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Source: UK firm targets US$500m lithium investment – herald

Ivan Zhakata

Herald Correspondent

British-registered firm, XI8 Capital Plc, is projecting a five-year investment of approximately US$500 million to develop lithium oxide reserves in Insiza District.

The company, listed on the Austrian and German stock exchanges, plans to establish a modern extraction and processing operation anchored on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.

The firm is actively pursuing a stake in Zimbabwe’s lithium sector as confidence in the country’s mining industry continues to firm, following the lifting of financial restrictions by the European Union and President Mnangagwa’s “open for business” mantra.

XI8 Capital is in negotiations with a local partner to secure an interest in licenced lithium deposits covering an initial 600 hectares in Insiza, which spans approximately 8 221 square kilometres in Matabeleland South Province.

Initial exploratory work in Insiza has revealed high-grade, near-surface lithium deposits, giving XI8 Capital confidence that a capital raise for further exploration could lay the foundation for a full-scale lithium extraction, processing and value addition venture.

The investment interest comes at a time when European markets are increasingly driven by demand for clean energy storage and environmentally sustainable alternatives.

XI8 Capital Plc said community participation was central to the sustainability of its investment.

“We appreciate the need for direct participation by the local community, whose economic benefit and goodwill will only serve to sustain and grow our investment into the long term,” the company said in a recent statement.

“European markets are not only interested in reduced carbon footprint from energy consumption, but are concerned by any exclusion of local communities from mineral resource-driven development of alternative clean energy sources that local lithium deposits can guarantee.”

The proposed joint venture has been welcomed by the local community, represented by traditional leader Dambisa Mahubo Mafu, Chief Maduna, who has been actively seeking foreign investment into the resource-endowed district.

Chief Maduna said the project would bring far-reaching benefits to both the local community and the country at large.

“It is an investment that is going to improve the livelihoods of my people, but not only my people but Zimbabwe in general. I am very happy and looking forward to that partnership,” he said.

Chief Maduna added that the development dovetails with the country’s broader economic vision.

“When you talk of improving people’s livelihoods, that goes in tandem with the national vision. As locals, we must also contribute towards that vision,” he said.

He added that successful implementation would result in tangible infrastructure development in his area, including new clinics, roads and schools.

The chief also confirmed that the community has been extensively engaged on the project and was ready to embrace the investment.

“I have been engaging with them for a long time and the people are aware that this is a good investment that will improve their lives through employment creation. They are welcome, and they work closely with village leadership,” he said.

Villagers expressed similar optimism.

Mr Tinashe Ndlovu said the investment would open up opportunities for local youths, while Mrs Nomsa Sibanda described the lithium venture as a turning point for the district, expecting it to transform the community through improved infrastructure and living standards.

Renewed investor appetite comes as the country’s mining sector records strong growth, with mineral export earnings reaching US$3,4 billion in 2025 — a 14 percent increase from 2024, according to the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ).

Lithium accounted for US$571,6 million of that total, reinforcing the country’s strategic role in the global battery minerals market.

According to the United States Geological Survey, Zimbabwe is now ranked as the fourth-largest global producer of lithium, accounting for an estimated 10 percent of the world’s mined lithium in 2025.

The Government’s recent ban on the export of raw minerals, including lithium concentrates, has further strengthened the thrust towards beneficiation and value addition.

Industry observers note that the move has helped firm global lithium prices while enhancing prospects for domestic processing and employment creation.

Mines and Mining Development Minister, Dr Polite Kambamura, said Government assesses growing investor confidence through several concrete indicators.

These include increased foreign direct investment inflows, a marked rise in applications for mining and exploration licences, ramped-up mineral production volumes, and significant new investments in extraction and beneficiation.

“Recently, we noticed a high appetite for partnerships with Government entities,” he said. “Collectively, these trends affirm that Zimbabwe remains an attractive and competitive mining investment destination under the Second Republic.”

To ensure investment translates into sustainable economic growth and tangible community benefits, Minister Kambamura outlined a comprehensive suite of policy measures.

“Chief among these is the deliberate policy on mineral value addition and beneficiation, which ensures that the country captures greater value from its mineral endowment rather than exporting raw materials.

“Government is also strengthening local content participation across the mining value chain, requiring investors to prioritise the procurement of local goods and services,” he said.

The minister emphasised that local employment, skills development and knowledge transfer form the foundation for empowering Zimbabweans. Government is also enforcing robust ESG standards to ensure mining operations are conducted responsibly and that host communities benefit directly through development programmes, infrastructure projects and corporate social investments.

“In addition, Government is supporting the formalisation and capacitation of artisanal and small-scale miners, so that they too contribute meaningfully to the national economy within a regulated and sustainable framework.

“These measures are firmly anchored in President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2. They are designed to leverage Zimbabwe’s vast mineral resource base to drive industrialisation, create meaningful employment, grow export earnings and improve livelihoods for mining host communities and the nation at large,” Minister Kambamura added.

Zimbabwe’s mining laws encourage community participation in resource projects, following the repeal of the previous 51 percent indigenisation threshold that had been viewed as a deterrent to foreign direct investment.

Growing global demand for critical minerals continues to position Zimbabwe as a key investment destination, with lithium expected to play a central role in driving economic growth and community development.

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Source: ‘Take a leaf from Geo Pomona’ – herald

Wallace Ruzvidzo

Herald Reporter

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has urged local authorities to adopt Geo Pomona Waste Management’s pioneering model, saying the company’s scope and pace of development offer a blueprint for improving service delivery and community outcomes.

In his remarks at a luncheon held at the waste management facility’s new state-of-the-art The Sprout restaurant in Harare yesterday, the President called on municipalities to tap into the firm’s approach so that a broader range of communities can benefit from the economic and environmental benefits of its model.

“The successful construction of this restaurant, in particular, speaks volumes about Geo-Pomona as a trailblazing company, unafraid to venture into hitherto uncharted waters.

“The facelift and infrastructure constructed here stand as an example of our national development philosophy: Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatigwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhu-le-ke-lwe ngabanikazi balo. Well done.

“I look forward to witnessing broader inclusivity in all these initiatives, such that other local authorities benefit from the model we are witnessing,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said the infrastructure constructed and new business models established in the Pomona Industrial Development Corridor were not only commendable, but testament to the confidence investors have in Zimbabwe.

He also  said it was imperative that Geo Pomona chief executive officer and executive chairman Dr Dilesh Nguwaya is honoured and awarded for a job well done in transforming the former eyesore.

The President has previously presided over several key phases at the site, including the groundbreaking ceremony, the official opening of the sorting plant and the commissioning of refuse collection trucks and related equipment.

The luncheon at the restaurant underscored how the facility has been transformed into a multi-purpose hub that blends waste management, energy generation and community amenities.

“Allow me to take the opportunity of this event to recognise and congratulate the development milestones we are also witnessing in the Pomona Industrial Development Corridor,” said President Mnangagwa.

“The infrastructure constructed and new businesses established in these environs since the Second Republic are testament of the confidence that investors have in our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe”.

This, he said, had created many jobs.

“Geo Pomona has risen from employing six people in 2022 to 1 200 employees presently. Well done. I urge you to continue with the culture of employing people from the surrounding communities,” President Mnangagwa said.

He said during his prior visits, he had seen the facility’s potential to go beyond waste management and venture into the hospitality industry too.

President Mnangagwa said developments at the facility fit seamlessly within the broader objectives outlined in the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030.

“Ndakataura kuti nzvimbo ino yakanakisa kuti unogona kuwuya nemudikani wako, muchidya machips.

“Nhasi tiripano kuzodya pa restaurant yakanaka kuti heki. Maona ka, kuti isu vadhara tinenge taona zvirimberisa.

“I am encouraged with both the scope and pace of development which is evident here,” said the President. “The efforts you are making to transform this site through ground breaking innovations and economic activities are applauded. Congratulations, makorokoto, amhlophe.”

Coupled with the environmentally sustainable innovations at the facility, President Mnangagwa said he had no doubt that The Sprout restaurant will serve as a symbol of progress and add another feather in the hat of the country’s well performing tourism and hospitality industry.

He challenged players in the hospitality and food sectors to deliberately source materials from local farmers.

“Additionally, following my Government’s modernisation and reconstruction of roads across cities and towns, I urge all stakeholders to ensure that the modern ambience in these respective areas is maintained.

“This should include the construction of suitable public transport sheds at designated stopping points, for road users.

“Equally, the efficient flow of traffic should be maintained and bottlenecks avoided,” said President Mnangagwa.

He congratulated Geo Pomona Waste Management and all its partners involved in its latest initiative and new restaurant.

“I also thank you for hosting us today (yesterday), which is in keeping with our long-standing African tradition, ‘Ukama igasva huno zadziswa nekudya’,” said the President.

In her remarks before introducing the President, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi said what Geo Pomona had done would inspire domestic tourism.

She said such initiatives were in tandem with Zimbabwe’s vision of achieving upper-middle-class economic status by 2030.

“The long term growth of tourism is in our communities.

“Here is an example of this transformation, a place that used to be a dumpsite now transformed into a recreational facility for tourism,” said Minister Rwodzi.

Geo Pomona Waste Management chief executive officer and executive chairman Dr Dilesh Nguwaya said the restaurant marked a significant milestone in the development of the envisaged waste-to-energy plant.

He added that the venue served as both a corporate social responsibility initiative and an attraction for environmental tourism.

“This demonstrates our commitment to sustainable waste solutions, environmental protection and promotion of public health,” he said.

The lunch was attended by Cabinet ministers, their deputies, permanent secretaries, tourism and hospitality sector players and other senior Government officials.

The post ‘Take a leaf from Geo Pomona’ appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s Catholic bishops have condemned the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill, 2026, warning that its provisions collectively strip citizens of democratic sovereignty.

In a pastoral letter on Thursday, the bishops called on members of parliament to vote against it on grounds of conscience.

The public letter, titled ‘In Defence of Truth, Justice, and the Voice of the People’, was issued by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference and signed by all seven of the country’s bishops.

“Our Constitution is more than law; it is a solemn covenant, born from the overwhelming will of Zimbabweans in 2013, embodying our collective hopes for justice, unity, peace, and prosperity,” the bishops said.

The statement identifies three core threats in the bill. It argues that removing direct presidential elections transfers executive authority away from popular consent; that extending parliamentary and presidential terms from five to seven years without a fresh mandate “undermines democratic legitimacy”; and that bypassing the referendum requirement entrenched in Section 328(7) of the constitution to prevent incumbents from benefiting from term limit changes creates “a glaring contradiction” that threatens constitutional democracy itself.

On independent institutions, the bishops warn that the bill risks turning the judiciary, prosecution service and electoral bodies into instruments of partisan control. They express concern about increased presidential powers over the appointment of judges and the Prosecutor General, the transfer of delimitation and voters’ roll responsibilities away from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, and provisions that would permit traditional chiefs to act in a partisan manner.

Citing President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s own slogan that “the voice of the people is the voice of God,” the bishops said it would be a contradiction to sideline that voice through amendments that concentrate power in the executive.

“When the people’s role fades, so too does the legitimacy of rule,” they said.

The bishops made a direct appeal at MPs and senators, invoking scripture to fortify them against pressure to vote for the bill.

“You bear a sacred duty before God and the nation: to govern for the common good, not personal or partisan gain. Pressures – be they bribes, threats, or promises – may tempt you,” they went on.

“Chokwadi chinokunda / iqiniso liyanqoba – truth prevails,” the bishops added. “History will judge whether you safeguarded their voice or betrayed it.”

The bishops said if the amendments “genuinely serve the nation’s welfare, let the people affirm them” through a transparent process including wide consultation and, ultimately, a referendum.

The statement was signed by ZCBC president Rt. Rev. Raymond Mupandasekwa of the Diocese of Masvingo, vice president Rt. Rev. Rudolf Nyandoro of Gweru, secretary and treasurer Rt. Rev. Raphael M.M. Ncube of Hwange, Rt. Rev. Paul Horan of Mutare, Rt. Rev. Eusebius J. Nyathi of Gokwe, Archbishop of Harare Most Rev. R.C. Ndlovu and Archbishop of Bulawayo Most Rev. Alex Thomas.

The pastoral letter is the latest in a series of interventions by religious bodies against the bill. The Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations, an ecumenical body representing the country’s major Protestant, Pentecostal and Catholic denominations, issued a joint statement last week, while the Seventh-day Adventist Lawyers Association has separately written to parliament urging rejection of the bill.

Parliament is expected to proceed with debate on the bill in the coming days following public consultations.

Source: ZimLive

The post ‘History will judge you’: Catholic bishops warn MPs as Amendment Bill vote looms appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.

‘When the people’s role fades, so too does the legitimacy of rule’

Source: ‘History will judge you’: Catholic bishops warn MPs as Amendment Bill vote looms – Zimbabwe News Now

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State broadcaster accused billionaire tobacco tycoon of bankrolling Mnangagwa overthrow plot

Source: Simon Rudland takes on ZBC over claims of bankrolling coup plot – Zimbabwe News Now

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