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Business Reporter
JIMBATA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zimbabwe Lithium Company, has commenced an evaluation exercise to determine the lithium resource in the dumps at Kamativi Tin Mine. The technical report on the dumps marked the completion of the major condition precedent prior to the signing of a definitive agreement between the Zimbabwe Lithium Company and its Canadian partner, Chimata Gold Corporation, Jimbata managing director John McTaggart said.

“I am happy to announce that we have met our target of site mobilisation by the 1st of March and we look forward to a positive outcome of the resource estimate programme currently underway at Kamativi,” said Mr McTaggart.

“Commencement of the independent report marks an important milestone in the formalisation of the relationship between Chimata Gold Corporation and Jimbata.”

Between March and April this year, Jimbata will be conducting an evaluation programme, which entails a drilling holes to depths of 1 500 metres as well as sampling.

“We are using the auger drill to establish the third dimension and depth of the dump as well as the grades of the tin, tantalite and lithium that it contains,” said Mr McTaggart.

He said the results of the programme would be used for production of the NI 43-101 Compliant Resource Estimate for the Kamativi Tailings Project, being done under the supervision of the MSA Group.

Jimbata is also looking at beneficiating spodumene to lithium carbonate in the next three years, in line with Government’s call for beneficiation and value addition of mineral resources. Chimata Gold Corporation says it sees the Kamativi project as a Brownfield providing a clear and quick path to production.

Lithium is emerging as a potential game changer for Zimbabwe’s mining industry and economy in general, as investors line up to exploit the mineral, an essential element in the production of batteries used in electric vehicles. Zimbabwe boasts vast deposits of lithium, but production still lags behind other global producers of the mineral, with only one company Bikita Resources currently producing.

The demand for battery-grade lithium compounds is expected to sky-rocket in the next decade in response to expected increase in demand for electric vehicles.