HARARE, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government on Friday designated lithium and other high-value minerals, particularly those underpinning the green energy transition, as critical minerals subject to shareholding and export controls.
Addressing a press conference in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, Mines and Mining Development Minister Polite Kambamura announced that the newly classified categories include critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt, graphite, copper, rare earth elements, chrome, platinum group metals, manganese, antimony, uranium, ruthenium, tungsten, and niobium.
Additionally, metallurgical coal has been designated as a special critical mineral, while limestone, potash, phosphorus, iron ore, pyrites, oil, gas, coal, gold, and diamonds are now classified as strategic minerals.
Kambamura noted that the classification is based on supply chain vulnerability, international demand, local reserves, dominance in production, and the mineral's capacity to generate substantial local employment and downstream beneficiation.
Kambamura said the Zimbabwean government shall, through designated special-purpose vehicles, exercise a mandatory minimum shareholding in the exploitation of these classified minerals.
Furthermore, strict export controls will be enforced. No person shall export any of the classified minerals in their raw or unbeneficiated form unless authorized under a conditional transitional plan approved by the minister, featuring a specific timeline for local beneficiation beyond the concentrate stage.
