Development of mineral beneficiation and value addition framework for sustainable socio-economic development of Zimbabwe

Abstract

Less than a decade is remaining for African Vision 2030 which began in 2009 to lapse, yet some of its targeted developmental milestones such as mineral beneficiation and value addition are yet to be achieved. Most of the African countries richly endowed with mineral resources that are committed to incorporating beneficiation and value addition in various value chains are still lagging significantly. Zimbabwe is one country through its Zimbabwe Accelerated Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIMASSET) economic blueprint which elaborated the multiple benefits of the beneficiation strategy to unlock value from its vast mineral resources but never developed a framework for its implementation. This study aimed to fill that gap by developing a mineral beneficiation and value-addition framework to achieve sustainable socio-economic development in Zimbabwe. The objectives of this study were to examine the existing policies on mineral beneficiation and their effects on sustainable socio-economic development; evaluate the cross-cutting constraints and associated interventions to encourage mineral beneficiation in Zimbabwe; examine the perceptions of stakeholders regarding the need for mineral beneficiation and value addition in Zimbabwe and ultimately developing a framework for mineral beneficiation and value addition for the sustainable socio-economic development of Zimbabwe. A mixed methods approach was used to achieve the objectives and the study design was convergent parallel design. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 291 participants for the quantitative survey. Data was collected using a survey questionnaire and descriptive statistics were computed using SPSS version 25. An unstructured interview guide was used to collect qualitative data and themes were used to analyse the data through thematic approach. Results of the study indicate that the existing policies on beneficiation are hindering the realisation of the beneficiation and value addition of minerals. Zimbabwe’s policy volatility, policy inconsistency, bureaucracy, and corruption heavily affected the implementation of the beneficiation policy. The cross-cutting constraints include energy constraints, lack of skills, lack of institutional capacity, lack of coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, lack of appropriate legislative instruments, and the neglect of the socio-economic aspect of beneficiation. Stakeholders indicated a strong affiliation to the beneficiation strategy but there is scepticism around the current economic and political situation which is blurring the realisation of this policy. Using the above results, the framework for mineral beneficiation and value addition was developed. This framework is a critical pillar for enhancing economic value chains through beneficiation and value addition because it outlines important aspects, role players and the resulting benefits for achieving sustainable socio-economic development in Zimbabwe. The development of the framework for mineral beneficiation and value addition in Zimbabwe implies a strategic roadmap that can guide policymakers, promote collaboration, address challenges, and pave the way for sustainable socioeconomic development through the efficient utilization of the country's mineral resources.