By Thomas Chidamba

ZIMBABWE’ Mining Minister Winston Chitando has urged the mining industry to combat mineral leakages and smuggling, which he says are hampering efforts to add value to the country’s mineral resources.

Rampant smuggling of gold, diamonds, lithium, and other minerals has plagued Zimbabwe’s mining sector for years, depriving the nation of critical export revenues. A 2022 report by the Centre for Natural Resources Governance highlights that smuggling by artisanal miners alone leads to illicit financial flows, causing an annual loss of up to $1.9 billion.

Addressing the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe’s annual conference in Victoria Falls recently, Chitando stressed the need to develop ethical and environmentally responsible mining practices throughout the mineral value chain.

“We acknowledge the challenges that may be faced in enhancing the critical mineral value chain. One of the notable challenges is the leakage of minerals which shortchanges their supply,” Chitando said. “We need to take a comprehensive and cooperative approach to overcome these challenges.”

Value Addition Key Focus

The government has prioritised greater value addition and beneficiation of minerals before export as a way to capture maximum economic benefits. However, leakages obstruct these ambitions by diverting supplies away from formal processing channels.

“It is imperative that we develop ethical and environmentally responsible mining and processing practices throughout the value chain,” the minister urged mining firms.

Mining Companies Face Scrutiny
Mineral smuggling and leakages have put Zimbabwe’s mining companies under scrutiny from authorities and civic groups. While large operators have stringent controls, there are concerns that some companies may be turning a blind eye or not doing enough to secure their supply chains against illegal siphoning of minerals.

Civil society organisations have raised alarms about how illicit mineral trafficking can enable corruption, human rights violations, and environmental crimes when traders bypass legal oversight and trade minerals through unregulated channels.

Zimbabwe, as it aims to grow its mining industry, will need to address mineral leakages decisively by improving governance, formalising artisanal mining, and motivating domestic mineral processing in order to realise the government’s value addition ambitions.