HARARE – Zimbabwe’s Mines and Mining Development Minister, Polite Kambamura, has vowed to intensify the fight against the illicit export of gold, lithium and diamonds, warning that the government will relentlessly pursue individuals and syndicates involved in smuggling the country’s mineral wealth.
Speaking at the recently concluded Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe Annual General Meeting and Conference, Kambamura said mineral leakages were depriving the country of critical foreign currency earnings, tax revenue and employment opportunities.
“We remain uncompromising in combating gold leakages and smuggling. Every gram of gold lost through illicit channels represents lost foreign currency, lost revenue and lost national development opportunities,” he said.
“A tonne of lithium smuggled out of the country, a carat of diamond exported illicitly — that is revenue lost and jobs exported.”
The minister’s remarks come amid growing concern over illicit financial flows in Zimbabwe’s extractive sector, which analysts say continue to drain billions of dollars from the economy each year.
According to Centre for Natural Resource Governance, as much as 36 tonnes of gold may be smuggled out of Zimbabwe annually, a figure that at one stage exceeded half of officially recorded production.
A 2025 report by Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime described Zimbabwe’s mineral leakages as “industrial-scale looting”, involving sophisticated networks of criminal syndicates, private-sector actors and individuals embedded within state institutions.
“Non-renewable resource crimes are among Zimbabwe’s most profitable illicit markets,” the report said.
Authorities and investigators say lithium has emerged as one of the minerals most vulnerable to illegal export due to surging global demand driven by the electric vehicle and renewable energy industries.
Smuggling networks reportedly exploit porous borders through mislabelled consignments, forged customs documentation and corruption involving border officials.
In one reported case, a truck driver transporting what he believed to be chrome ore was intercepted after inspectors discovered the sealed container was carrying raw lithium, the export of which is prohibited under Zimbabwean law.
Experts say weak enforcement capacity and limited geological expertise among some border officials have created loopholes that are routinely exploited by traffickers.
Investigative journalists have also uncovered evidence of organised cross-border smuggling operations.
In April 2025, an undercover investigation by Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism exposed a transnational lithium smuggling network operating through South Africa and Mozambique.
The investigation revealed how local intermediaries and allegedly compromised border officials facilitated the movement of lithium ore out of Zimbabwe.
It also highlighted an unusual trade pattern in which South Africa, despite having limited domestic lithium production, recorded a dramatic increase of approximately 147,000 tonnes in lithium ore exports to China during 2024, raising suspicions that much of the material originated in Zimbabwe.
Kambamura said combating smuggling remains essential to protecting the country’s mineral resources and ensuring Zimbabweans derive full value from their natural wealth.
Zimbabwe is estimated to lose as much as US$15 billion annually through illicit financial flows, with gold and precious stones identified among the major contributors.
The figure exceeds the government’s US$12 billion target for the entire mining sector, illustrating the scale of the challenge facing authorities.
Farai Maguwu described the losses as devastating.
“It is looting at an industrial scale,” Maguwu said.
Although the government has introduced several measures, including a ban on raw lithium exports and tighter oversight of mineral exports, analysts warn that enforcement challenges, corruption and porous borders continue to undermine efforts to curb smuggling.
Observers argue that meaningful institutional reforms, stronger border controls and greater accountability will be required if Zimbabwe is to fully benefit from its vast mineral resources and prevent continued losses to criminal syndicates and foreign markets.
As global demand for strategic minerals continues to rise, the government faces increasing pressure to demonstrate that its renewed anti-smuggling campaign can deliver tangible results and protect one of the country’s most valuable economic assets.
Source – Mining Zimbabwe
The post Zimbabwe declares war on gold and lithium smugglers appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.