Chiwenga Sets Deadline for Local Lithium Value Addition by January

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga orders a January ban on raw lithium exports, directing miners to establish local processing plants (image source)

HARARE — Vice-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has issued a firm directive to Zimbabwe’s lithium sector, ordering that the export of raw lithium ore and spodumene must end by January, as the government pushes to enforce beneficiation and expand downstream industrial activity. The directive follows a tour of Kamativi Mine in Matabeleland North, where Chiwenga said the next phase of mineral-sector recovery must prioritise local processing to capture greater value, create jobs, and accelerate industrialisation.

Chiwenga framed the measure as non-negotiable, insisting miners invest in crushing, concentration, and chemical processing facilities rather than shipping unprocessed concentrates overseas. He argued that continued raw exports undermine national development goals and deprive Zimbabwe of opportunities to build battery-grade material industries linked to the global electric-vehicle supply chain. “We want beneficiation; we want value-addition; we want jobs,” he told officials and company representatives during the visit, pressing for concrete investment plans and timelines from operators.

Industry sources said the directive targets both large producers and smaller spodumene merchants who have in recent years exported material to international buyers. The government’s position reflects a broader regional shift that seeks to capture higher portions of mineral rents domestically and to spur downstream linkages into chemicals, cathode precursor production, and battery manufacturing. Officials argue that such vertical integration can reduce foreign exchange leakage, anchor industrial clusters, and elevate Zimbabwe’s negotiating position with multinational off-takers.

Miners and sector analysts reacted with mixed views. Some welcomed the push for industrial development and acknowledged that structured beneficiation could yield higher long-term returns for the country. Others warned that an abrupt deadline risks disrupting investment flows, creating logistical bottlenecks, and imposing heavy upfront capital burdens on operators ill-equipped to finance large-scale processing plants on short notice. Trade representatives urged the government to pair the directive with viable incentives, technical support, and phased compliance windows that recognise the realities of project financing and engineering lead times.

Regulatory authorities were told to tighten monitoring of exports and ensure consignments are matched against declared processing capacities. The move is likely to trigger a review of licences, environmental permits, and customs procedures to prevent circumvention through transhipment or misdeclaration. Chiwenga also highlighted the need for coordinated policy support — including power reliability, access to industrial land, and export finance — to make local beneficiation commercially viable.

The announcement has prompted urgent meetings between government officials, mining executives, and investor groups to map compliance pathways. Observers expect a mix of outcomes: some companies may accelerate planned investments, while others will seek temporary waivers, tolling arrangements, or joint-venture partners to meet the deadline.

As the January deadline approaches, the government faces the operational challenge of enforcing the ban without chilling investor confidence, while industry players must rapidly assess financing models and partnerships to convert raw-material operations into value-added enterprises that fit Zimbabwe’s industrial ambitions.