Mutapa builds 104 houses for families affected by lithium mine

Source: Mutapa builds 104 houses for families affected by lithium mine – herald

Oliver Kazunga in MBERENGWA

MUTAPA Energy Resources has started building 104 houses for families to be relocated to pave way for lithium mining development at Sandawana Mines in Mberengwa, in a US$2,9 million resettlement project.

Each homestead, comprising a modern three-bedroom house and a round hut built with bricks, is estimated to cost US$28 000.

The project, which already has seven demo-houses, aligns with the Government’s policy that mining operations must translate into improved livelihoods, modern housing and infrastructure for affected communities, and is being rolled out in phases.

It is part of Mutapa Energy Resources’ commitment to ensuring that communities have decent houses following relocation induced by lithium mine development in the area.

In addition to housing, the company is drilling boreholes to guarantee water for the resettled communities.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement programme at Sandawana Mines in Mberengwa yesterday, Mutapa Energy Resources chief executive officer Mr Innocent Rukweza said that by 20 September, all 104 houses will be complete.

“The resettlement programme is set to start towards the end of September, and the exhumation of graves, especially at homesteads with graves. We have also allocated US$40 million for the tarring of a 52km stretch from here (Sandawana Mines) to York, so it’s going to be a tarred road. Three contractors have been engaged to undertake this project,” he said.

Sandawana Mines lithium development projects have been endorsed by the traditional leadership in Mberengwa District on the back of the firm’s strong pledge for rapid economic development and uplifting the locals’ living standards.

Chief Bvute, who represented all the 16 chiefs in the district, commended Mutapa Energy Resources and the Government for bringing development to the area.

“This is true development. Houses, water and jobs, we really thank President Mnangagwa and his administration for remembering Mberengwa,” he said.

In an interview, Zanu PF legislator for Mberengwa West Constituency Tafanana Zhou said there is commendable development unfolding in the area.

“We really commend Mutapa Energy Resources for the good work that it is doing. We are seeing here the road construction. There are three contractors which are going to work on the 52 kilometres that is from York to Sandawana Mines. The road is going to ease the passage of the people<bha>;</bha> people were having some challenges, like travelling from Mberengwa, where our Growth Point is, to come to Sandawana.”

He added: “If the road is finished, it is going to reduce the transport charges. And we appreciate the chief executive officer for the state-of-the-art houses which are being constructed for the relocation exercise.

“We want to appreciate the President because Mutapa Energy Resources is a State-owned company, so we want to appreciate the Government through the President for the work that is being done.”

Recently, Mutapa Energy Resources announced that it had secured US$300 million investment to expand the Sandawana lithium mine, in a project designed to more than double the mine’s known resource base from 39,9 million tonnes to as much as 90 million tonnes.

The financing was arranged by Mutapa Energy Resources’ parent company, Mutapa Investment Fund, through a consortium that includes Chinese investors.

The deal follows the release of Sandawana’s first mineral resource estimate prepared in accordance with the JORC (Joint Ore Reserves Committee) international standard, the globally recognised benchmark for the classification of mineral resources.

The assessment found that Block A contains an estimated 39,9 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 1,39 percent lithium oxide.

And around 72 percent of those resources were classified in the ‘measured’ category — the highest confidence level under the JORC system — reinforcing the project’s technical viability.

The discovery comes as Zimbabwe positions itself to benefit from the global shift towards battery-powered technologies, with the country seeking to leverage its vast lithium reserves to expand its role in international battery mineral supply chains.

Zimbabwe, which is believed to host Africa’s largest lithium deposits and some of the world’s biggest reserves, has attracted more than US$3,4 billion in investment into the lithium sector despite a recent decline in global prices.

The investment pipeline includes about US$2 billion already deployed and a further US$1,45 billion earmarked for value-addition projects, reflecting growing investor confidence in Zimbabwe’s beneficiation-led mining strategy.

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