The government has banned the export of unbenecifiated base mineral ores except under a written permit from the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.
Base minerals mean all minerals and mineral substances, other than the nuclear energy source material, precious metals, precious stones, mineral oils, natural gases, and coal.
Through Statutory Instrument 5 of 2023, Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando (MP) issued the Base Minerals Export Control (Unbeneficiated Base Mineral Ores) Order, of 2023.
The order bans the export of unbenecifiated base mineral ores except under a written permit from the Minister with immediate effect. Part of the order reads:
No unbeneficiated base mineral ores shall be exported from Zimbabwe to another country except under written permit of the Minister given in either of the following circumstances of written application to him by any miner or other interested person-
(a) the export of any unbeneficiated base mineral ore in respect of which the applicant produces compelling reasons to the Minister showing that no such ore is capable of being beneficiated to any extent within Zimbabwe, or
(b) the export of samples of any unbeneficiated base mineral ore for assaying outside Zimbabwe, upon production of proof satisfactory to the Minister that such assay cannot be satisfactorily done in Zimbabwe and that the quantity to be exported for that purpose is necessary for that purpose.
The Base Minerals Export Control (Unbeneficiated Lithium Bearing Ores) Order, 2022, published in Statutory Instrument 213 of 2022 is repealed (without, however, affecting the validity of anything done by the Minister under that Order).
Last month, Chitando banned the export of raw lithium in an effort to promote value addition and beneficiation of the mineral.