Zimbabwe reportedly lost an estimated US$400 million in revenue due to the export of undeclared caesium and tantalum before the government prohibited the shipment of raw minerals.
The minerals were leaving the country hidden within lithium concentrates, according to Engineer Mudono, a lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST).
Speaking last week at a breakfast meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), Eng Mudono provided a detailed analysis of the high-value by-products that were being exported without being accounted for.
“If I use that as the basis of calculation, then I have a general approximation of the content within the concentrate. For caesium, 0.07 to 1.05 per cent. If I calculate, I will get around 8,512 metric tonnes of caesium within the 1.52 million metric tonnes exported. That is around US$30 million,” Mudono said.
“Then you go to tantalum. Generally, 0.036 to 0.09 per cent. From that aspect, around US$400 million is what is within the content.”
Mudono has urged the government to develop a clear strategy for “value addition.” He argues that Zimbabwe must move beyond simply producing mineral concentrates and instead focus on full “beneficiation”—the process of refining and manufacturing finished products locally.
His research provides solid evidence to support the government’s decision to ban raw lithium exports on 25 February 2026.
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