The government of Zimbabwe has admitted that it currently lacks the technology at its border posts to detect undeclared rare earth minerals, raising concerns about the possible loss of the country’s critical resources.
Speaking during a parliamentary question-and-answer session, Mines and Mining Development Minister Polite Kambamura said the government has not yet deployed scanning technology capable of detecting undeclared minerals at border posts.
Legislators had asked what measures were in place to stop rare earth minerals from being secretly exported alongside other minerals such as Lithium.
Clemence Chiduwa (ZANU-PF) noted that there is a global scramble for rare earth elements, which are key components in high-tech industries, including artificial intelligence and robotics. Said Chiduwa:
“If we have lithium as the principal mineral, rare earths could be hidden within those consignments. What policies does the government have to prevent this?”
Kambamura said that scanning technology has not yet been rolled out, but added that “scanners will be deployed at border posts in the near future.”
Questions were also raised about how much is actually known about the country’s rare earth mineral deposits.
Kambamura revealed that the government still relies mostly on historical geological data, but said a geophysical aeromagnetic survey is planned to accurately map and measure Zimbabwe’s rare earth resources.
More: CITE
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