Zimbabwe lithium export ban triggers crackdown, concerns

The February 26 ban covered exports of all raw minerals but focused on raw lithium, a critical mineral of which Zimbabwe is Africa's largest producer, shipping most to China's massive rechargeable battery sector. While welcoming the move as a long overdue step towards ending the haemorrhaging of the country's natural wealth, critics question its feasibility, while workers fear for their jobs. Zimbabwe had already flagged in June that raw exports would be banned from January 2027 to force local processing and industrialisation...