Persistent Lithium Smuggling in Zimbabwe Amidst Enduring Corruption Challenges

Harare – In 2023, Peter, a truck driver, approached a border checkpoint between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Having previously handled shipments for this Chinese-owned company, he had no reason to suspect the contents of his truck’s sealed container.

“We just assumed everything was in order,” he notes.

However, rather than chrome, as detailed in the paperwork, inspectors found raw lithium.

Legally, unprocessed lithium cannot exit Zimbabwe without written approval from the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.

Peter did not possess that authorization. Consequently, border officials seized the truck and trailer, valued at over US$50,000, for a year.

Drape Trucking, Peter’s employer, eventually retrieved it by paying a US$5,000 fine.

Zimbabwe, which boasts Africa’s largest lithium reserves, is uniquely positioned to satisfy the global appetite for green energy and cutting-edge technology.

While its production is small compared to leaders like Australia and Chile, Zimbabwe stands among the top eight producers of lithium, generating 1,200 tons in 2021 alone.

Yet, with increasing demand comes a rise in illegal trading.

In Zimbabwe, some enterprises mislabel shipments or understate the quality and quantity of lithium exports.

Border officials—either uninformed or complicit—allow these shipments to pass, compromising regulatory efforts for one of Zimbabwe’s most precious resources.

Peter requested that Global Press Journal use only his first name and chose not to reveal the name of the company linked to the shipping container’s contents.

He disclosed the name of the company’s owner, but Global Press Journal could not verify their involvement in the industry.

Tendai, a former border agent, claimed he accepted bribes to facilitate lithium shipments across the border.

Tendai confirmed the incident regarding Peter, mentioning he faced arrest and fines for his actions.

Like many sources who spoke to Global Press Journal for this piece, he opted for anonymity due to fears of job termination.

Barely banned

In 2022, Zimbabwe banned raw lithium exports to prevent smuggling and promote domestic processing for higher value.

Since then, some of the nation’s largest lithium mining firms, like Arcadia and Bikita Minerals, have commenced processing operations.

Data on whether these regulations have boosted revenue remains unclear.

Official figures indicate a 230% increase in the country’s lithium production capacity from 2022 to 2023.

Most of the product is shipped to China, which dominates 90% of Zimbabwe’s mining sector.

Nevertheless, the ban has barely diminished lithium smuggling through Zimbabwe’s porous borders.

According to Gorden Moyo, director of the Public Policy and Research Institute of Zimbabwe, the new regulations have been largely ineffective.

He claims that officials, including security services colluding with politicians and foreign governments, particularly China, facilitate these illegal exports.

Nomsa Jane Moyo, general manager at the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe, a state-owned entity inspecting exports, insists that the organization vigilantly monitors mining at all stages to ensure compliance with declared quantities and qualities.

She asserts that they intercept illegal activities.

The government seized 22 lithium shipments in 2023 and 23 in 2024. Some were confiscated before reaching the borders; others were flagged by officials at the Forbes border post, linking Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and the Beitbridge border post, connecting Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Secrecy at the mines

According to the Minerals Marketing Corporation, Zimbabwe sold a total of 769,086 metric tons of lithium in 2023, worth US$794 million, primarily produced by two companies: Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe and Bikita Minerals.

Almost two-thirds of these minerals were exported to China (59%) or Hong Kong (7%), based on United Nations trade statistics.

However, these figures likely do not reflect the true volume of lithium leaving Zimbabwe, asserts Tendai, the former border agent. Lithium export permits impose limits on what a company can export, resulting in frequent underreporting, he explains.

The discrepancies often arise at the mines, where officials claim to closely monitor operations, notes Tatenda, an employee at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe who requested anonymity for job security.

Tatenda alleges that the company intentionally undervalues high-grade lithium.

“While the ministry of mines conducts inspections,” he comments, “the high-quality lithium is hidden beneath lower-value ore to mislead inspectors.”

Global Press Journal made several attempts to reach Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe for comments.

Officials acknowledged the request but did not respond afterward.

Companies mislabel shipments or understate the quality and volume of lithium exports, with border officials—either unaware or colluding—permitting these shipments to pass.

Nomsa Jane Moyo from the Minerals Marketing Corporation asserts that quality tests conducted on lithium at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe comply with all legal requirements.

Tendai claims that some mining firms evade shipment records by bribing not only border officials but also personnel from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe, and others throughout the export process.

Despite multiple interview requests, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority did not respond, and Nomsa Jane Moyo did not address corruption allegations within the Minerals Marketing Corporation.

Corruption fosters smuggling, but some border officials lack basic knowledge about the items they inspect, argues Levious Chiukira, a customs and trade consultant at Gleam Customs and Clearing Agency.

“I worked as a customs official for years, yet I cannot differentiate between petalite and lepidolite, both lithium variants,” he states.

“[The revenue authority] doesn’t employ geologists, creating an institutional knowledge gap.”

Undermined

Exporters exploit regulatory loopholes, asserts Gorden Moyo. “While corruption is criminalized in China, they operate abroad with a sense of immunity.”

The government has not improved the situation.

Contracts between the state and investors remain inaccessible to the public, as highlighted in a report by the Africa Policy Research Institute.

This lack of transparency damages public trust, claims Tafara Chiremba, an environmentalist at the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association.

Due to smuggling, it is China, not Zimbabwe, that benefits from the nation’s lithium resources.

*Linda Mujuru is a Global Press Journal Reporter-in-Residence based in Harare, Zimbabwe. She is one of Global Press’ most widely read and syndicated journalists. In 2023, she received the Community Champion Award.

*This article was originally published by Global Press Journal, which provides bold, investigative, and in-depth explanatory reporting on the world’s most critical issues.