The United Kingdom’s reported discussions with Zimbabwe’s government over access to key minerals have raised concern over how far economic priorities should outweigh human rights considerations in foreign policy.
The talks come just months after protests by Zimbabwean human rights activists in the UK forced Zimbabwean First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa to abandon her attendance at the FLAIR summit in London, with demonstrators highlighting allegations of corruption, political suppression and state-sponsored violence under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
Zimbabwe possesses some of the world’s largest deposits of lithium, platinum, and rare earth elements—minerals which are essential to the production of electric-vehicle batteries, renewable energy and other technologies. Demand for these resources continue to rise due to the global demand and so having access to them has become a priority for many nations, and the UK is no exception.
Britain’s interest in Zimbabwe cannot be separated from the broader geopolitical context, particularly China’s expanding influence across Africa. Over the recent years, China has invested, in Africa, large amounts of capital on infrastructure and mining projects, establishing close partnerships with various African governments. Democratic credentials of these governments don’t seem to matter to the Chinese. In Zimbabwe, Chinese companies are top in the key sectors of the mining, especially lithium extraction. This dominance provides China with an upper hand in the global supply chain and leaves Western nations at a disadvantage. Alarm has also been raised at the prospect of increased UK-Zimbabwe engagement without conditions attached. Amnesty International has over the years documented allegations of arbitrary arrests and violent crackdowns on opposition parties and this seems to have been ignored.
“This is not simply about trade; it’s about human rights and accountability,” said Milton Bingwa, a UK-based Zimbabwean activist with ZHRO, an organisation that has relentlessly campaigned against the corrupt Zanu PF rule. “Without safeguards, the UK risks being complicit in the abuse of Zimbabweans’ rights by this evil, evil regime. We have suffered for decades and so legitimising them for access to minerals would be a betrayal.”
Little detail about the nature of the talks has been made available by both parties but authoritarian regimes often use foreign capital to strengthen their hold on power rather than improve human rights. Mugabe did it and Mnangwagwa will certainly do it. London has moral obligations, even in a world of intensifying competition for resources. As Britain seeks to position itself as a leader in green technology, securing stable supplies of minerals is not just desirable but essential. Yet, in pursuing this goal, it risks being hypocritical — criticising China’s partnerships with undemocratic regimes while pushing for similar arrangements itself.
In one of his interviews Akala offers a searing perspective on Britain’s global posture that it holds up ideals of democracy while, on the other hand pursuing interests where convenient. He said, “‘Britain has two competing traditions – one rooted in ideas of freedom, equality and democracy, and another that sees the words as mere rhetoric to be trotted out at will and violated whenever it serves the Machiavellian purposes of power preservation.’”
For Zimbabweans, the stakes are particularly high. While those in Zanu PF may argue that foreign investment could bring much-needed jobs and infrastructure, others fear that without reforms, the benefits will be captured by political heavyweights rather than the wider population.
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Whether the UK can strike the right balance on this issue remains to be seen. What is clear is that the decisions made in London will resonate far beyond the meeting rooms —shaping the future of a Zimbabwe, a country still struggling to emerge from years of political and economic chaos.
- Charles Kanyimo is a Zimbabwean based in the Diaspora. He writes in his personal capacity.
