Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
George Maponga, Masvingo Bureau
Bikita Minerals, which is owned by Sinomine, was initially producing lithium concentrates that were exported in raw form, before the Government stepped in and gave the country’s lithium mine a deadline to start moving towards value-addition so that Zimbabwe can accrue more benefits from its vast deposits of the mineral.
Lithium is traded globally as pure salts of the mineral since the metal is so highly reactive and bursts into flame in the presence of water or moisture.
Last year, President Mnangagwa commissioned spodumene and petalite processing plants at Bikita Minerals after a US$300 million investment, demonstrating the company’s long-term commitment to Zimbabwe, which is pursuing Vision 2030 of an empowered upper-middle income society.
The construction of a lithium sulphate plant by Bikita Minerals supports the country’s industrialisation drive, as Zimbabwe moves away from exporting raw materials, towards value-added items for higher returns and benefits to the economy.
The Second Republic has positioned industrialisation at the centre of the drive to leapfrog Zimbabwe’s economy in the journey towards Vision 2030.
From July 28 to August 2, Zimbabwe hosted the 7th SADC Industrialisation Week, where delegates from the 16 countries discussed ways to accelerate industrialisation, enhance regional integration and trade in the bloc and continent and increase investment.
Permanent Secretary for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa, said Masvingo was firmly on the road to industrialisation, joining the rest of the country towards an upper-middle income society.
Bikita Minerals was one of the firms headlining the province’s march towards industrialisation.
A feasibility study for the lithium sulphate project was underway, with the plant expected to come on stream in 2028.
Building a lithium sulphate plant will enable Bikita Minerals to accrue benefits from the booming lithium battery market as the world increasingly moves towards eco-friendly sources of energy in light of the devastating effects of climate change caused by petroleum products.
The new investment would boost the province’s gross domestic product, with more jobs and opportunities for downstream industries being created.
Masvingo Province is endowed with natural resources, mainly minerals that could anchor rapid socio-economic transformation and speedy attainment of Vision 2030 goals.
Bikita Minerals was one of the big companies driving rapid socio-economic transformation with many expansion projects, having created hundreds of direct and indirect jobs for people in the province.
The power project was necessitated by a surge in demand for power at the mine following the construction of spodumene and petalite plants last year.
The project is also a boon for the Government’s rural electrification drive as surrounding communities in Bikita, Gutu and parts of Zaka are now benefitting from the electricity.
Masvingo Province has set a target to grow its provincial Gross Domestic Product to US$8 billion by 2030 and mining is instrumental in the achievement of that target.
As part of the rural industrialisation programme, the Government, with support from the private sector, is setting up companies in rural areas under the mantra, “leaving no one and no place behind”.
Cooking oil plants, gold mining companies and others, have opened shop in rural areas, stemming the rural-urban migration that previously caused pressure on resources in urban settlements.
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