Annual General Meeting, Conference, and Exhibition, the spotlight was on Zimbabwe’s Critical Minerals Value Chain. Held at Elephant Hills in Victoria Falls, the symposium brought together key players in the mining sector to discuss the strategic importance and potential of critical minerals in driving the nation’s economic development.
Hon. Winston Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development, underscored the vital role that critical minerals play in the modern economy. He highlighted that these minerals, essential for industries such as space technology, consumer electronics, health, aviation, agriculture, renewable energy, and defense, are in high demand globally due to their significant economic importance and lack of viable substitutes.
Zimbabwe is richly endowed with deposits of critical minerals like lithium, nickel, copper, graphite, and platinum group metals. These resources present an immense opportunity for economic growth. The government is committed to promoting local beneficiation and value addition, which aligns with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) aimed at socio-economic transformation and sustainable growth.
Key initiatives discussed included the development of value chains for minerals such as lithium, which can be processed into concentrates, sulphates, carbonates, hydroxides, and lithium-ion batteries. Several lithium producers have already submitted value addition plans in response to the 2024 National Budget Statement. Additionally, there are plans to construct base metal refineries for nickel, copper, iron, and cobalt, and precious metals refineries for platinum group metals.
The symposium also addressed several challenges
