The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development, led by Chairman Hon. Remigious Matangira, yesterday visited Kamativi Mining Company (KMC) as part of its ongoing fact-finding tour of Zimbabwe’s energy minerals sector.
On Friday, the Committee visited Zhongjin Heli Energy (Private) Limited, an industrial park in Hwange involved in coke production, cement production, and power generation.
The Committee also visited South Mining, a coke production facility, where they engaged with management and toured the coke production operations. These visits form part of the Committee’s broader mandate to understand the linkages between coal, coke, cement, and power production within the country’s industrial ecosystem.
The visit to Kamativi Mine comes as the lithium operation continues to expand following its revival from a former tin producer. The mine, operated through a joint venture between China’s Yahua Group and local partner Kamativi Tin Mines, represents a major success story in Zimbabwe’s mineral beneficiation drive:
- Phase I (commissioned April 2024): US$100 million investment, processing 300,000 tonnes of raw spodumene ore annually into 50,000 tonnes of concentrate, generating approximately US$50 million in yearly revenue.
- Phase II: US$149 million investment, targeting 2.3 million tonnes of ore processing capacity annually.
- New Lithium Sulphate Project: Over US$200 million invested, expected to produce 75,000 tonnes of lithium sulphate annually by July 2027.
The Kamativi investment aligns with the Government’s ban on raw lithium exports, intended to promote local beneficiation and curb leakages. The company is also developing Tin-Niobium-Tantalum recovery and Amblygonite concentration separation projects to enhance mineral recovery.
KMC currently employs 419 permanent workers and 195 security personnel, with the workforce expected to double upon completion of Phase II. The mine is also undergoing an independent IRMA responsible mining audit scheduled for October 2026.
Chairman Matangira has consistently emphasised that parliamentary oversight is a constitutional obligation, noting that visits are “not for witch-hunting” but to ensure transparency and accountability in state-linked enterprises. The Committee’s tour today includes meetings with KMC management and inspections of mine operations.
The Committee continues its fact-finding mission with further visits to Zulu Lithium and Sabi Star operations in the coming days.
