Mining ZimbabweLatest Mining News, Policy and Industry Updates

Another dark cloud has hung over Mazowe District following the death of six artisanal miners at Starlake Mine on Friday, adding to the mounting number of mining-related tragedies in the area, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

The accident, confirmed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), occurred around 10:00 AM when a hoist used to extract miners from a 45-metre-deep shaft snapped, sending the bucket hurtling downwards with its human cargo. Four miners died instantly, while two others died shortly after admission at Concession District Hospital. Four more sustained injuries.

The deceased—Sebastian Dzaingwa (33), Tawanda Nyandoro (41), Edger Magenya (30), Milton Trust Ngonzwe (25), Elvis Kasaira (38), and Abel Majangara (25)—hailed from villages as far apart as Sanyati, Gokwe, Kwekwe, Nyanga, Mutoko, and Buhera. These were men who left their homes to seek a livelihood underground but returned in body bags. Their deaths, as with many others in recent weeks, highlight an industry that continues to thrive at the cost of human life.

Just days before this incident, two men were killed at Kwayedza Investments Mine, also in Mazowe, when an explosion erupted while they sat beside a fire to keep warm on a bitterly cold winter night. One man died on the spot; the other succumbed to his injuries at Concession Hospital. Police are still investigating the cause of the blast.

If that wasn’t enough, three more miners perished at Jumbo Mine—again in Mazowe—after the shaft they were working in collapsed, trapping and crushing them. Their colleagues and police retrieved their bodies hours later. No names were released, but the community’s collective grief has been loud and continuous.

Mazowe is no longer just a mining district—it’s become a death zone for Zimbabwe’s artisanal and small-scale miners. The tragic trio of incidents—at Starlake, Kwayedza, and Jumbo Mines—reveals a bitter truth: we are normalising preventable deaths in the name of gold.

There’s a pattern here: collapsing shafts, faulty hoists, unregulated explosives, and nonexistent safety protocols. Each new body pulled out of the ground is met with official condolences and temporary murmurs of outrage, only for the mining operations to resume without consequence. It’s a vicious cycle. The mines keep running. The profits keep coming. And the miners keep dying.

Most of these mines operate under rudimentary and dangerous conditions. Safety isn’t just lax—it’s often nonexistent. The equipment used is outdated. The hoisting systems are makeshift. Explosives, in some cases, are stored and used in total violation of safety protocols. Ventilation is poor. Training is minimal. And regulatory oversight? A ghost.

The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, together with agencies like the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), must shoulder part of the blame. While there’s been an uptick in efforts to formalise the artisanal mining sector, enforcement of safety protocols has lagged behind. The tragedy at Starlake Mine, in particular, exposes a failure to enforce basic mechanical and structural standards in shaft mining.

For every mining fatality reported, dozens more go undocumented in the chaos of the bush. In Mazowe, miners speak in hushed tones about colleagues buried in unmarked graves after failed rescue efforts. The ones lucky to escape with injuries usually return underground within days—driven by poverty, desperation, and the fear of starving more than dying.

“We are dying trying to survive,” one miner at Jumbo said. “These are not just accidents. They are avoidable deaths.”

His words echo louder than ever.

Civil society organisations and mining unions have started to raise their voices, demanding immediate action. Some are calling for the Ministry to suspend mining operations at any site where safety protocols are not being followed. Others are urging a full district audit of small-scale mining operations—particularly those relying on vertical shafts, hoists, or on-site explosives.

Funerals are being planned across the country—from Buhera to Kwekwe, from Nyanga to Mutoko—as families bury their loved ones. These are not just miners; they are breadwinners, parents, sons, and husbands whose only mistake was chasing Zimbabwe’s minerals with their bare hands and hopeful hearts.

Their deaths demand more than just mourning. They demand change.

How many more shafts must collapse before someone is held accountable? How many more explosions must rock the night before safety becomes non-negotiable? How many more Starlake Mines, Jumbo Mines, and Kwayedza Mines must take lives before government, mine owners, and regulators wake up?

Mazowe is bleeding. The time for condolences has long passed. What we need now is accountability, enforcement, and a renewed national commitment to protecting the lives of miners—before the earth swallows more sons.

Unki Mine reported a 2% decline in platinum group metals (PGM) production for the second quarter ended June 2025, producing 53,800 ounces.

By Ryan Chigoche

The dip was largely attributed to an anticipated lower built-up head grade and ongoing nationwide power shortages that disrupted the stability of the concentrator plant.

Zimbabwe’s worsening electricity crisis is taking a growing toll on the mining industry. Frequent load-shedding has disrupted operations, inflated production costs, and hindered output across the sector.

While major operators such as Zimplats and Blanket Mine have invested in solar and diesel-powered systems to maintain production, smaller producers continue to face extended downtimes due to limited alternatives.

The persistent power shortages are not only disrupting mining operations but also undermining export performance, particularly in energy-intensive sectors like platinum, lithium, and gold, posing a significant obstacle to the country’s broader economic ambitions for the mining industry.

The challenges at Unki mirror a broader decline across the group’s southern African operations. Valteras Platinum’s own mine production fell 15% year-on-year, with Unki’s modest decline compounded by a sharp 55% production drop at the Amandelbult complex in South Africa.

The latter was severely affected by earlier flooding at Tumela Mine, which forced the company to divert the bulk of the quarter toward infrastructure repairs. Operations at Tumela resumed in June, with full production expected to ramp up in the third quarter, though annual output is now forecast at 450,000–480,000 ounces, down from 580,000 ounces in 2024.

Despite these setbacks, the group’s overall operational base showed resilience. Excluding Amandelbult’s impact, own-mine production actually rose by 1%, driven by solid performances at Mogalakwena, Mototolo, and Modikwa.

Mogalakwena, the group’s flagship open-pit operation, delivered a 1% increase to 234,300 ounces, supported by improved throughput, stable runtime at the North concentrator, and process enhancements including the commissioning of Jameson cells.

Mototolo rose 2% to 67,500 ounces, benefiting from improved ore supply and a seven-day mining shift cycle introduced last year. Meanwhile, Modikwa (50% owned) reported a 6% increase to 38,300 ounces, thanks to higher tonnes milled and the introduction of open-pit Merensky material.

Unki Mine’s performance and the broader operational challenges were also reflected in the group’s refined and sales figures. Refined PGM production fell 17% to 954,000 ounces, while PGM sales volumes (excluding trading) dropped 22% to 981,500 ounces.

This was primarily due to the decline in mined output and the absence of the inventory drawdowns that had boosted figures in the prior year. Nonetheless, the group benefited from favourable pricing, with the average realised PGM basket price increasing 6% to US$1,508 per ounce.

This was supported by a 16% rise in rhodium prices and modest gains in platinum and palladium.

The group’s purchase of concentrate (POC) volumes decreased by 18% to 304,900 ounces, mainly due to the transition of Kroondal to a tolling arrangement in late 2024. On a like-for-like basis, excluding Kroondal, however, concentrate purchases rose 2%, driven by higher third-party receipts and improved Modikwa output.

Despite the turbulent quarter, Valteras Platinum remains on track to meet its full-year guidance, though now aiming for the lower end of projections due to the impact at Amandelbult.

The company expects mined and concentrated (M&C) production from its own operations to reach around 2.0 million PGM ounces, with POC between 1.0 and 1.2 million ounces. Refined production is projected to come in between 3.0 and 3.4 million ounces.

Still, persistent energy supply constraints, especially in Zimbabwe, remain a key operational risk. As the group looks to stabilise its output in the second half of the year, the ability to mitigate power-related disruptions will be crucial to sustaining performance and supporting long-term growth across its platinum portfolio.

Zimbabwe generated 2,418 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a 6.1% increase from the previous quarter — a performance that enabled the country to cut electricity imports by a significant 87.4%. The majority of the power came from the Hwange Power Station, which contributed 69.2% of total output, followed by Kariba South Hydro at 24.3%, according to the latest data from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat).

By Ryan Chigoche

This domestic generation surge is being bolstered not only by improved performance at national utilities but also by increasing contributions from the mining sector. Several large-scale mining operations now operate independent or captive power plants, playing a growing role in easing pressure on the national grid.

Zimplats, the country’s largest platinum miner, continues to expand its solar and gas energy portfolio, while Caledonia Mining’s Blanket Mine is feeding power from its 12 MW solar plant, commissioned in 2023, into its operations. These initiatives are part of a broader trend that has seen mining companies invest heavily in energy security to mitigate load-shedding and ensure stable production.

According to ZimStat, the electricity generation index for the quarter was 97, up from 91.4 in Q4 2024, highlighting sustained improvements in power output. This growth significantly reduced Zimbabwe’s reliance on imports, with only 305.5 GWh of electricity imported, down from 487.8 GWh in the previous quarter and 505.4 GWh in Q1 2024.

Import breakdown shows that 34% of the electricity came from South Africa’s Eskom, while Mozambique’s HCB and EDM supplied 37.5% and 10.2%, respectively.

Despite the gains in generation, the total electricity distributed within the quarter stood at 1,544 GWh, a 25.9% decrease compared to the 2,084.2 GWh distributed in Q4 2024. On a year-on-year basis, this was a 23.8% decline from 2,026.4 GWh recorded in Q1 2024. This reflects ongoing challenges in transmission and distribution infrastructure, even as production rises.

The growing role of independent power producers (IPPs) and captive plants in the mining sector is expected to continue shaping Zimbabwe’s power landscape, improving self-sufficiency while supporting key export-driven industries.

In a significant legal victory for Zimbabwe’s state mining sector, the US Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. has thrown out an attempt by two Mauritian firms to enforce an arbitration award worth US$93 million against the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC). The ruling hinges on a key jurisdictional point that cheered local officials and offers a potential roadmap for handling cross-border mining disputes, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

According to the US court, the matter brought by Amaplat Mauritius Ltd. and Amari Nickel, stemming from a 2014 International Court of Arbitration ruling in Zambia, could not proceed in Washington. While the arbitration tribunal had ordered ZMDC to pay US$42.9 million to Amaplat and US$3.9 million to Amari—plus 5% annual interest—the accumulated total eventually reached US$93 million, thanks to years of compounding interest.

In 2019, the Mauritian companies sought to enforce that award through Zambia’s High Court, hoping to seize ZMDC assets in the region. When the proceedings stalled there, they turned to the US, seeking enforcement assistance. But the appellate court was unmoved.

“The Court … concluded that the District Court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction over the dispute,” the announcement stated.

The ruling is limited to US jurisdiction—it does not block Amaplat or Amari from pursuing enforcement in other countries. A spokesperson for the Mauritian firms noted, “It has no application or precedential value to actions brought against Zimbabwe in other countries.”

Nevertheless, the Zimbabwean government has hailed the outcome. Mines and Mining Development Secretary Pfungwa Kunaka described the judgment as “a welcome result,” reinforcing the country’s resolve to defend its mining assets through global legal channels. Mining Minister Winston Chitando and legal teams for ZMDC have not issued further comment at this time.

Why This Matters

This ruling marks a diplomatic and commercial milestone for Zimbabwe. It makes clear that foreign arbitration awards cannot automatically be enforced anywhere, and that a claimant’s choice of jurisdiction is crucial. For ZMDC—and Zimbabwe’s broader state enterprise portfolio—it offers a degree of insulation against overzealous international enforcement campaigns.

The case itself harkens back to a failed nickel-platinum joint venture that collapsed a decade ago. While the arbitration tribunal found in favour of the Mauritian firms, the matter has been mired in procedural delays and legal challenges across multiple jurisdictions. Analysts say this case may prompt Zimbabwean entities to reconsider how and where they stake their legal grounds when entering international contracts.

Looking Ahead

The ruling does not close the door entirely. Amaplat and Amari are expected to explore enforcement options in countries where Zimbabwean assets exist—possibly in jurisdictions that do not guarantee exclusivity to foreign sovereign immunity or where collection can be pursued against offshore finances.

Whatever happens next, Zimbabwe’s win in the US sends a clear message: owning a mining title in this country must not be treated as automatic global collateral, and claims must clear jurisdictional hurdles before assets can be seized.

As ZMDC eyes recovery and re-energises its investment plans, especially in critical minerals, this legal precedent may offer a shield—and a template—for future agreements negotiated with international partners. It’s a reminder that large-scale project success isn’t just unlocked in the mine—but often in the courtroom as well.

Global lithium and nickel deployment in electric vehicle batteries surged in May 2025, driven by continued growth in passenger xEV sales and battery capacity, particularly across the Asia-Pacific region, according to the latest Adamas Intelligence report. Despite a broader decline in average material intensity per vehicle, total raw material volumes continued to rise, reflecting robust demand across the EV supply chain.

By Ryan Chigoche

Data from the latest monthly report shows that 48,916 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) were deployed in newly sold passenger xEVs globally—a 9 percent increase from April and up 22 percent year-on-year. Of this total, 65 percent was lithium carbonate and 35 percent was lithium hydroxide. Chinese battery maker CATL led among suppliers with 15,488 tonnes deployed, while BYD topped the list of automakers at 6,827 tonnes.

Nickel deployment followed a similar upward trend. In May, 28,407 tonnes of nickel were used in passenger xEV batteries, rising 8 percent month-on-month and 7 percent compared to the same period last year. CATL again dominated among cell manufacturers with 8,300 tonnes, while Tesla led all xEV brands, deploying 3,326 tonnes.

However, despite these gains in total volume, the average nickel content per battery declined by 14 percent to 12.2 kilograms, while lithium intensity fell 3 percent year-on-year to 21.0 kilograms per battery. The drop in average intensity is largely attributed to the growing share of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which typically use smaller battery packs compared to full battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

The rise in raw material deployment was underpinned by a strong performance in global xEV sales. A total of 2.33 million passenger xEVs were sold worldwide in May, reflecting a 7 percent increase from April and a 25 percent jump over the same month in 2024. The Asia-Pacific region recorded the highest growth, with sales up 10 percent month-on-month and 28 percent year-on-year. Europe and the Americas also posted gains of 4 percent and 3 percent respectively from April, and 25 percent and 15 percent year-on-year.

Zimbabwe Gears Up to Supply EV Battery Materials

The sharp rise in global lithium and nickel deployment offers a timely opportunity for Zimbabwe, which hosts Africa’s most advanced lithium sector and growing upstream processing capacity. Since 2021, Chinese investors have poured over US$1 billion into local projects.

Sinomine’s Bikita Minerals is Africa’s only continuously operating lithium mine, now with a 2 million-tonne-per-year spodumene and lepidolite plant and a recently commissioned cesium (pollucite) processing facility. Bikita has also unveiled plans for a US$400 million smelter for further product refinement.

Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (Arcadia), owned by Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt following a US$378 million acquisition in 2022, produced over 128,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate in Q1 2025 (up 48 percent sequentially) and is advancing a 50,000-tonne-per-year lithium sulfate plant.

Premier African’s Zulu project has been recommissioned with improved flotation capacity, targeting spodumene output to serve growing global demand. Other initiatives include Chengxin/Max Mind’s Sabi Star in Buhera and Canmax’s Kamativi project. Zimbabwe plans to ban concentrate exports by 2027 to promote domestic beneficiation.

While nickel production remains limited, these lithium-focused developments position Zimbabwe as a pivotal upstream supplier to meet the surging deployment of battery metals in EVs highlighted by the Adamas report.

Other battery metals also registered volume increases in May, though per-vehicle intensity continued to trend downward. Cobalt deployment rose to 5,080 tonnes, up 10 percent from April and 1 percent year-on-year. Yet the average cobalt content per battery dropped significantly to 2.2 kilograms, down 19 percent compared to May 2024. CATL and Tesla led their respective categories with 1,800 tonnes and 374 tonnes of cobalt deployed.

Manganese usage increased 9 percent month-on-month to 6,327 tonnes, registering a marginal 1 percent gain year-on-year. Like cobalt, average manganese content per battery also declined, falling 19 percent to 2.7 kilograms. CATL led cell suppliers in manganese deployment with 2,355 tonnes, while VW topped automakers at 373 tonnes.

Graphite demand remained strong, in line with the broader increase in EV output. A total of 79,520 tonnes of synthetic and natural graphite was deployed globally in May, up 9 percent from April and 25 percent over the same month last year. CATL accounted for 24,885 tonnes, followed by BYD with 13,178 tonnes.

Unlike other materials, the average graphite content per battery remained flat year-on-year at 34.1 kilograms.

The continued rise in total deployment of lithium and nickel despite falling per-unit averages highlights the pressure on global raw material supply chains as the EV market scales up. With Asia-Pacific leading demand growth and companies like CATL, BYD, and Tesla at the forefront, the need for sustained mining output and secure upstream supply remains a critical issue.

At the same time, automakers and battery producers are increasingly shifting toward chemistries that balance performance with cost and material availability. While average material intensities are falling, total demand for lithium, nickel, and other inputs continues to accelerate, reinforcing long-term bullish fundamentals in the battery metals sector.