By-Some Zanu PF elites and their runners are said to be looting and smuggling lithium in Mutoko.

This is happening when the Government has banned all exports of lithium ore from promoting local value addition and beneficiation of the mineral.

On Thursday, the Police announced they intercepted trucks with lithium ore in Mutoko.

The authorities did not disclose the owners of the intercepted Lithium laden trucks, bringing a strong suspicion that they could be Zanu PF bigwigs. The police consult the government whenever they want to arrest a prominent member of the ruling party, and it is when after such authority is granted that they go for that individual.

In this case, the police only said they kept the intercepted loads at Mutoko Central Police Station, without also disclosing the quantity of lithium in the trucks.

The Government recently claimed that potential revenue was being lost with illegal lithium mining and smuggling.
Lithium is processed in several steps with most global trade in lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide since the actual metal is highly reactive and bursts into flame on contact with water or in moist environments and corrodes very quickly in the air.
Mutoko villagers are reportedly selling lithium ore for between US$15 to US$20 per wheelbarrow load, or US$100 per tonne, to middlemen who would resell it for US$350 to US$450 a tonne.