National Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe calls for a blanket ban of all raw minerals exports

Below is the statement written by NMWUZ President, Kurebwa Javangwe Nhomboka

National Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe (NMWUZ) welcomes government’ s recent ban on all raw material and lithium exports.

We however demand that this ban also includes other mineral raw ores.

Global lithium supply chains face unprecedented transformation as resource nationalism emerges across critical mineral-producing nations. The recent Zimbabwe lithium export ban represents more than isolated policy decisions, reflecting fundamental changes in how governments approach strategic resource management in an increasingly electrified world.

Zimbabwe’s accelerated implementation of comprehensive raw lithium export restrictions demonstrates the evolving dynamics between resource sovereignty and international market integration. Furthermore, this policy framework signals a broader recalibration of value capture mechanisms in battery mineral supply chains.

As NMWUZ we demand that government also include the ban on mineral raw exports to include minerals such as gold ore, platinum, tin and diamonds among other minerals.

There are loopholes at borders as our raw minerals are being clandestinely exported resulting in the country losing millions of potential revenue.Zimbabwe is losing significant revenue due to clandestine exports of raw minerals, with smugglers exploiting loopholes in the system to bypass export restrictions and tax bills.

As NMWUZ we demand that this recent development must benefit the ordinary workers and the communities at large whose natural resource have been plundered by foreign individuals leaving them in deep poverty in their own motherland.
As NMWUZ we continue to demand that mine workers who work hard and sweat daily get a minimum of $$US 1 200.

Although all the metal prices of minerals have risen globally (specifically Lithium price due to the recent government export ban) workers in the mining sector are still earning salaries below the Poverty Datum Line (PDL).
Workers whose slave wages are still way below the PDL, making it difficult to fend for their families and cater for essential needs.

The metal prices of all minerals mined in the country have risen on the international market but on the other hand, the salaries of workers in the mining sector have remained stagnant.
Henceforth as NMWUZ, we are demanding that the least paid worker in the mining sector gets $US 1200…that is for a general hand who is the least paid employee in the sector.The salary of workers in the mining sector is far much too low in comparison with their hard work and sacrifice they render to the capitalists employees.

On production bonuses, we are demanding an increase of 100 percent depending on targets set by companies.We have realized and researched that workers in this regard are sweating but their hard work has been in vain.

On home ownership schemes, our research has revealed that when a mining worker retires, he or she becomes a destitute.When the workers passes on, the family becomes destitute.We are therefore calling on companies to formulate a policy benefit that ensures that workers own houses as that will assist their dependants when they pass on.Upon retirement, mine workers will have a place to live rather being destitutes.This scheme must benefit workers from a lower grade.

It is sad to note that in the mining sector,we still have a bottle neck education system that was one of the causes of the Second Chimurenga during the colonial era, 45 years after the attainment of our Independence.

Top managers are getting privileged perks where the school fees of their children is fully paid for by companies while lower grades workers do not have that privilege….they pay schools fees and educational stationery for their children from their peanuts salaries.

This means that children of top managers are being groomed to manage children of general hands.That bottle neck education system can only be destroyed if companies introduce a school fees for all policy.Even if children of general hand workers do not enroll at schools where children of top managers are learning, their school fees and educational stationery need to paid for by companies, rather than for the lowly paid workers to fork out from their low salaries.This will create equal opportunities for the children in future.

It is our hope that government and mining entities will assist in addressing these issues following the noble idea of banning raw lithium exports.The move must include all essential raw minerals.

NMWUZ President
Kurebwa Javangwe Nhomboka