- Kamativi Lithium Mine prespares for IRMA Audit
By Fadzai Midzi
As Zimbabwe positions itself at the heart of the global energy transition which is set to lead nations to net zero economies and decarbonisation, the upcoming Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) audit of Kamativi Lithium Mine is shaping up to be a defining moment[1].
IRMA is a multi-stakeholder initiative that sets rigorous standards for responsible mining, providing independent, third-party verification to ensure environmental, social, and governance best practices at industrial-scale mine sites.
Kamativi Mine, located in Hwange District, Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe, has a long history dating back to its origins as a tin mine in 1936. Now, as Zimbabwe’s Lithium boom accelerates, attention turns to the Kamativi Lithium Mine, operated by Kamativi Mining Company, a joint venture company operated and controlled by Sichuan PD Technology Group – a subsidiary of the Chinese Yahua Group – and local partner, Defold Mine[2]. Thus, the upcoming IRMA audit is more than a technical exercise but a journey to ensure strategic minerals are developed responsibly.
The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation (ZELO) joined the IRMA in March 2022 as a civil society member and will participate in the KMC audit which presents an opportunity to replicate and expand its work around using international standards, building on its Valterra Platinum Unki experience. During the Unki platinum mine IRMA audit, ZELO played a pivotal role in ensuring that community voices were included in the process. working with grassroots groups such as the Shurugwi Development Trust to prepare residents for auditor interviews, highlight concerns about service delivery, and monitor environmental impacts[3]. As such, ZELO joining the IRMA marked a turning point for civil society in Zimbabwe, connecting local advocacy with a global platform for responsible mining standards through its coordination of the Resource Justice Network.
ZELO’s participation in the Unki Mine Audit – conducted by SCS Global Services – was critical because many stakeholders were interacting with the IRMA standard for the first time. The audit, resulted in Unki achieving an IRMA 75 rating, marking Zimbabwe’s first mine to meet this level of responsible mining assurance and setting a precedent for future audits such as the upcoming Kamativi Lithium Mine Audit[4]. In December 2025, Valterra Platinum (Unki) underwent a renewal process called a surveillance audit for its IRMA membership[5], these audits are key to Zimbabwe’s responsible investments and mining initiatives which are being given a global footprint by Valterra Platinum and Kamativi Lithium Mine.
ZELO recently published a Mine-to-Market for Critical Minerals Situational Report, mapping Zimbabwe’s lithium supply chain from mining to export routes[6]. The report highlights how lithium moves from mining sites, including Kamativi, through processing facilities, transport networks, and border posts, situating Zimbabwe within the global critical minerals market. ZELO has also launched a new initiative supported by the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM)[7]. This project focuses on female artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs), who often face structural inequalities in the lithium and other sectors due to limited access to finance, equipment, and formal buyers, while being concentrated in the lowest-paid roles.
Thus, ZELO is working to ensure that Zimbabwe’s lithium boom benefits marginalized groups while aligning with responsible mining principles. Building on its experience from the Unki platinum mine audit, as well as its research on lithium and stakeholder engagement, ZELO is committed to supporting stakeholders to participate in both the Kamativi Mine audit and the broader lithium value chain. During the Unki Mine audit, ZELO facilitated grassroots participation by helping local groups such as the Shurugwi Development Trust monitor service delivery and environmental impacts. That process taught a vital lesson: responsible mining is only truly realized when communities are involved and included as active participants.
Lessons from Unki, Applied to Kamativi
The Unki audit revealed that many stakeholders from government officials to community members encountered the IRMA standard for the first time during auditor interviews. This limited meaningful participation. Therefore, ZELO is taking a proactive approach to supporting stakeholder participation during the Kamativi Lithium Mine Audit by making the audit accessible.
In this regard, audit preparations for Kamativi are far more detailed than previous audits with the outreach plan highlighting several priorities such as:
- Stakeholder Awareness: Early and proactive awareness campaigns to explain what the audit is, what it assesses, and how communities, workers, and civil society can participate before, during, and after the audit[8].
- Language Mapping: With multiple local languages spoken in Kamativi, ZELO will identify language needs and ensure audit teams can engage effectively in native or commonly spoken languages.
- Government Engagement: Ministries, regulators, and local authorities will be engaged early to avoid interviews with officials lacking direct site knowledge.
- Labour and Civil Society: Trade unions, gender-focused groups, and labour rights organizations will be mobilized to ensure workplace and social concerns are addressed. ZELO will partner with Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) a labour union which is also an IRMA member[9].
Building Trust Through Field Engagement
The audit should also emphasize in-person engagement, from national-level meetings with government institutions to community-level awareness meetings. For ZELO, this is about more than compliance but building trust between communities, companies, and auditors. Lithium is Zimbabwe’s ticket to global relevance in the clean energy economy. But without responsible governance, the boom risks repeating the extractive injustices of the past.
The Kamativi audit, supported by ZELO’s outreach, is a chance to prove that Zimbabwe can do things differently and complements the country’s Responsible Mining Audit (RMA) launched in 2023[10] by the by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. This is a huge step as Kamativi’s lithium processing plants and beneficiation plans align with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2, 2026–2030) which emphasizes industrialization, value addition, and inclusive growth[11]. Responsible mining, therefore, needs to be emphasized at Kamativi Lithium Mine.
A call to action
ZELO has consistently called for mining audits, including the upcoming IRMA audit at Kamativi Lithium Mine, to go beyond compliance and deliver genuine accountability and recommends the following:
- The Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill (MMB) should be strengthened to reflect lessons from international audits such as the Kamativi Lithium Mine IRMA audit. ZELO and other civil society actors argue that the Bill must embed responsible mining principles into law, ensuring audits translate into enforceable obligations.
- It is important for mining companies to also undergo third party certification for international standards with good examples from Valterra Platinum (Unki Mine) and Kamativi Lithium Mine.
- Community Participation and Engagement: Mining audits must guarantee meaningful participation of local communities, with language and cultural considerations respected to ensure inclusivity.
- Transparency: Audit findings and announcements must be made publicly accessible, empowering civil society and communities to engage from an informed position.
- Environmental Management and Protection: Strong monitoring of water use, waste management, and biodiversity impacts is essential to safeguard livelihoods and ecosystems.
- Workers’ Rights and Social Justice: Workers’ rights must be upheld, and mining benefits fairly distributed to surrounding communities to promote equity.
[1] Kamativi’s lithium operation to be audited – IRMA – The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance
[2] Kamativi Lithium Mine set to start production – Mining Zimbabwe
[3] Community perspectives on IRMA: The Unki Mine audit – IRMA
[4] Anglo American leads the way on IRMA standard for responsible mining | Mining Digital
[5] Valterra Platinum’s Unki Mine is First to Undergo IRMA Renewal Audit – IRMA – The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance
[8] https://responsiblemining.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IRMA_Community-Impact-Survey_202411.docx
[10] Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa Approves Nationwide Audits on Mining Activities – allAfrica.com
[11] National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) 2026-2030 | veritaszim