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Ivan Zhakata and Victor Maphosa

Mining giant Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe needs to move to manufacture lithium batteries locally and export them to boost Zimbabwe’s economy, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East Aplonia Munzverengwi said yesterday.

Speaking during a tour of Prospect’s offices and staff accommodation in Goromonzi yesterday, Minister Munzverengwi said the compnay should not only mine lithium for export but also consider producing lithium batteries for the local, regional and international markets.

She also toured the plant to have an appreciation of PLZ’s operations in the mining and processing of raw lithium.

Minister Munzverengwi was happy that PLZ was abiding by the Zimbabwean laws as well as international laws regarding the mining and processing of lithium.

“Here at PLZ, initially they were mining and exporting unprocessed lithium but because of the laws of the Zimbabwean government which says we want our companies to mine and process that is why we see that at PLZ they are mining and processing,” she said.

“They also want to involve their further to process up to the level of lithium sulphate and we are saying they should go beyond that. They have to plan ahead to say at the end of the day all things done we want to export finished products in the form of lithium batteries.

“There is nothing which can stop us because the role material is there. It is in abundance and all what is needed is the proper equipment then value add more and produce lithium batteries.”

Minister Munzverengwi said PLZ should also create lithium products that will add value to the country’s economy.

“What should stop us from exporting lithium batteries to South Africa, Zambia, the African region and even beyond,” she said.

“I am challenging the PLZ team, our engineers here to say go back on the drawing board. We do not want what you are exporting but maybe half of what you are exporting should all value and produce various products for export.”

Minister Munzverengwi also said Government was ready to give PLZ more land to develop special economic zones.

“What is done is special economic zones is different from what is done from the industrial sites that we see. It means that what will be done there will be of high quality,” she said.

PLZ director in the general manager’s office Mr Yu Long said they will look into manufacturing lithium batteries though it is a long process.

“As PLZ we will follow the procedure step by step. Firstly, we need to finish the concentrate then we go to another step of making lithium sulphate and we continue up to furthering our activities to the manufacturing of batteries,” he said.