Zimbabwe’s platinum boom: Where is the wealth?

Zimplats operates one of Zimbabwe’s largest platinum mining operations in the mineral-rich Great Dyke region [Enos Denhere/Al Jazeera]

By Enos Denhere

Mimosa, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe’s platinum industry is generating billions of dollars, but residents in mining communities say roads, schools, water and other basic services have failed to keep pace with the wealth extracted from beneath their land.

Platinum prices hit an all-time high of $2,923 an ounce on January 26 during a broader precious metals rally and continued concerns over the platinum supply, according to the World Platinum Investment Council.

For Zimbabwe, home to the world’s second largest known deposits of platinum group metals (PGMs) after South Africa, the price surge offers an opportunity to increase revenue from a sector central to the economy. Mining accounts for about 75 percent of the country’s exports and about 14.5 percent of its gross domestic product, according to the International Trade Administration in the United States.

The mining sector generated a record $8.5bn in export earnings in 2025, up from $5.9bn the previous year, according to John Musekiwa, then-president of the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe. He said the increase was driven by strong output and favourable prices, particularly for gold and PGMs.

But in communities surrounding some of the country’s biggest platinum operations, residents said the wealth extracted from beneath their land has not translated into adequate roads, schools, water supplies and other basic services.

In Mhondoro-Ngezi, one of Zimbabwe’s major platinum-producing areas, that tension is visible on the ground.

A rich mineral belt, struggling communities

The Great Dyke, a geological formation stretching across central Zimbabwe, contains extensive deposits of PGMs. Zimplats operates mines, concentrators and processing facilities in the Mhondoro-Ngezi district there.

Inside the mining complex, ore is processed in modern facilities, and heavy trucks move between mines and plants. Outside, residents of Turf, Mamina, Murambwa and nearby villages said infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with the area’s growth.

Goats and cattle graze at a dump site in Turf, Zimbabwe, near platinum-mining areas [Enos Denhere/Al Jazeera]

Ernest Denhere, headman of Denhere village in Ward 3, said mining companies should leave a lasting legacy in the communities where they operate.

“We call upon Zimplats and other mines to build a road from Kadoma/Kwekwe to Turf, Benhura, Mamina, Murambwa and Kadhani, linking to the Harare-Masvingo highways,” Denhere said.

Ward 3 Councillor Emmah Chikwai said some children travel long distances to reach secondary school.

“Children from Jompani, Majoki, Maleti and Makwavarara walk between 15km and 25km [9 to 15.5 miles] to reach Musinambi Secondary School,” she said. “My appeal is for the mines to assist in setting up a satellite secondary school in Makwavarara.”

Schools, water and livelihoods under pressure

During a September 7 visit, Al Jazeera saw pupils at Turf Primary School learning under trees as rising enrolment strained the school’s facilities.

Nearby, women and young men searched through piles of waste for plastic they could sell. Cattle and goats moved among the rubbish.

For Sakina Lice, collecting plastic is how she supports her family.

“I have 11 children and nine grandchildren. Picking up plastics is the only way I survive. When I resell them, I can make maybe $20 a month,” she said.

“I am the breadwinner. My husband is late, so it is just hand to mouth. My wish is for the mine to empower women, so we can start projects and support our families.”

Residents also raised concerns about the Ngwazani River, about 100 metres (330ft) from the dump site, alleging that sewage from the mining area has entered the waterway and affected its use for household needs and small gardens.

Edson Mabure, whose family was relocated as mining activities expanded, said the river has become a problem for residents in his new community.

“Our village was where the mine is today, so we were relocated. From our new village, I cross the Ngwazani River, which is now flooded with sewage coming from the mine,” he said.

“Since the mine started operating, there is nothing tangible that has been done to leave a lasting legacy for the community. I don’t know whether the responsibility lies with the council or Zimplats.”

Agnes Handidikundiona, a resident of a platinum-mining community in Zimbabwe, stands at the Ngwazani River in Turf with her children [Enos Denhere/Al Jazeera]

Agnes Handidikundiona, whom Al Jazeera met crossing the river with her children, said residents once relied on it for household activities and gardens.

“We are facing a serious challenge because the water is no longer clean,” she said. “Before the sewage spill, we used to use this water for domestic purposes, such as washing clothes and watering our nutritional gardens.”

She said flooding also has prevented some children from reaching school.

“Children from many villages cross here to go to school. Sometimes when the river is flooded, they cannot go to school. We need a footbridge here,” she said.

Ward 11 Councillor Nhomboka Kurebwa Javangwe said the area’s population has increased as mine workers and their families have moved in.

He said Zimplats has built classrooms and houses but demand continues to outstrip available facilities. He called for the company to build and operate a primary school.

Javangwe also said local councillors have limited direct access to the company.

“We do not have direct access to the mine to raise the concerns of our people,” he said, adding that only the council chairperson was authorised to meet with Zimplats officials.

Mines point to community investment

The same concerns are being raised in other platinum-producing areas.

In Shurugwi, home to the Unki Platinum Mine, residents have called for more investment in local infrastructure.

“I call upon Unki to consider assisting with classroom blocks for schools, water and sanitation, and roads in Shurugwi town,” said Bulle Madzitire, chairman of the Shurugwi Residents Association.

In nearby Zvishavane, Kamino Simango, chairman of the Zvishavane Residents Association, said the Mimosa Platinum Mine should focus more on infrastructure benefitting the wider community.

Unki told Al Jazeera that it has invested an average of $1.5m a year in community development over the past five years, covering education, healthcare, water and sanitation, agriculture and infrastructure.

Its public relations manager, Evelyn Mawimba, said the mine has built 63 boreholes, supported 32 schools through its STEP-UP programme and contributed $2.75m towards land purchases and development of the Impali housing estate.

Unki also pays about $130,000 a year in municipal levies to the Shurugwi Town Council and contributes about $850,000 annually to the Tongogara Rural District Council, Mawimba said.

Mimosa did not respond to Al Jazeera’s questions despite several attempts to contact the company.

Al Jazeera also contacted the chairperson of the Mhondoro-Ngezi Rural District Council, Alderman Ephraim Pepukai Chengeta, about Zimplats’s contributions and development plans. He promised to respond but did not return calls or messages. The council’s chief executive officer, Itai A Mawonde, asked for the questions in writing.

Zimplats’s head of corporate affairs, Hama Saburi, also said he would respond but did not do so by publication.

For residents of Zimbabwe’s platinum belt, the demands are straightforward: better roads, schools, water and other services in communities living alongside some of the country’s most valuable mines.

“What is beneath our land speaks volumes,” Denhere said. “We need to see a lasting legacy for our communities.”