Lalapanzi

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Lalapanzi is a small town in Zimbabwe’s Midlands province. It sits on the Great Dyke, a long, mineral-rich area that runs north to south through the country. The town grew because of chromium mining. Two big mines were run by Lonrho and Zimasco. Lonrho later sold its stake.

From the 1990s, many smaller, independent miners started work, producing more ore but causing environmental problems because there were few rules to govern mining.

Lalapanzi has one post office, a large police station, three clinics (two private and one government), one railway station, two primary schools, and one secondary school. It has also served as a dormitory town for the Sino-Zimbabwe cement company about 20 km to the west.

Since the fall in commodity prices in the 1990s, Lalapanzi has largely become a ghost town.