FOR TOO LONG, Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth has been exported in its rawest form, leaving behind little more than potholed roads and broken promises . But on Friday, in the dust of Gwanda, Vice President Dr. Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga drew a line in the sand—announcing a bold new economic doctrine aimed at ensuring every Zimbabwean finally benefits from the resources beneath their own soil,Mines and Mineral Resources can report.
By Sungie
Addressing multitudes at the Chinese-owned Dinson Mining Investments’ Gwanda Lithium Mine in Matabeleland South, Vice President Chiwenga declared the end of the “extract and export” era. He proclaimed an irreversible shift toward a future where Zimbabweans move from being mere miners to becoming manufacturers, innovators, and owners of a value chain that stretches from extraction to finished products.
“We must move beyond the extract-and-export model,” Chiwenga said, his voice carrying across the mining fields. “We must extract, process, beneficiate, and manufacture within the country. That is our model. Exporting raw materials? No.”
The Vice President’s message went beyond policy—it was a national vision. He painted a future where lithium mined in Gwanda is processed into components for smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, and other technologies powering Africa’s digital economy. Such transformation, he said, would create jobs, build industries, and finally bring prosperity to communities long excluded from the wealth beneath their feet.
Framing this economic shift within the long-standing relationship between Zimbabwe and China—a “people-to-people” partnership—Chiwenga emphasized that true cooperation must deliver meaningful benefits to locals. He stressed that investments must translate into better roads, schools, training opportunities, and modern infrastructure.
“Investment in the mining sector should be mutually beneficial—to the investor, to the nation, and to the communities,” he said, directing the Ministers of Mines and State to ensure full compliance. “Once that happens, smiles will reach the ears. Everyone will be smiling; everyone will be happy.”
With this declaration, the government has signaled the end of an era where Zimbabwe watched its raw minerals leave the country with limited return. From Gwanda, Vice President Chiwenga announced a new chapter—one in which Zimbabweans themselves will build, process, innovate, and prosper.