 Zimbabwe puts Europe on its knees. Europe is begging before Zimbabwe for lithium via an African company. Hard rock lithium, a necessary material in the creation of sustainable energy technology, is found in some of the greatest quantities in the world in the southern African nation. The $678 million worth of lithium mines and projects in Zimbabwe were purchased over the past year by Chinese Goliaths, Zizhenhuai Kobalt, Cinnamon Resource Group, and Chenxin Lithium Group. These companies are currently developing mines and processing facilities, which would exempt them from the ban. As part of its efforts to have the primary raw material used in electric vehicle batteries processed domestically, Zimbabwe has banned the export of unprocessed raw lithium with immediate effect. According to a directed from mines minister Winston Chitando, no lithium containing ores or any unbeneficiated lithium whatever shall be exported from Zimbabwe to another country. According to deputy mines minister Palai Kimbamura, the regulation will not apply to mining businesses that are developing processing plants. In the past two years, lithium has soared more than 1,100% to a record high as the supply has battled to keep up with the raging demand. By 2030, according to the Rio Tinto Group, EV sales could account for 50% of all vehicle sales, up from 9% in 2018. Mining companies have been searching the globe for opportunities to source new supplies. You might wonder why Europe would be begging Zimbabwe for lithium. Stay connected as we find out why. Please make sure to like and share this video. It will help our channel to grow. In order to capitalize on value addition and stop losing billions of dollars in mining earnings to foreign corporations, Zimbabwe has banned the export of raw lithium from its mines. In accordance with the base Minerals Export Control Act, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development published a circular on December 20 that aims to guarantee that the president's objective of the country become an upper middle income economy has been accomplished. The government claims that externalization and smuggling to South Africa and the United Arab Emirates are costing at $1.8 billion in lost mining earnings. The most smuggled mineral is gold. Zimbabwe is anticipated to rank among the top exporters of lithium due to the country's high domestic demand, with the government aiming to supply 20% of global lithium demand once all of the country's lithium resources have been fully utilized. According to a 2021 mining report by the London School of Economics, mineral exports make up around 60% of Zimbabwe's export profits, while the mining industry contributes 16% to the country's GDP. The greatest lithium deposits in Africa are in Zimbabwe. The greatest lithium mines in the nation are found at the Bikita mine, which is 308 kilometers south of Harare, the capital. The report states that once the mine is operational, the Arcadia lithium mine is estimated to attain an annual production of 2.5 million tons of lithium ore, which would roughly amount to $3 billion in exports. Zimbabwe was subject to sanctions imposed by the U.S. and EU. Their choice was a reaction to the nation's contentious land reform policy, which involved taking the land from wealthy white farmers and giving it to landless black farmers. The administration defended its action by stating that it was taken to right a historical wrong. The actual reason the West imposed sanctions on the African nation led by former President Robert Mugabe was because it refused to recognize the domination of the U.S. and Europe and had positive ties to Russia. Zimbabwe is not now governed by an autocratic figure. Since 2017, President Emerson Mangagwa has presided over a democracy in the nation with free and fair elections and speech rights, but the West hasn't thought about easing its sanctions. Sam may penalize a little country when it is displeased, but there is no time limit or process that retracts those measures once they have served their purpose, as demonstrated by the ambiguity in West's actions. Premier African Minerals Limited is a firm that develops mining and natural resources today. In West and Southern Africa, it purchases and develops natural resources. It deals in a wide range of products, including limestone, tungsten, tantalum, lithium, and podash. Premier African has claimed successful results from its lithium and tantalum drilling project in Zimbabwe. The West is increasingly looking to new sources to obtain minerals like lithium, as it is losing control over nations with abundant mineral resources, like the DRC and the Central Africa Republic. The West is perfectly aware that doing so would violate its own sanctions, therefore it cannot directly purchase lithium from Zimbabwe. As a result, the West has strategically placed its enterprises to compete for the necessary mineral deposits. Some European businesses have contacted Premier African Minerals CEO George Roche in an effort to obtain lithium, and they have asked him for approval of their company's lithium project in Zimbabwe. In an interview with the Africa Report, George Roche argued that the US and the EU should end their sanctions against Zimbabwe and make investments in its lithium industry. Roche contends that these businesses ought to advocate for the lifting of Zimbabwe in sanctions. The nation boasts one of Africa's largest lithium reserves. In fact, a mine in the Misfingo province has a 10.8 million tons of lithium reserve. Roche admits that despite having the capacity, resources, and labor force to expand, the nation is unable to do so. As a result, he is speaking out in favor of lifting the sanctions on Zimbabwe that have plunged the country into a crisis. In fact, a lot of leaders have pushed for the West to follow suit. Sanctions negative economic effects on Zimbabwe include soaring inflation, debt distress, poverty, unemployment, etc., about $100 billion in aid and funding from financial organizations like the African Development Bank have been lost by the country. The GDP decreased from $6.78 billion in 2000 and $1.42 billion in 2008, according to data from the World Bank. George, however, argued that the West should travel to South Africa and begin the process of refining lithium while also lifting antiquated and pointless sanctions. The West needs to realize that imposing sanctions on the front while engaging in covert diplomacy would not be effective. It needs to start treating African countries as equals, not as superiors, or it will continue to lose influence on the continent. If you did find the video interesting, do not hesitate to like, share, and subscribe to our channel for more intriguing content. By the way, tell us in the comment section what you think. Will Europe and America bound to Zimbabwe, or will the latter change your mind?