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Zdamwu raps govt over lithium deals
24 Apr 2022 at 06:21hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Diamonds and Allied Mineral Workers Union (Zdamwu) has rapped the government for allowing the deals which are seeing the nation losing large in the lithium mining.
Zdamwu secretary general Justice Chinhema said so 2 Zimbabweans, Professor Kingston Kajese and Paul Chimbodza get a lithium claim and inturn sell 87% of the claim to an Australian company (prospect resources).
He said so far no mining is done and the Australian company then sells the lithium mine to a Chinese firm.
"The Chinese mine Huayou pays $422 million for the mine. Of the $422 million, $388 goes to the Australian mine and $44 million shared between Chimbodza and Kajese. The president approves the deal," he said.
"In one move Zimbabwe has just sold one of the most strategic mineral to the Chinese with no gain for the country ( Australia gains $388 million while 2 zimbos get $44 million)."
He said now here is why as a country the natives are stupid.
"The future is electric cars and solar energy both which require lithium. The price of lithium is now $17 000usd per tonne. The Chinese mine has said it intends to mine 2.4 million tonnes a year . This translates to $4.1billion usd a year or $342 million USD a month," he said.
"Remember they bought the mine for $422 million. Within 1 month the Chinese would have returned what they paid. So why did our government allow such a stupid deal when in Zimbabwe we have to import lithium batteries from South Africa?."
"Why could our government not see the same potential the Chinese saw . Instead we could have easily partnered with Tesla to mine the lithium and manufacture lithium batteries in Zimbabwe while partnering local companies such as oxide?"
He said Kajese and Zimbodza are the only 2 Zimbabweans to benefit from this .Most of the employment generated will go to Chinese nationals.
"We will be left only with a destroyed and polluted environment. How can we be so stupid as a nation? How could the president endorse such a strategic mineral?" he asked.
Zdamwu secretary general Justice Chinhema said so 2 Zimbabweans, Professor Kingston Kajese and Paul Chimbodza get a lithium claim and inturn sell 87% of the claim to an Australian company (prospect resources).
He said so far no mining is done and the Australian company then sells the lithium mine to a Chinese firm.
"The Chinese mine Huayou pays $422 million for the mine. Of the $422 million, $388 goes to the Australian mine and $44 million shared between Chimbodza and Kajese. The president approves the deal," he said.
"In one move Zimbabwe has just sold one of the most strategic mineral to the Chinese with no gain for the country ( Australia gains $388 million while 2 zimbos get $44 million)."
"The future is electric cars and solar energy both which require lithium. The price of lithium is now $17 000usd per tonne. The Chinese mine has said it intends to mine 2.4 million tonnes a year . This translates to $4.1billion usd a year or $342 million USD a month," he said.
"Remember they bought the mine for $422 million. Within 1 month the Chinese would have returned what they paid. So why did our government allow such a stupid deal when in Zimbabwe we have to import lithium batteries from South Africa?."
"Why could our government not see the same potential the Chinese saw . Instead we could have easily partnered with Tesla to mine the lithium and manufacture lithium batteries in Zimbabwe while partnering local companies such as oxide?"
He said Kajese and Zimbodza are the only 2 Zimbabweans to benefit from this .Most of the employment generated will go to Chinese nationals.
"We will be left only with a destroyed and polluted environment. How can we be so stupid as a nation? How could the president endorse such a strategic mineral?" he asked.
Source - Byo24News
