Coal classification good move

The Government’s decision to designate metallurgical coal as a special critical mineral is a good move.

Announced by the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Dr Polite Kambamura, the policy seeks to elevate coal within Zimbabwe’s mineral classification framework in order to attract new investment into a sector that remains significantly underdeveloped relative to its potential.

Zimbabwe sits on vast coal reserves, yet much of this endowment remains underutilised, while the country continues to grapple with persistent electricity shortages that constrain manufacturing, mining output, and broader economic growth.

Thermal power, largely coal-driven, continues to play a central role in Zimbabwe’s energy mix despite ongoing discourse on renewable alternatives. By elevating metallurgical coal to “critical” status, government is effectively signalling that it intends to prioritise energy security alongside long-term transition goals.

The timing of the policy shift is also instructive.

While decarbonisation remains a long-term objective, major economies are quietly recalibrating around energy security concerns. The United States, under President Donald Trump, has recently designated metallurgical coal as a critical mineral and committed funding toward thermal power infrastructure. Whether one agrees with the policy direction or not, it underscores a global reality,coal remains embedded in industrial value chains, particularly in steel production and base-load energy generation.

Dr Kambamura has framed Zimbabwe’s approach in similar terms, arguing that reclassification will unlock capital inflows, encourage adoption of cleaner extraction technologies, and stimulate downstream beneficiation.

The emphasis on “cleaner technologies” is particularly important, as it attempts to reconcile economic necessity with environmental responsibility.

If implemented effectively, this could help position Zimbabwe’s coal sector as transitional rather than regressive in the global energy landscape.

For years, Zimbabwe has signalled an ambition to align with global climate priorities and expand its renewable energy footprint. Reasserting coal as a strategic mineral could be viewed as a step backwards by climate-conscious financiers and development partners.