News / National
Zimbabwean communities raise alarm over lithium mining impacts
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As global demand for lithium surges to power electric vehicles and household solar batteries, the scramble for Zimbabwe's rich lithium deposits is exposing deep-rooted tensions between economic interests and the rights of rural communities.
Key lithium mines - including the Mandihongola mine in Gwanda, the Sandawana mine in Mberengwa, and the Arcadia mine in Goromonzi - are situated in communal lands that have been home to generations of indigenous people. These mining activities, largely operated by Chinese-owned companies under exclusive rights granted by the state, are raising serious concerns about land rights, environmental degradation, and lack of community benefit.
Under section 324 of the current Mines and Minerals Act, the President holds the authority to expropriate land for extractive activities. While the law enables mining of strategic resources, its application to lithium - now considered a critical mineral - has proven controversial due to its displacement effects on long-standing communities and scarce natural resources.
In districts such as Gwanda, lithium-rich rock is found not only on designated mining land but also in nearby settlements like Garanyemba. Communities that have occupied these lands for five to eight generations now face threats to their grazing land, water sources, and ultimately their way of life. Despite the environmental and social toll, compensation for displaced or affected villagers remains inadequate or entirely absent.
The clash between mining interests and indigenous rights is further complicated by governance gaps. While Rural District Councils possess legal authority over land use, their power in halting or regulating mining projects appears minimal when national economic priorities come into play. Meanwhile, the role of traditional leaders - chiefs and headmen - in safeguarding ancestral land has been increasingly undermined.
Environmental and governmental agencies have remained noticeably silent on the situation. The Ministry of Mines and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) have not issued any public statements regarding the environmental and social impact of lithium extraction in affected areas. There are also no confirmed reports of environmental inspections or regulatory enforcement on the lithium mining operations currently underway.
In Mandihongola, villagers report that the lithium company operating in the area is extracting and processing nearly 1,000 tonnes of ore daily. Residents accuse the company of polluting vital water sources - including a local dam used by cattle - with toxic residue from lithium processing. For these communities, livestock represent both livelihood and wealth, and the threat to grazing and clean water is existential.
"Communities here are not benefiting from these mining activities, apart from low-paying manual jobs that barely meet subsistence needs," said one concerned villager. "Meanwhile, our cattle are drinking poisoned water and our grazing land is disappearing."
While Zimbabwe has environmental laws in place - including section 57(1) of the Environmental Management Act, which stipulates fines of up to US$5,000 or five years' imprisonment for water pollution - enforcement is weak, especially in remote rural areas where communities lack the means to hold mining companies accountable.
There is also no clarity on the rehabilitation of lithium mining sites once extraction ends. Without clear government policy or binding commitments from mining companies, locals fear they will be left with degraded land, polluted water, and no sustainable future.
Observers say the current trajectory of unchecked lithium mining mirrors the environmental damage already wrought by gold mining in parts of the country, where mercury and cyanide have poisoned rivers that feed municipal water systems.
The growing silence from government ministries, including Environment, Climate and Tourism, raises fears that the concerns of communal land inhabitants are being overlooked in favour of short-term economic gain.
As Zimbabwe positions itself as a major player in the global clean energy transition, experts warn that the country must urgently strike a balance between economic development and the protection of rural communities and ecosystems.
"If authorities continue to turn a blind eye, only a disaster will prompt the action that should have come long before the damage is done," one environmental advocate said.
Without clear intervention, transparency, and community safeguards, the country's lithium boom may come at an unsustainable cost to its people and environment.
Key lithium mines - including the Mandihongola mine in Gwanda, the Sandawana mine in Mberengwa, and the Arcadia mine in Goromonzi - are situated in communal lands that have been home to generations of indigenous people. These mining activities, largely operated by Chinese-owned companies under exclusive rights granted by the state, are raising serious concerns about land rights, environmental degradation, and lack of community benefit.
Under section 324 of the current Mines and Minerals Act, the President holds the authority to expropriate land for extractive activities. While the law enables mining of strategic resources, its application to lithium - now considered a critical mineral - has proven controversial due to its displacement effects on long-standing communities and scarce natural resources.
In districts such as Gwanda, lithium-rich rock is found not only on designated mining land but also in nearby settlements like Garanyemba. Communities that have occupied these lands for five to eight generations now face threats to their grazing land, water sources, and ultimately their way of life. Despite the environmental and social toll, compensation for displaced or affected villagers remains inadequate or entirely absent.
The clash between mining interests and indigenous rights is further complicated by governance gaps. While Rural District Councils possess legal authority over land use, their power in halting or regulating mining projects appears minimal when national economic priorities come into play. Meanwhile, the role of traditional leaders - chiefs and headmen - in safeguarding ancestral land has been increasingly undermined.
Environmental and governmental agencies have remained noticeably silent on the situation. The Ministry of Mines and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) have not issued any public statements regarding the environmental and social impact of lithium extraction in affected areas. There are also no confirmed reports of environmental inspections or regulatory enforcement on the lithium mining operations currently underway.
In Mandihongola, villagers report that the lithium company operating in the area is extracting and processing nearly 1,000 tonnes of ore daily. Residents accuse the company of polluting vital water sources - including a local dam used by cattle - with toxic residue from lithium processing. For these communities, livestock represent both livelihood and wealth, and the threat to grazing and clean water is existential.
While Zimbabwe has environmental laws in place - including section 57(1) of the Environmental Management Act, which stipulates fines of up to US$5,000 or five years' imprisonment for water pollution - enforcement is weak, especially in remote rural areas where communities lack the means to hold mining companies accountable.
There is also no clarity on the rehabilitation of lithium mining sites once extraction ends. Without clear government policy or binding commitments from mining companies, locals fear they will be left with degraded land, polluted water, and no sustainable future.
Observers say the current trajectory of unchecked lithium mining mirrors the environmental damage already wrought by gold mining in parts of the country, where mercury and cyanide have poisoned rivers that feed municipal water systems.
The growing silence from government ministries, including Environment, Climate and Tourism, raises fears that the concerns of communal land inhabitants are being overlooked in favour of short-term economic gain.
As Zimbabwe positions itself as a major player in the global clean energy transition, experts warn that the country must urgently strike a balance between economic development and the protection of rural communities and ecosystems.
"If authorities continue to turn a blind eye, only a disaster will prompt the action that should have come long before the damage is done," one environmental advocate said.
Without clear intervention, transparency, and community safeguards, the country's lithium boom may come at an unsustainable cost to its people and environment.
Source - NewZimbabwe
