The Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Hon. Winston Chitando, has reiterated the importance of prioritizing research to discover new sources of critical minerals and develop cutting-edge technology for their extraction, processing, and value addition.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The Minister stated that realising value addition projects along the Critical Minerals Value Chain would offer numerous benefits to the people of Zimbabwe.
“The benefits include employment creation both directly and indirectly, increased revenue inflow from taxes and export of value-added materials, less dependence on the import of finished products as these will be made locally, and ultimately the realization of Vision 2030 of becoming an upper-middle-income economy,” Hon. Chitando said.
Minister Chitando highlighted the challenge in the processing and refining of minerals, noting that most of the world’s current processing capacity for critical minerals is concentrated in a few countries, which can create price vulnerability, leaving Zimbabwe as a price taker rather than a negotiator.
He emphasized the importance of Zimbabwean stakeholders coming together to invest in research and development to ensure the country benefits from its critical minerals.
“Another challenge is the processing and refining of the minerals. Most of the world’s current processing capacity is available in a few countries. This has the potential to create vulnerabilities and price fluctuations. It is in this light that the country must develop domestic refining and processing capabilities to enhance economic independence. We need to take a comprehensive and cooperative approach in order to overcome these challenges and take advantage of the potential that critical minerals bring. Prioritizing research and development is necessary in order to find new sources of critical minerals and create cutting-edge techniques for their extraction and processing. We, as the Government, therefore implore all stakeholders to work together to ensure the sustainable growth of the critical minerals value chain. Let us work together to harness the transformative power of these remarkable minerals and build a brighter future for generations to come,” Chitando said.
By definition, critical minerals are mineral commodities that have significant economic importance for key sectors in the economy, whose uses are essential, have a high supply risk, and have no viable substitutes. As we embark on an era of unprecedented technological advancements, critical minerals have become the cornerstone of modern society. These minerals find use in space technology, consumer electronics, health, aviation, agriculture, renewable energy, and defence, among others, which are deemed critical for the long-lasting functioning of a country’s economy. Their high supply risk is due to the very high import demand in particular countries. Zimbabwe is endowed with vast mineral resources, including those discussed here today—critical minerals. The country boasts deposits of highly sought-after critical minerals, particularly hard rock lithium, nickel, copper, graphite, and platinum group metals, among others. The criticality of any mineral changes with time as supply and the needs of a country shift. It is in this light that the Government has moved to ensure maximum benefit is reaped from the exploitation of most of the stages that make up the Critical Minerals Value Chain in Zimbabwe. Exploration, mine development, mining, mine closure, mineral processing, smelting, refining, manufacturing, and recycling are all included in the mineral value chain. There are several opportunities for Zimbabweans anywhere along the Critical Minerals Value Chain,” he concluded.
