104 families to be moved for US$300m Sandawana Lithium Project

Mutapa Energy Resources is advancing plans to relocate 104 families at Sandawana Mine in Mberengwa to make way for a planned US$300 million lithium concentrator, with construction of new homes expected to be completed by the end of September 2026.

The relocation forms part of the mining company's broader expansion programme, which includes the development of new infrastructure and community facilities around Sandawana.

Mutapa Energy Resources chief executive officer Innocent Rukweza said the company had already constructed about 10 demonstration houses to allow Government officials, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to assess the designs and finalise specifications before construction of the remaining homes.

Each family will receive a four-roomed house equipped with a kitchen and ablution facilities at an estimated cost of US$28,000 per unit.

Rukweza said construction of all 104 houses was expected to be completed between September 20 and the end of the month.

"Once they are happy with those houses and units, we can then finalise the other houses. We are targeting 20 September to about the end of September to finalise all the 104 houses," he said.

Mutapa Energy Resources operates under the Mutapa Investment Fund.

Resident engineer for the relocation programme Munyaradzi Gutsa said the housing designs had been benchmarked against existing standards before being adapted to suit local conditions.

The relocation programme is being funded and implemented by Mutapa Energy Resources and includes construction of the new homes, fencing of the relocation area and installation of water reticulation systems to individual households.

The company will also relocate key public facilities currently situated within the mining lease, including a primary school, clinic and police station.

The project will further require the exhumation and relocation of 52 graves located within the planned plant area.

Gutsa said construction costs were being monitored closely because of fluctuations in the prices of key inputs, with fuel costs affecting the prices of materials such as cement and bricks.

Local traditional leaders have welcomed the relocation programme and the wider infrastructure development planned around Sandawana.

Chief Bvute, born Andrew Bvute, said the development of roads in the area would address longstanding challenges faced by communities, particularly dust and poor accessibility.

He said upgrading the road network would improve mobility while reducing the impact of dust on surrounding communities and vegetation.

Chief Mahlebadza, born Pelile Damba, said traditional leaders and communities had been consulted as part of the relocation and broader development programme.

"We came so that we give you feedback," he said, acknowledging the engagement between the company and surrounding communities.

The mining development is also being supported by the upgrading of a 52-kilometre road between York and Sandawana.

Mutapa Energy Resources has engaged three contractors — Fossil, Masimba and Shumba Mhazi Group, trading as SM Projects — to work on different sections of the road.

The works include the Mutsime Bridge, which has historically presented challenges to motorists and communities during the rainy season.

Rukweza said all three contractors had received mobilisation payments to commence their respective works.

Local Member of Parliament Tafanana Zhou said the improved road would make it easier for communities across Mberengwa to access Sandawana.

"The road is going to ease the passage of the people across the district. Right now, the people were having some challenges like travelling from Mberengwa, where our growth point is, to come to Sandawana," Zhou said.

Beyond infrastructure development, Mutapa Energy Resources is implementing community empowerment programmes aimed at increasing the economic benefits of the mining project for surrounding communities.

The initiatives include the purchase of 32 cattle for community projects and the development of community gardens equipped with drip irrigation.

The irrigation systems are intended to support year-round agricultural production and reduce communities' dependence on seasonal rainfall.

Rukweza said the initiatives were part of the company's efforts to ensure communities surrounding Sandawana benefited from the mine's development.

The relocation is ultimately linked to the company's plans to establish a US$300 million lithium concentrator at Sandawana.

Rukweza said the company remained committed to commissioning the concentrator in November 2027.

In the interim, Sandawana is toll processing its ore through facilities in Gwanda and Zvishavane.

Rukweza said the company had generated more than US$80 million in revenue from ore deliveries to the Gwanda lithium plant so far this year.

The company is targeting annual revenue of between US$100 million and US$140 million, depending on lithium price movements.

The wider Sandawana development programme also includes plans for a 132kV power line and a water pipeline to support future mining and processing operations.

The relocation of the 104 families is therefore a critical step in the expansion of Sandawana Mine, as Mutapa Energy Resources prepares the site for the planned concentrator while developing supporting infrastructure and community facilities.