The government suddenly stopped exports of all raw minerals and lithium concentrate, including consignments already on the road. It said it wanted to stop leakages and force companies to process minerals inside Zimbabwe. The measure pushes miners toward local processing plants, which should create refining jobs over time. In the short term it puts pressure on export focused operations and the people they employ.

Policy measure, no headcount applicable

Ban applied immediately including to shipments already in transit. Zimbabwe exported 1.128 million tonnes of lithium bearing concentrate in 2025.

An employer reorganises its structure in a way that changes jobs, reporting lines or terms, whether or not headcount falls.

Evidence required: An employer statement or a union statement describing the reorganisation. Where headcount effects are not stated, the count is left empty and only the reorganisation is recorded.