Tantalite: Zimbabwe's latest discovery

In the Bible, God promised the Jews the land of milk and honey. If the promise were made to Zimbabweans, it would probably be that of vast mineral resources. For such minerals as diamonds, gold and platinum, to mention but a few, are found in abundance in the rich soils of Zimbabwe. The recent discovery of tantalite, a mineral little known outside high-technology circles, at Rubatika Village in Seke, has once again proved that the country is sitting on huge deposits of discovered and yet-to-be discovered mineral resources.

Tantalite is a heavy black mineral which is mostly used in the electronics industry.

It is used for the manufacturing of electronic capacitors for cellphones and laptop computer chips, among others.

Due to worldwide demand, prices for tantalite occasionally soar to hundreds of dollars per kilogram.

It is mostly found in granite rocks.

The mineral was discovered by a villager who used to work in a tantalite mine in Buhera. Although The Sunday Mail In-Depth missed the actual "rush," which lasted only three days, villagers from the peri-urban settlement had a lot of tales to tell.

"I had never seen anything like this before. Our village was literally invaded by people from as far away as Hwedza, Harare and even Bindura. Word of the discovery of the mineral, which most people thought were diamonds, spread like a veld fire," said Mike Mazivero, a Rubatika Villager whose homestead is less than 200 metres from the place where the mineral was discovered.

Mazivero said that hundreds of panners camped just outside his homestead and the vehicles of prospective buyers, most of whom travelled from Harare, were "littered everywhere."

Ironically, Mazivero has been living in this village for the past 20 years without knowledge of the existence of the mineral.

Added Mazivero: "Using picks and shovels, this place was a total mess as the panners jostled for space to dig for the precious mineral. I witnessed two brawls that pitted opposing syndicates fighting over a rich belt."

Mazivero said that after only three days, the place was combed by the police and the panners were dispersed.

When The Sunday Mail In-Depth arrived at the mine, man-made gullies and gaping holes were clearly visible despite efforts by the Manyame Rural District Council to rehabilitate the area. Glittering stones were scattered everywhere.

Although the area is not fenced or guarded, locals are afraid of going anywhere near the mining zone.

Passersby could be seen pointing fingers in the direction of the mining zone.

"Riot police came here and drove everyone away. It was nasty, I tell you. No one will ever want a repeat of what happened that day," said Johannes Mbambo, who was herding cattle nearby.     

The discovery of the mineral had, albeit briefly, changed the lives of the locals for the better.

"Villagers, among them unemployed youths, suddenly found themselves earning a living out of the mineral which sold at US$10 for a cup full," added Mazivero.

The mineral fetches up to US$300 per kilogramme on the international market. The villagers' joy was, however, short-lived after a consortium of local businessmen acquired a prospecting licence that resulted in them being barred from the tantalite fields.

The mining company, the Seke Tantalum Syndicate Mine, is headed by Mr Masimba Rubatika, the chairman of the Manyame Rural District Council.

Although Rubatika said that the community would benefit, locals felt otherwise. "The rich will become richer whilst the poor remain poor. Few individuals now have the sole rights to the mineral. We are no longer allowed anywhere near the place," said a villager who refused to be named.

However, Rubatika said the locals would be given first priority when the mine becomes operational. "We are obviously going to employ locals at the mine. Mining needs capital and that is why we engaged people with resources. We will in future approach relevant authorities with the aim of establishing a community share trust," Rubatika said.

He said initial geological tests had concluded that the deposits had a 16 percent concentration and that it is abundant on close to 25 hectares of land.

To extract the mineral, stones are crushed, washed and tantalite, which is heavier than most ordinary stones, settles at the bottom of the washing bowl.

It is clearly distinctive and can be either black or brown in colour. Seke district administrator Mr Eric Samunda welcomed the setting up of the mine, saying it would create employment opportunities for the locals.

"The discovery of this mineral is a positive development. It is pleasing to note that Zimbabwe is endowed with such a mineral which is in demand the world over. The discovery will without doubt create employment for our people," Mr Samunda said.

But the locals feel they are likely to be relocated to pave way for the mining activities. The mining of tantalite has caused a number of ecological and social problems in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The sale of the mineral has in the past fuelled a civil war that has left millions of people dead.

Apart from Zimbabwe and DRC, tantalite has also been discovered in Egypt, Namibia, Madagascar and Rwanda.

It is also found in northern Europe and some parts of the United States and Australia, which produced about 75 percent of the mineral as of 2006. Brazil has the largest reserves of tantalite.

Although the mineral is virtually unknown to many, 15 Zimbabwean companies are listed on the Internet as suppliers of tantalite.

Sources within the mining industry told The Sunday Mail- In-Depth that the mineral, which is also mined in Murehwa, Mutoko, Masvingo, and Buhera, is often smuggled to the DRC for sale. Tantalite deposits were also discovered Marondera.

Zimbabwe Geological Survey director Mr Temba Hawadi was recently quoted as saying it was mandatory that all the disposal of the tantalite mineral should be done through the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe.