Security Forces Evict Thousands Of Lithium Hunters Who Had Invaded Goromonzi
Goromonzi North legislator Ozias Bvute (ZANU PF) has said order has been restored in Goromonzi North after security forces evicted thousands of lithium hunters who last month invaded Goromonzi North in Mashonaland East province.
Scores of unemployed youths and buyers late last year descended in the area located near the recently established Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe mine in Acturus.
The artisanal miners were gathering lithium ore, selling it for around US$10 per wheelbarrow to buyers who were reportedly selling the same ore for US$400 per tonne, NewsDay reported.
Ozias Bvute said mining will be done following due processes. NewsDay quotes him as saying:
This will benefit both miners and the nation at large. I gathered that mining is now done in tributes and a number of youths from Goromonzi are benefiting.
Illegal lithium mining in Goromonzi had resulted in massive environmental degradation, with miners also conducting their operations without ablution facilities.
This has been happening in various parts of the country where lithium was discovered.
- “Just As Oil Is To Saudi Arabia, So Is Lithium And Iron To Zimbabwe” – Chiwenga
- Beitbridge Border Post Officials Intercept Bernard Mnangagwa’s Trucks Loaded With Lithium Ore
- Police Intercept Trucks Loaded With Lithium Ore
The chaos prompted the government to deploy security forces.
The government has also banned the exportation of raw lithium ore, preferring value addition. Nevertheless, cases of the exportation of raw lithium are still being reported.
