Online Reporter
Trust Freddy-Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE is pushing for win-win partnerships, green technology and local beneficiation as Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Engineer Polite Kambamura leads the country’s delegation to the 28th China Mining Conference and Exhibition.
Green mining is an environmentally sustainable method of extracting, processing and distributing minerals, metals and fossil fuels.
The goal of green mining is to reduce the environmental impact of operations and conserve resources for future generations.
It involves the adoption of practices that minimise waste, reduce energy consumption, reduce water usage, and promote reforestation. These practices cannot only protect the environment, but also help the industry to become more cost-efficient and economically sustainable.
Mining is a critical sector of the global economy, providing the raw materials that drive our modern society. However, traditional practices can have a devastating impact on the environment, depleting water sources, destroying habitats, and contributing to climate change. To address these concerns, a new approach— green mining— is gaining traction.
The 28th China Mining Conference and Exhibition (CHINA MINING 2026), underway in Tianjin, carries massive economic and strategic weight for Zimbabwe and the broader African continent.
Running under the theme “Win-Win Cooperation, Green and Intelligent Development,” the summit acts as a primary vehicle for securing mineral supply chains, critical financing and technology transfers.
It has attracted over 40 000 delegates from 60 countries, including 33 African Mining ministers.
Minister Kambamura is leading a Zimbabwe delegation in Tianjin at the invitation of China’s Minister of Natural Resources, Guan Zhi’ou.
The conference opened jointly with the Ministerial Forum on International Mining Co-operation under the theme “Forging a Mutually Beneficial Mining Industrial and Supply Chain.”
Delivering the keynote address, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who is also a Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, hailed China’s mining cooperation with Africa, built on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit.
He singled out Zimbabwe as a success story, citing Bikita Minerals and Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe as models of win-win cooperation.
Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, which operates the Arcadia Mine in Goromonzi, in April this year dispatched Zimbabwe’s first-ever export of locally produced lithium sulphate. Bikita Minerals in Masvingo — the country’s oldest and largest lithium mine — is building its own lithium sulphate plant.
Together, the projects underline Zimbabwe’s shift from exporting raw lithium concentrate to producing high-value battery materials.
Vice Premier He said international mining cooperation is key to combining complementary resource strengths, advancing economic and social development, and securing global industrial and supply chains.
He said China respects each country’s sovereignty over its mineral resources and supports countries to choose development paths suited to their own conditions — a message that dovetails with Zimbabwe’s value-addition agenda.
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Minister Kambamura said deliberations had focused on sustainability and smart mining.
“This year’s conference is well attended, with over 40 000 delegates and 60 countries represented from across Africa. Thirty-three African mining ministers arrived here yesterday to deliberate on win-win cooperation between investors and countries like ours,” he said.
“Issues to do with sustainable development in Africa were discussed, as well as intelligent technical equipment for mineral exploration, beneficiation and so forth, which is so crucial for us in Zimbabwe.”
Minister Kambamura said African countries must go green across the entire mining value chain.
“We need to go green in terms of exploration, using green technology; in mining development, again using green technology; and in production — all around the mining value chain, we need to go green,” he said.
“That means we need to have a culture of green ethics in the mining value chain. As ministers, we have made declarations that in our host countries, we are willing to employ greener technologies, be it in exploration or in mining techniques, especially for environmental monitoring.”
He said Zimbabwe is looking to deploy drone technology for real-time monitoring of mining operations and environmental compliance.
“As for Zimbabwe, we have learned that we need to employ, for example, drone systems to get real-time monitoring of our environment and real-time information on what is happening in mining operations,” Minister Kambamura said.
“China is committed to assisting African countries in that regard, which is very welcome for the sustainable development of developing countries such as Zimbabwe.”
The delegation also includes Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) President Ms Henrietta Rushwaya, representing the country’s small-scale and artisanal mining sector.
This year’s exhibition is the largest in the conference’s history, covering 65 000 square metres and featuring 658 companies from 25 countries and regions.
Exhibits include smart mining solutions, geological survey equipment, mining machinery and new energy technologies. A dedicated mineral rights trading section has been introduced.
Since first organised in 1999, China Mining has become one of the largest and most influential mining events worldwide, covering the whole value chain of survey and evaluation, exploration and mining, technology and equipment, investment and finance, trade and service.
