By Rex Mphisa
THE Zimbabwean Government late on Friday said increasing global demand for critical minerals to underpin the Energy Transition Drive, and need for the country to strategically plan on its mineral resources made it necessary to classify and declare its minerals.
The energy transition is the global shift from fossil-based energy systems like coal, oil, and natural gas to renewable and carbon-neutral sources like solar, wind, and hydrogen,
Driven by plummeting clean technology costs and climate goals, the ultimate objective is achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Zimbabwe is highly endowed with strategic and critical minerals and is one of the most mineral-rich countries in Africa, playing a significant role in the global shift toward renewable energy and modern technology.
In a press statement dated May 22, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Polite Kambamura published the minerals that have been classified.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the declaration of minerals in the Schedule is based on the following criteria (a) Minerals whose supply chains are highly vulnerable to disruption, with potential to cause conflicts and (b) Minerals on high international demand where Zimbabwe holds significant reserves or production dominance,” he said.
And (c) Minerals essential as raw materials for both international, domestic manufacturing and local downstream beneficiation together with (d) Minerals with the capacity to generate substantial direct and indirect local employment and national economic benefits and (e) Minerals with low occurrences and low grades but of high value and.
He said in accordance with the Critical Minerals Development Strategy, the State shall, through designated Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), exercise a mandatory minimum shareholding in the exploitation of these minerals.
“No person shall export any mineral listed in the Schedule in its raw or unbeneficiated form unless such export is authorised under a conditional transitional plan approved by the Minister, of Mines and Mining Development with a specific timeline for local beneficiation beyond the concentrate stage while minerals listed in the schedule shall be exported as per approved Government beneficiation levels,” said Kambamura.
Applications for mining rights on these minerals, he said, shall be by prior approval of the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.
The list of the declared minerals is Lithium, Nickel, Cobalt, Graphite, Copper, Rare Earth Elements, Chrome, Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), Manganese, Antimony, Uranium, Ruthenium, Tungsten and Niobium.
He listed Metallurgical Coal as a special critical mineral.
Kambamura said declared strategic minerals included Limestone, Potash, Phosphorus, Iron Ore, Pyrites, Oil and Gas, Coal, Gold, and Diamonds.