STORY: Zimbabwe's president urges miners to increase added value of lithium resources
DATELINE: Sept. 1, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:55
LOCATION: BUHERA, Zimbabwe
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of President Mnangagwa at the plant
2. SOUNDBITE (English): EMMERSON MNANGAGWA, Zimbabwean President
3. various of mining activities and the plant

STORYLINE:

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday urged lithium miners to increase the added value of the country's lithium resources, stressing the need to produce battery-grade lithium.
   
Mnangagwa made the appeal after the official commissioning ceremony of a floatation plant of Max Mind Zimbabwe's Sabi Star Lithium Mine, which is located in Buhera, about 300 km from the capital city of Harare.
   
SOUNDBITE (English): EMMERSON MNANGAGWA, Zimbabwean President
"The construction of this lithium floatation plant by Sabi Star is in line with my government's call for the beneficiation and value addition of our mineral resources. The growing global demand for lithium and the presence of our own processing facilities reduces exports of unprocessed minerals and positions Zimbabwe as a key player in the lithium markets worldwide.
The requirement does not only apply to the lithium mining sector, but across other minerals where my government expects to see the development of not only base metal refineries but also the precious minerals refineries so that will drive more value from our minerals and create more jobs."

Zimbabwe is Africa's largest producer of lithium, a critical mineral in the global green energy transition.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Buhera, Zimbabwe.
(XHTV)