Mining ZimbabweLatest Mining News, Policy and Industry Updates

In a move to protect Zimbabwe’s endangered water bodies, Cabinet has received and approved a progress report on the nationwide ban on alluvial mining, signalling a shift from enforcement to active rehabilitation, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Briefing the media on Tuesday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Honourable Zhemu Soda, announced that while the ban is holding, the Government is now laser-focused on restoring degraded river ecosystems and has approved a new legislative framework to accelerate the process.

Presenting the report on behalf of the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Honourable Anxious Masuka, Minister Soda revealed that the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Ban on Alluvial Mining has successfully implemented a “Whole-of-Government” compliance system. This strategy has ensured sustained enforcement of Statutory Instrument 188 of 2024, which imposed a total ban on riverbed mining.

“Reports indicate that in all the alluvial mining-prone provinces, active mechanised alluvial mining has largely been halted,” Minister Soda stated. He noted that sustained efforts are currently underway to eliminate the lingering threat of local illegal miners who continue to invade previously mined areas, with crack teams deployed to combat the destruction of riverine ecosystems.

Introducing the ‘Polluter Pays’ Principle

With active mining significantly curtailed, the Government is pivoting to environmental clean-up. Cabinet has approved the strengthening of the legislative framework to accelerate the river rehabilitation process. A key component of this new phase is the invocation of the “Polluter Pays Principle,” which holds perpetrators financially accountable for the damage they have caused.

“Since alluvial mining has largely ceased, attention has now shifted to the rehabilitation of degraded sites, with liability for the rehabilitation being borne by the perpetrators,” Minister Soda explained. The Government is expediting legislative reforms to ensure environmental justice and accountability, ensuring that those who destroyed the rivers are responsible for fixing them.

Provincial Focus and Ongoing Enforcement

The updated report provided a provincial breakdown of the damage and the work ahead. According to briefings from previous Cabinet updates, provinces like Matabeleland North and Masvingo have experienced some of the most severe river siltation, which has contributed to a national water crisis. While active mining has stopped in most areas, the rehabilitation efforts will be concentrated where degradation is most acute.

The Government has maintained a tough stance on violators. Earlier enforcement efforts following the ban in August 2024 led to over 300 arrests across the country, with offenders facing penalties of up to 12 months’ imprisonment and fines of no less than US$5,000. Minister Soda reaffirmed that monitoring and evaluation mechanisms remain heightened to prevent any resurgence of these destructive activities.

While the Cabinet has approved a Government-led rehabilitation framework, efforts to heal the land are also taking root at the community level. In Gwanda District, for example, initiatives supported by the Dabane Trust and international partners like LIMCOM and UNDP are seeing local communities build erosion control barriers and plant trees to reclaim degraded land in the Limpopo Basin. These grassroots efforts are seen as complementary models for sustainable land management.

As the new “Polluter Pays” legislative framework is developed, stakeholders are calling for open and competitive procurement to ensure the credibility and success of the national river restoration programme.

Cabinet remains committed to protecting Zimbabwe’s natural heritage, with Minister Soda emphasising that this clampdown and the subsequent rehabilitation mark a decisive step towards environmental accountability and sustainable development.

Gold climbed to a one-month high on Monday as escalating conflict between the United States and Iran triggered a fresh wave of safe-haven buying, reinforcing bullish forecasts from major banks that see the metal heading toward record territory, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

Spot gold surged as much as 2.9% to trade above US$5,400 an ounce, its strongest level since the late-January sell-off, before trimming gains as US markets opened.

The rally builds on a year in which bullion has already advanced nearly 25% in the first two months, underscoring sustained investor appetite for defensive assets.

The latest leg higher follows military strikes by the US and Israel on Iran that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Tehran’s retaliatory missile attacks across the region have raised fears of a broader and prolonged war, prompting investors to reduce exposure to risk assets and rotate into gold.

Beyond sentiment, the conflict carries tangible implications for physical bullion trade.

The United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai, is one of the world’s most important gold trading and transit hubs. Large volumes of bullion pass through Dubai en route from London, the dominant over-the-counter trading centre, to key consuming markets such as India and China.

Airspace restrictions and suspended flights in the Gulf have temporarily disrupted cargo flows, complicating logistics for traders.

While the interruptions are expected to be short-term, any prolonged disruption to flights through Dubai could tighten supply in Asian markets and add further upward pressure to prices.

The renewed surge in bullion strengthens the case made by major financial institutions that gold could revisit — and potentially exceed — record highs.

Bank of America expects prices to reach US$6,000 an ounce within the next 12 months, citing geopolitical instability and continued central bank buying. JPMorgan has raised its long-term forecast to US$4,500 an ounce and maintained a year-end target of US$6,300.

For Zimbabwe, where gold remains the country’s largest single foreign currency earner, sustained prices above US$5,000 per ounce would significantly enhance export receipts and producer margins.

A move toward the US$6,000 mark, if realised, could further stimulate exploration spending and production growth across the sector.

For now, the market remains focused on whether the conflict escalates further. But with bullion sitting at a one-month high and global banks projecting record levels, gold’s safe-haven status is once again driving momentum, and the war in the Middle East may yet prove a catalyst for the next leg higher.

The Zimbabwean government has decisively cemented its position on raw mineral exports, with Cabinet formally approving the immediate suspension of all lithium concentrate and unprocessed mineral exports following revelations of massive illicit stockpiling in a neighbouring country, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Following Cabinet approval, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mr Nick Mangwana, provided the official rationale behind the accelerated ban, exposing a disturbing pattern of behaviour by some actors in the mining sector.

“As you are all aware, the Government previously announced its intention to implement a total ban on the exportation of raw lithium ore and concentrates effective 2027,” Mr Mangwana stated. “This measure was designed to allow for an orderly transition towards domestic beneficiation, ensuring that our nation fully benefits from its mineral wealth through local value addition.”

The 2027 Deadline That Backfired

The government’s original timeline was intended to give miners adequate notice to prepare for the transition to processing. Instead, it appears to have triggered the opposite reaction.

“Regrettably, in the period following that announcement, we witnessed an unprecedented and unacceptable scramble,” Mr Mangwana revealed. “Instead of preparing for value addition, some actors engaged in a frenzy of mining activity, seeking to extract and export as much raw lithium as possible before the deadline.”

The Permanent Secretary dropped a bombshell that crystallises the government’s urgency:

“Disturbing reports further indicate that substantial quantities of our lithium have been illicitly stockpiled in a neighbouring country, depriving our nation of its rightful revenue and future industrial potential.”

This revelation—that Zimbabwe’s lithium is being warehoused across the border, waiting for who-knows-what purpose—explains why the government felt compelled to act with immediate effect rather than waiting until 2027.

“Plunder of Our National Heritage”

“This behaviour amounts to nothing less than the plunder of our national heritage. It is a direct undermining of our sovereignty and our collective economic future.”

The language is significant. By framing the illicit exports as “plunder” and an attack on “sovereignty,” the government is signalling that it views this not as mere regulatory non-compliance, but as a fundamental threat to the nation’s economic security.

Cabinet Endorses Minister Kambamura’s Position

Last week, Mines and Mining Development Minister Hon. Dr Polite Kambamura announced the immediate suspension of all lithium concentrate and raw mineral exports. Yesterday, Cabinet formally approved that decision, elevating it from a ministerial directive to full government policy.

The distinction matters. Minister Kambamura’s announcement represented the executive branch acting within its authority. Cabinet’s endorsement now brings the full weight of collective government decision-making behind the measure, making any attempt to circumvent it a challenge not just to one ministry but to the entire administration.

What the Ban Means

The suspension applies to all lithium concentrates and raw minerals with immediate effect, including shipments already in transit. Only mining companies holding valid mining titles and approved beneficiation plans will be authorised to export any minerals. Agents and third-party traders are explicitly barred from the export chain.

For lithium specifically, the message is unambiguous: build processing capacity in Zimbabwe, or lose access to Zimbabwe’s resources. Companies like Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Sinomine, which have invested hundreds of millions in local processing plants, are positioned to thrive. Those who hoped to continue shipping raw concentrate until the last possible moment have been caught flat-footed.

The Illicit Stockpile Question

Mr Mangwana’s revelation about stockpiles in a neighbouring country raises urgent questions. How much lithium is sitting across the border? Who owns it? How did it get there? And most importantly, what does the intended destination say about the networks that have been exploiting Zimbabwe’s resources?

The government has not yet named the country involved, nor provided details on the quantities stockpiled. But the very existence of such stockpiles confirms what civil society organisations like ZELO have been documenting: Zimbabwe’s lithium value chain has been porous, exploited by well-funded networks operating across borders with apparent impunity.

Enforcement Now Critical

With the ban now cemented at Cabinet level, the focus shifts to enforcement. The Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) has already stationed officers at key border posts. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) is under instruction to verify every shipment. The Ministry of Mines has reserved the right to test consignments at any time to verify mineral composition.

Mr Mangwana’s statement makes clear that the government is aware of the tactics used to evade controls—falsified documents, expired permits used repeatedly, minerals declared as something else entirely—and is determined to close every loophole.

A Defining Moment

This is a defining moment for Zimbabwe’s mining sector. For years, the narrative has been that the country’s mineral wealth is being stolen through smuggling and undervaluation. The 2027 ban was supposed to address this gradually. But the discovery of stockpiles across the border has forced the government’s hand.

The question now is whether the enforcement mechanisms can match the ambition of the policy. MMCZ is better resourced than before. ZIMRA is under pressure to perform. The provincial mines offices have been given a gatekeeper role. But the networks that have profited from illicit trade are sophisticated, well-funded, and deeply entrenched.

Mr Mangwana’s statement serves notice that the government understands the scale of the challenge and is prepared to meet it. The plunder, he says, ends now.

For compliant miners who have invested in processing and followed the rules, the ban creates a level playing field. For those who built business models around exploitation and evasion, the game is up. And for Zimbabwe, the hope is that this decisive action marks the beginning of a new era—one in which the nation’s minerals finally work for the nation’s people.