Zimbabwe’s Sandawana lithium project is moving closer to construction of a planned US$300 million processing plant, with Mutapa Energy Resources relocating 104 families from land earmarked for the development.
Mutapa chief executive Innocent Rukweza said the company was targeting the end of September to complete construction of new homes for the affected families, clearing the way for the development of the lithium concentrator.
“We are targeting 20 September to about the end of September to finalise all the 104 houses,” Rukweza said. “Thereupon we will relocate all the families that are involved.”
The company is building seven demonstration houses in consultation with government departments and traditional leaders before rolling out the remaining units.
Each household will receive a four-room house, kitchen and ablution facilities, while the programme also includes fencing and water reticulation.
Rukweza said the relocation was necessary because the families were settled on land earmarked for the US$300 million processing plant.
“The 104 families are critical because that’s where currently these are the families that are currently settled where we want to put our plant,” he said.
The project is expected to transform Sandawana into a larger-scale lithium processing hub, with the company targeting commissioning of the concentrator in November 2027.
The relocation programme will also involve the exhumation of more than 52 graves within the planned plant footprint. Rukweza said the process could begin around Sept. 1, subject to the issuance of outstanding burial orders.
Once the relocation and exhumation processes are completed, the company will begin clearing the land for construction.
The investment is being supported by a wider infrastructure programme for the mine and surrounding communities.
Mutapa has appointed three contractors for the 52-kilometre York-Sandawana road and paid mobilisation fees, while Masimba is set to construct a 17-kilometre section and the Mutsime Bridge, a key crossing that has long posed connectivity challenges during the rainy season.
The company is also planning a water pipeline and a 132-kilovolt power line to support the project.
Rukweza said rising lithium revenues could help fund the expansion without heavy reliance on external borrowing.
Sandawana generated more than US$80 million in revenue in the first seven months of the year and is targeting between US$100 million and US$140 million for the full year, depending on lithium prices.
He said the company hoped to “organically fund all the projects” while keeping alternative financing options open.
Beyond the processing plant, Mutapa plans to build a clinic, relocate a primary school and police station, and provide livestock support to host communities, including 82 cattle.
The programme forms part of efforts to link Sandawana’s lithium expansion with improved housing, infrastructure and economic opportunities for communities surrounding the mine.
The post Sandawana relocates 104 families to clear way for US$300m lithium plant appeared first on newsday.
Follow the story
