In
an
explosive
revelation,
authorities
have
admitted
that
traffickers
have
been
exploiting
loopholes
in
the
system,
allowing
truckloads
of
high-value
resources
to
slip
through
border
posts
while
being
falsely
labelled
as
a
single,
less-regulated
mineral.
This
practice
has
allowed
smugglers
to
bypass
strict
export
restrictions,
dodge
massive
tax
bills,
and
conceal
the
presence
of
a
cocktail
of
precious
elements
destined
for
foreign
processors.
The
Ministry
of
Mines
and
Mining
Development
has
lifted
the
lid
on
the
cunning
scheme,
explaining
that
Zimbabwe’s
geology
is
both
a
blessing
and
a
target.
Permanent
Secretary
Mr
Pfungwa
Kunaka
laid
bare
the
details,
stating
that
the
suspension,
announced
last
week
by
Minister
Dr
Polite
Kambamura,
is
a
necessary
measure
to
force
proper
processing
on
home
soil.
“Our
ores
are
multi-mineral
in
nature
and
bear
more
than
one
element.
Therefore,
the
suspension
will
enable
us
on
a
whole-of-Government
basis
to
ensure
our
policies
and
measures
are
complied
with,
particularly
our
thrust
on
value
addition
and
beneficiation
of
our
minerals,”
said
Mr
Kunaka.
He
explained
that
a
single
consignment
of
rock,
declared
simply
as
“lithium
ore,”
could
actually
be
teeming
with
valuable
by-products
like
tantalum,
tin,
or
even
rare
earth
elements.
By
exporting
it
raw
and
undeclared,
Zimbabwe
was
effectively
giving
away
these
bonus
minerals
for
free,
losing
out
on
billions
in
potential
revenue.
“The
statement
made
it
clear
export
processing
of
all
materials
(including
those)
in
transit
was
suspended,
as
long
as
it
had
not
left
our
borders
when
the
statement
was
made.
This
affected
not
lithium
alone
but
others.
Where
there
was
lack
of
clarity,
the
ministry
followed
up
to
clarify,”
Mr
Kunaka
added.
The
government
insists
that
through
proper
beneficiation
—
which
involves
crushing,
milling,
and
chemical
separation
—
Zimbabwe
can
finally
quantify,
tax,
and
sell
each
individual
mineral
component
at
its
true
market
value,
rather
than
accepting
pittance
for
unprocessed
bulk
rock.
The
era
of
easy
exports
is
over.
Mines
and
Mining
Development
Minister
Dr
Polite
Kambamura
issued
a
stark
warning
to
the
industry,
making
it
clear
that
the
“national
interest”
now
trumps
corporate
convenience.
The
government
is
erecting
a
fortress
of
red
tape
to
ensure
no
grain
of
sand
leaves
the
country
without
proper
scrutiny.
Minister
Kambamura
directed
the
Zimbabwe
Revenue
Authority
(Zimra)
and
the
Minerals
Marketing
Corporation
of
Zimbabwe
(MMCZ)
to
immediately
block
all
shipments
lacking
valid
permits.
He
stressed
that
only
those
with
skin
in
the
game
will
be
allowed
to
play.
“Government
expects
cooperation
of
the
mining
industry
on
this
measure
which
has
been
taken
in
the
national
interest,”
said
Dr
Kambamura.
Under
the
new
hardline
stance,
only
mining
companies
that
hold
valid
mining
titles
and
have
operational,
government-approved
beneficiation
plants
will
be
authorised
to
ship
minerals
out.
Middlemen,
agents,
and
third-party
traders
are
now
completely
barred
from
the
export
game.
Exporters
must
now
secure
a
recommendation
letter
from
their
Provincial
Mines
Office.
This
letter
must
confirm
the
company’s
capacity
for
value
addition
and
prove
they
are
compliant
with
all
regulations.
Crucially,
every
single
consignment
must
undergo
rigorous
testing
to
provide
a
full
declaration
of
its
mineral
composition,
backed
by
weight
checks
to
catch
any
attempt
at
underhanded
dealings.
This
sweeping
suspension
is
not
a
random
policy
shift,
but
the
culmination
of
a
furious
government
investigation
sparked
by
a
discovery
at
the
Port
of
Beira
in
Mozambique.
In
January,
authorities
were
alerted
to
massive
stockpiles
of
Zimbabwean
mineral
ores
sitting
at
the
Mozambican
port,
sparking
fears
of
a
grand
smuggling
operation.
Deputy
Chief
Secretary
in
the
Office
of
the
President
and
Cabinet,
Mr
George
Charamba,
confirmed
that
the
discovery
had
prompted
President
Mnangagwa
to
order
an
immediate
and
comprehensive
investigation.
“In
terms
of
Government
policy,
I
wish
to
remind
everyone
who
is
involved
in
mining,
as
well
as
our
law
enforcement
agencies
who
man
our
ports
of
entry,
that
Government
took
a
position
of
slapping
a
blanket
ban
on
the
exportation
of
mineral
ore
with
a
view
to
ensuring
that
there
is
greater
value
addition
activity
on
our
minerals,”
Mr
Charamba
stated
at
the
time.
He
pointed
out
that
while
lithium
was
previously
granted
a
temporary
exemption
to
allow
companies
like
Prospect
Lithium
Zimbabwe
and
Bikita
Minerals
to
build
processing
plants,
that
grace
period
was
being
exploited.
“In
the
event
that
the
stockpiles
in
Beira
are
found
to
relate
to
minerals
to
which
this
ban
applies
and
that
they
found
their
way
beyond
our
territory
without
the
necessary
permission,
Government,
working
closely
with
the
sister
Republic
of
Mozambique,
will
ensure
that
the
bridge
is
repaired
swiftly
and
without
fear
or
favour,”
he
warned.
With
over
US$1
billion
(approximately
R18.4
billion)
already
invested
in
local
lithium
processing
plants,
some
of
which
are
slated
to
open
next
year,
the
government
is
signaling
that
the
era
of
raw
mineral
exports
is
ending.
President
Mnangagwa
has
consistently
hammered
home
the
message
that
while
minerals
account
for
over
60
percent
of
the
nation’s
exports,
shipping
them
out
raw
is
a
fool’s
errand
that
starves
the
country
of
jobs
and
industrial
development.
-iHarare
Post
published
in:
Business