Photo: Yulian Alexeyev/Unsplash
The Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) recently published a policy note authored by Grasian Mkodzongi (Senior Researcher at NAI) titled ‘’Local inclusion and regulatory control key to sustainable mining’’. The note highlights how poor governance, foreign resource grabs, and the exclusion of local communities undermine the potential benefits of Zimbabwe’s lithium boom. While lithium is crucial for the global energy transition, Zimbabwe’s policies have failed to ensure inclusive and sustainable development in the sector.
Poor Governance and Inconsistent Policies
The policy note discusses how the Zimbabwean government has introduced policies such as the ban on unprocessed lithium exports and the eviction of artisanal miners to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and promote local lithium processing. However, the author highlights that these measures have been poorly implemented, benefiting political elites while disrupting a local lithium economy that provided jobs and income for thousands. The lack of planning and consultation has worsened unemployment and economic instability, leaving local communities worse off.
Foreign Resource Grabs and Economic Displacement
The policy highlights how foreign investors, particularly Chinese-owned companies, dominate Zimbabwe’s lithium sector. The author notes that similar patterns exist in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Madagascar, where mining booms have led to resource theft, environmental damage, and local displacement rather than economic empowerment. The global rush for critical minerals has intensified class conflicts over land, with governments enabling modern resource exploitation instead of ensuring national benefits.
Exclusion of Local Communities
Rather than integrating artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) into the formal mining sector, the government has criminalized them, cutting off a vital source of employment. The policy highlights how Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Ghana, and the DRC have all failed to formalize ASM, worsening poverty and inequality.
Recommendations and Regional Solutions
The author suggests that African governments should integrate local communities into mining instead of marginalizing them. He points to Indonesia and Chile as examples of countries that have strengthened government control over mining to ensure domestic economic benefits. Regional cooperation, such as the Zambia-DRC battery precursor project under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), could help resource-rich African nations retain more value domestically.
Ultimately, the policy note warns that without better governance, Zimbabwe risks missing out on the true benefits of the lithium boom, leaving local communities excluded from the global energy transition.
