In mid-March, the government of Zimbabwe issued 25 Exclusive Prospecting Orders (EPOs), according to the Zimbabwe Chronicle.
The news heralds new opportunities for mining investment in the country.
There have been concerns that the approval of mining rights has been manipulated to undermine the fairness of obtaining exclusive exploration orders.
The award of this batch of EPOS confirms that the government's commitment to opening up Zimbabwe to the outside world, attracting investment and promoting economic development is real.
The country's Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando had previously issued Government Notice No. 328 2021 through the Mining Affairs Board, with 25 EPOS projects already approved,
These include Premier African Mineral Resources' Zulu Lithium Project in Matabeleland South Province in the South.
Under the Mines and Minerals Act (Cap. 21, Section 05), all EPOs are for a period of three years, and the majority of the exclusive exploration orders announced this time will be valid until 2023.
The announcement of the government in a period of wrote: "we inform you that, on the basis of mines and minerals act [chapter 21 第05 section 90 (2) small pieces], authorized by the President, mining and mining development department minister granted Zulu Lithium co., LTD. (Private) (Zulu Lithium (Private) Limited) 1779 exclusive exploration, valid for 3 years, time is on March 12, 2021 to March 11, 2024."
The exclusive exploration award is located in the Mining Affairs Board's Fort Rixon district in the southern province of Matabeleland and includes Zulu Lithium and Tantalum Claims, which are already owned by private Zulu Lithium and Tantalum.
Premier African Mineral Resources thanked the company for the approval of the exclusive exploration order.
Under President Mnangagwa's Second Republic, the Ministry of Mines and Mines Development made the discovery of large mineral deposits one of its priorities by planning extensive geological exploration to attract capital to the country's mining sector.
The issuance of exclusive exploration orders (EPOs) will attract international exploration companies to explore mineral resources in Zimbabwe's hinterland, producing results that will enable investors and financial institutions to finance the development of the mines.
