A month after banning raw lithium exports, Zimbabwe is tightening its regulations and ramping up its crackdown on mineral smuggling in a major shake-up that is winning local praise even as it stirs concerns.
The February 26 ban covered exports of all raw minerals but focused on raw lithium, a critical mineral of which Zimbabwe is Africa's largest producer, shipping most to China's massive rechargeable battery sector.
kAm(9:=6 H6=4@>:?8 E96 >@G6 2D 2 =@?8 @G6C5F6 DE6A E@H2C5D 6?5:?8 E96 926>@CC928:?8 @7 E96 4@F?ECJVD ?2EFC2= H62=E9[ 4C:E:4D BF6DE:@? :ED 762D:3:=:EJ[ H9:=6 H@C<6CD 762C 7@C E96:C ;@3D]k^Am
kAm+:>323H6 925 2=C625J 7=28865 :? yF?6 E92E C2H 6IA@CED H@F=5 36 32??65 7C@> y2?F2CJ a_af E@ 7@C46 =@42= AC@46DD:?8 2?5 :?5FDEC:2=:D2E:@?[ 649@:?8 2 A@D:E:@? E2<6? 3J D6G6C2= p7C:42? 4@F?EC:6D[ >@DE C646?E=J |2=2H: :? ~4E@36C]Â k^Am
kAmqFE w2C2C6 23CFAE=J 3C@F89E 7@CH2C5 E96 92=E 3J `_ >@?E9D 27E6C :E ?@E:465 2 DFDA:4:@FD D4C2>3=6 3J >:?:?8 7:C>D E@ CFD9 @FE AC@5F4E:@? 2?5 6IA@CED[ |:?:?8 |:?:DE6C !@=:E6 z2>32>FC2 D2:5 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9]k^Am
kAmQp7E6C E96 ?@E:46 @? E96 :?E6?565 32?[ E96 :?5FDECJ :?4C62D65 AC@5F4E:@? 2?5 6IA@CE G@=F>6D[ H9:=6 2AA=:42E:@?D 7@C =:E9:F> 6IA@CE A6C>:ED 2=D@ DFC865[ 2D AC@5F46CD D@F89E E@ >@G6 2D >F49 AC@5F4E 2D A@DD:3=6 367@C6 E96 ?@E:46 A6C:@5[Q z2>32>FC2 D2:5]k^Am
kAm+:>323H6VD Q>F=E:\6=6>6?EQ 86@=@8J >2<6D :E 62DJ 7@C G2=F23=6 >:?6C2=D E@ 36 9:556? :? A=2:? D:89E[ 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm(:E9 ?@ =@42= E6DE:?8 @C 4@?EC@=D @7 6IA@CED[ D64@?52CJ >:?6C2=D =:<6 E2?E2=F>[ 36CJ= 2?5 E:? H6C6 36:?8 D9:AA65 @FE F?56E64E65 2?5 F?E2I65]Â Â k^Am
kAmQ(:E9@FE 5@>6DE:4 AC@46DD:?8[ E96 8@G6C?>6?E 42??@E 244FC2E6=J E2I E96 7F== >:?6C2= H62=E9[Q z2>32>FC2 D2:5]k^Am
kAmr9:?6D6 :?G6DE@CD 2C6 DA6?5:?8 >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD E@ 3F:=5 A=2?ED E@ AC@46DD =:E9:F>[ @?6\DE6A FA E96 G2=F6 492:?[ :? 2 7@C> E92E +:>323H6 H@F=5 2==@H E@ 6I:E] %96 7:CDE :D 6IA64E65 E@ @A6? :? E96 4@>:?8 H66<D]k^Am
kAmpFE9@C:E:6D H:== :? E96 Q?62C 7FEFC6Q :?DE2== D42??:?8 E649?@=@8J 2E 3@C56C A@DED E@ 56E64E F?564=2C65 C2C6 62CE9 >:?6C2=D[ z2>32>FC2 E@=5 A2C=:2>6?E]k^Am
kAm%96 8@G6C?>6?E :D 2=D@ H@C<:?8 @? 2 4C:E:42= >:?6C2= A@=:4J 2?5 A=2??:?8 2 ?6H DFCG6J E@ >2A 2?5 BF2?E:7J :ED C2C6 62CE9 >:?6C2= C6D@FC46D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm~77:4:2=D 92G6 D2:5 >2DD:G6 7:?2?4:2= Q=62<286DQ EC:886C65 E96 DF556? 92=E[ 3FE E96J 92G6 ?@E C6G62=65 E96 D42=6 @7 E96 =@DD6D[ H:E9 D@>6 E6==:?8 pu! E96J H6C6 DE:== H@C<:?8 @? 2? 6DE:>2E6]k^Am
k9am\ #65 7=28D \Â k^9am
kAm%96 32? H2D ?@E 324<65 3J 2 7@C>2= =2H[ H9:49 >256 :E H62< 2?5 A@E6?E:2==J F?6?7@C4623=6[ D2:5 u2C2: |28FHF[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 >:?:?8 H2E495@8 r6?EC6 7@C }2EFC2= #6D@FC46 v@G6C?2?46]k^Am
kAmQ%96 >:?:?8 D64E@C :D DF49 2 C@3FDE 2?5 D6?D:E:G6 D64E@C \\ :E 42?VE 36 8@G6C?65 E9C@F89 AC6DD DE2E6>6?ED[Q 96 E@=5 pu![ 42==:?8 7@C =68:D=2E:@? E@ :?4=F56 >2?52E@CJ >:?:>F> D6?E6?46D 7@C 4@?G:4E65 @776?56CD]k^Am
kAm%96C6 925 366? D6G6C2= C65 7=28D :?5:42E:?8 2 CFD9 E@ 362E E96 =:E9:F> 32?[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQp44@C5:?8 E@ H@C<6CD 2E E96 >:?6D[ D@>6 b_\E@??6 ECF4<D E92E 42CCJ =:E9:F> 4@?46?EC2E6 6I4665 E96:C >2I:>F> =@25D 3J `d >@C6 E@??6D[Q 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm$E@C286 D:E6D ;FDE 24C@DD E96 3@C56C :? |@K2>3:BF6[ H9:49 92D A@CED @? E96 x?5:2? ~462?[ H6C6 C6A@CE65=J 3FCDE:?8 H:E9 +:>323H62? >:?6C2=D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm{23@FC =6256CD H2C?65 E92E >:?6CD 2C6 362C:?8 E96 3CF?E @7 E96 DF556? A@=:4J D9:7E]Â k^Am
kAmQ(6 762C :E D92== 36 A2DD65 5@H? E@ H@C<6CD E9C@F89 C6DECF4EFC:?8[ D9@CE‑E:>6 H@C< 2?5 A@DD:3=6 C6EC6?49>6?E[Q yFDE:46 r9:?96>2[ D64C6E2CJ @7 E96 +:>323H6 s:2>@?5 2?5 p==:65 |:?6C2=D (@C<6CD &?:@?[ D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ(@C<6CD 2C6 ?@H A2J:?8 EH:46 \– 7:CDE E9C@F89 F?D276 AC@5F4E:@? CFD96D[ 2?5 ?@H E9C@F89 =:<6=J ;@3 2?5 :?4@>6 :?D64FC:EJ[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp H@C<6C 2E !C@DA64E {:E9:F> +:>323H6 H9@ 2D<65 7@C 2?@?J>:EJ D2:5 >2?286>6?E H2D QD4C2AA:?8 @FC @G6CE:>6 2?5 8@:?8 324< E@ E96 ?@C>2= 6:89E\9@FC D9:7ED 7C@> E96 ``\ 2?5 `a\9@FC D9:7ED]Qk^Am
kAm(:E9 >2?J 56A6?56?E @? @G6CE:>6 A2J 2?5 @? C@==:?8 E9C66\>@?E9 4@?EC24ED[ 2?I:6EJ H2D 9:89]k^Am
kAmpE E96 9:DE@C:4 q:<:E2 |:?6C2=D[ E96 4@F?ECJVD =2C86DE =:E9:F> >:?6[ H@C<6CD H6C6 3C24:?8 7@C 2 E9:? A2J496BF6[ H:E9 H286D =:?<65 E@ AC@5F4E:@? E2C86ED[ 2?5 D@>6 H6C6 @? 7@C465 =62G6[ 2 H@C<6C D2:5[ 2=D@ 2?@?J>@FD=J]k^Am
kAm+:>323H6 :D Q7=:CE:?8 H:E9 2? @AA@CEF?:EJQ E@ >2I:>:D6 C6G6?F6 7C@> E96 8=@32= 8C66? 6?6C8J 3@@>[ D2:5 9F>2? C:89ED 5676?56C #2D9H62E |F<F?5F]k^Am
kAmqFE 96 BF6DE:@?65 :7 E96 4@F?ECJ 925 E96 Q:?E6C?2= 42A24:EJQ \\ :?4=F5:?8 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 <?@H\9@H \\ E@ 8@ 2D 72C 2D >2?F724EFC:?8 :ED @H? 32EE6C:6D]k^Am
kAmQs@ H6 92G6 E96 6IA6CE:D6n pE H92E A@:?E 6I24E=J 2C6 H6 =@@<:?8 2E G2=F6 255:E:@?nQ |F<F?5F 2D<65]k^Am
kAm%96 A@=:4J 4@F=5 2=D@ D42C6 @77 @E96C >:?:?8 :?G6DE>6?E[ 96 D2:5[ 2D<:?8i QpC6 H6 AFEE:?8 @FCD6=G6D @FE @7 4@>A6E:E:@?nQk^Am
kAmDEC^3C^9@^<;>^468k^Am
