Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor
LONDON-listed Kavango Resources Plc is making strides in revitalising Zimbabwe’s mining sector, by encouraging talented individuals from the diaspora to return home and contribute to the nation’s rebuilding efforts.
A prime example is the recent appointment of Mr Everjoy Ngomamiti as the General Manager. With 13 years of experience abroad — having spent nine years in Australia and four in Tanzania, focusing on gold mining — Mr Ngomamiti is set to impart his extensive knowledge and expertise back in his homeland.
“I am joining Kavango as the General Manager in Filabusi. First and foremost, the biggest question people ask is why I joined Kavango as I am coming from Barrick Bulyanhulu Gold Mine in Tanzania, where on a daily basis we were producing about 20kgs of gold,” said Mr Ngomamiti, revealing that he previously served as the mine manager, overseeing a workforce of 600 people and managing production that involved 4 500 tonnes of material movement daily.
“But now, I am joining Kavango, a team which is producing at the moment only 30 tonnes a day, coming from a company where I was producing 4,500 tonnes. The first reason is that I am born and bred in Zimbabwe, so home is the best; I am coming back home.”
Mr Ngomamiti expressed confidence in the potential of Kavango, highlighting the strategic location within the Filabusi Greenstone Belt zone, which sits atop a 10 million ounce complex. He believes that within the next five years, the operation could evolve into a Tier One mine, producing over 500 000 ounces annually.
“I also spent some time in Australia and Tanzania, where I learned a lot about technology, mining methods and mechanised mining. I believe I can come here and implement everything I have learned — technology, software, equipment, mechanisation and spiral declines — to boost productivity and efficiency,” he explained.
The General Manager pointed out the current challenges faced in Zimbabwe’s mining industry, stating, “What is lacking at the moment in the mining industry in Zimbabwe is productivity and efficiency. Everything is manualised; people are labouring with their hands. It takes 20 people to produce 30 tonnes in a day. But with a bogger and a truck, that can be done in 15 minutes. So, that is what we want to come and implement here in Zimbabwe.”
In addition to enhancing operational efficiency, he revealed that Kavango Resources is also committed to training local miners in modernised mining techniques.
Kavango owns three projects in Zimbabwe, where they are concentrating efforts on the Hillside Project, which spans 44 gold claims across 503 hectares. The company’s other projects in Zimbabwe include the Nara Gold Project and the Leopard Project, both of which remain under early-stage exploration.
Bongani Ndlovu