"Chinese Lithium Miners Exploiting Zimbabwean Workers" 10 February 2024

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During a recent multi-stakeholder conference organised by the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Workers Union (ZDAMWU) secretary-general Justice Chinhema flagged the deteriorating working conditions at Chinese-owned mines.

He said there was a total disregard for health and safety standards during lithium extraction.

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“Chinese investors do not respect the labour rights in the sector, we need to have routine visits at their mining sites given their history of labour violations. The jobs brought by these investments are not linked to any standards, but to self-created cheap and free labour and sometimes supported by our government,” he said

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Government has in the past been notified of such practices by Chinese investors but has been accused of not responding to such concerns given that China is a big investment partner.

According to the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency, China had US$2,79 billion worth of investment licences issued as of the third quarter of last year.