Zimbabwe Has Banned the Export of Raw Lithium - Slashdot
source link: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/22/12/23/0111221/zimbabwe-has-banned-the-export-of-raw-lithium
Go to the source link to view the article. You can view the picture content, updated content and better typesetting reading experience. If the link is broken, please click the button below to view the snapshot at that time.
Zimbabwe Has Banned the Export of Raw Lithium
Zimbabwe Has Banned the Export of Raw Lithium (qz.com) 72
Posted by BeauHD
on Friday December 23, 2022 @05:00AM from the cease-and-desist dept.›
by backslashdot ( 95548 ) on Friday December 23, 2022 @05:08AM (#63152466)
That head of the "Mines and Development" ministry of Zimbabwe, Winston Chitando, is known for owning mining interests, in fact, he was put in jail for refusing to disclose/transfer all of it. So basically while this law offers the appearance of protecting the interests of Zimbabwe, it is, as most trade restrictions are, a method for the connected to make money and profiteer. The loophole is quite apparent here "No lithium-bearing ores, or unbeneficiated lithium whatsoever, shall be exported from Zimbabwe to another country except under the written permit of the minister"... That sounds to me like it's saying "not without a fee payable to an official's secret bank account."
-
I had the same thought. This is simply one of the many methods of funneling more bribe money to the ruling elite.
Chances of someone investing in a landlocked nation with lacking protection for investors for complex refining processes is much lower than just paying appropriate bribes or investing more into smuggling infrastructure.
-
Cheaper to exploit Zimbabwe than pay them fair price for their resources.
-
Nice racism, assuming that country of Zimbabwe is one single entity.
-
-
-
by bloodhawk ( 813939 ) on Friday December 23, 2022 @05:20AM (#63152486)
probably, But in fairness mining companies are exploiting the shit out of these countries.-
Nothing like a serious problem in order for people to accept a "solution" that makes things even worse.
-
by thegarbz ( 1787294 ) on Friday December 23, 2022 @09:54AM (#63152876)
Nothing like a serious problem in order for people to accept a "solution" that makes things even worse.
There's no evidence that this solution would make things "worse". I mean the solution is far from ideal, but as it is foreigners are getting rich. At least this way 1 person in Zimbabwe is enriched, and the reality is there will be some token tax applied here too meaning the country will most certainly be slight less fucked over.
-
tell us how it makes things worse
-
-
No mod points, but I'm seconding this. For once I'm chiming in. Thanks, bloodhawk.
-
Who's exploiting who?
-
Right? People are worried about bribes but never seem to manage to work up the anger towards the exploiters who are doing the bribery. Next they'll bring up "free trade" which only ever seems to benefit the people on top, to no surprise of anyone who really thinks about it.
-
It's Zimbabwe. Even if there were honest intentions, they'd screw it up.
-
This is Zimbabwe, it wasn't that long ago they were storing ammunition in white farmers.
It's also so chock full of corrupt politicians that they make places like Thailand look like paragons of honesty.
And that is the rub, ladies and gentlemen. The "value add" that they're looking for are kickbacks from the mining companies who are exploiting the fuck out of those countries. This is just how they say "pay me more in bribes" in that part of the world. It's the home of Robert Mugabe level of corruption,
-
-
Indeed. One reason why so many African countries seem to be unable to get their act fixed is because they have never gotten corruption under control. Corruption essentially destroys everything.
-
Couldn't possibly be because of generations of colonialism that exported massive wealth from the continent and left them with nothing in return, could it. Using tribal politics to keep all the sides barely simmering with resentment so they need the colonizers to stay in power.. nope, it's "corruption" but only if they're doing it. Nobody corrupt on your side, eh?
-
by mobby_6kl ( 668092 ) on Friday December 23, 2022 @09:08AM (#63152770)
Most of Africa has been decolonized for over 50 years now, at some point it stops being a useful explanation.
-
Neocolonialism is the new explanation. The IMF and World Bank formed as part of the Bretton Woods System ensured the continued financial domination of the post-colonial world.
-
Nobody forces countries to borrow from the IMF and the World Bank. Usually they end up needing loans from those institutions because they borrowed private investor money at high-interest rates and then squandered the money financially irresponsible projects and bribery.
-
No. Nations often times have the choice of their people starving or borrowing. Nobody "forces" Americans into crushing medical debt, but it's one of the leading cause of bankruptcies. When the choice is borrow or die, it's not really a choice.
-
-
You should probably talk to China about it then
-
About what?
-
-
-
Are you claiming that 50 years is a long time for a country to recover from being colonized? Do you have any idea what it's like to live under European colonial rule without being of European descent? Do you think Zimbabweans received first-class education under colonial rule? Do you think they were allowed to pass down their own traditions and histories of governance? Do you think they could just pick up where they left off when they achieved independence, after having their history and culture deliber
-
-
"Couldn't possibly be because of generations of colonialism that exported massive wealth from the continent and left them with nothing in return, could it"
No , it couldn't. India was a British colony until the 40s yet look at it now as a tech hub with nuclear weapons and a space program. The difference is Indians are bloody hard workers unlike your average black african.
Need another example? Now South African is black run its reverting to african type with corruption everywhere and its economy spiralling ar
-
Not really. Colonialism may have started the exploitation but it is hardly to blame for the current state of things. Many of these countries have been independent for decades, have even waged civil wars internally and go through coups. What colonial history they had is gone. Yet these poor countries are incredibly wealthy in resource in ways that governments could profit on *and use to enrich the people*.
That last step isn't happening. What money is flowing is flowing to governments who then enrich their cr
-
What wealth though? Lithium? Two centuries ago nobody gave a fuck about lithium. The same goes for most such resources found in Africa, so "left them with nothing in return" makes absolutely no sense here.
-
Maybe tribal politics were a bad idea in the first place.
-
Soo, you argument is colonialism has made the people there corrupt and they cannot fix that themselves now because colonialism? I think that "explanation" would reflect on the people there in a _worse_ way that mine. In fact, this is just a tired old bogus excuse. A decade after the colonial powers left, sure, things are still getting organized at that time. But now, like 50 years later? Not a chance. They are doing it to themselves as a group, there really is no other explanation left.
-
-
You mean they never got Western corruption under control. There are literally 14 African nations paying tribute to France for the benefits of colonialism and those that refuse have assassinations and sabotage.
-
Nope. Their own. Obviously. The situation has gotten _worse_ after the colonial powers left. A decade or two of that is expected, but after that it is the fault of the locals and nobody else's. This is just a tired old excuse for their own incapability. Not that they are the only examples for populations that cannot hack a modern state and instead do kleptocracy.
-
You can aggressively lie out of ignorance or malice, but either way its a lie.
-
-
-
Indeed. One reason why so many African countries seem to be unable to get their act fixed is because they have never gotten foreign exploitation of their resources under control. Foreign exploitation essentially destroys everything.
(FTFY)
-
-
A great many countries are corrupt. Including the US. How is it all those Congress people are worth tens or even hundreds of millions on their government salary? Especially the ones who have only worked in government their whole lives?
Hey so now an African country, just as corrupt as ours, wants to keep more of the wealth being dug up on their ground.
And the response? "Oh they're so corrupt! This is so wrong! It'll make my next Tesla purchase more expensive!"
Let's just do what we always we do when the
-
Yes, the US is guilty too. The soon to be passed 1.7T omnibus bill Is filled with pork and has no transparency. It's one giant corruption that should get those that voted for it hung from a bridge.
-
Ukraine is heroic because they agreed to sell off their farmland and resources to foreign investors. Always the same story, billionaires coup when they're told no until someone says yes.
-
-
That's ok we are just awaiting the US to invade to bring 'freedom and democracy' when some big US corporation requests it,
-
So. It's OK for foreign companies to exploit Zimbabwe but not OK for Zimbabwe to exploit their natural resources?
-
corruption is the cancer of civilization.
the sad fact is that the country should NOT be exporting raw lithium.
the money from the value of the Li COULD be used to improve the lives of everyone that lives there (see, for example, Norway)All it takes is one corrupt fuck to ruin all of the positive possibilities. One corrupt fuck and no way to get him replaced with someone who isn't.
Recommend
About Joyk
Aggregate valuable and interesting links.
Joyk means Joy of geeK