfied with.”

He added that Zimbabwe’s policy is guided by self-interest rather than external approval. “We don’t need to please the West or please the East. We please ourselves,” he said.

The growing presence of Chinese firms in Zimbabwe reflects a broader African trend, particularly in critical minerals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, and rare earth elements.

Over the past two decades, China has moved deliberately to secure supply chains that support battery manufacturing, electric vehicles, and renewable energy technologies, establishing a strong footprint in mining, infrastructure, and energy.

By comparison, the United States and its allies are only recently ramping up engagement through new financing tools and partnerships, while Western governments have generally taken a more cautious approach, citing governance and human rights concerns.

Mnangagwa’s comments reflect Harare’s broader foreign policy doctrine of “friend to all, enemy to none,” which prioritises economic development, resource beneficiation, and investment inflows over geopolitical alignment.

As competition for Africa’s resources intensifies, Zimbabwe is positioning itself as an assertive actor, negotiating on its own terms and leveraging its mineral wealth and strategic location to secure partnerships that deliver tangible national benefits.

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