adminA renowned miner, Mr Magara is the executive head of engineering and capital projects at Anglo American Platinum Limited, the world’s biggest miner.
Before taking up this role, he was the chief executive of Anglo Coal South Africa and responsible for Anglo American’s total coal business in South Africa with annual revenues of around US$2 billion. At Anglo Platinum, Mr Magara’s tenure in all projects has been fatality free.
He was heavily involved in the Unki Platinum Mine Project in Shurugwi, where he ramped up production to steady state, one year ahead of schedule.
Mr Magara has a 22-year distinguished career at the leading edge of the mining industry which has included a number of positions within the Anglo American Group.
During his mining career, he has shown an exceptional operational ability spanning mining supervision, management and leadership.
He has also demonstrated an ability to work proactively and extensively with unions, government and communities.
He has a degree in mining engineering, has been a director of Anglo American South Africa since 2006, and is a non-executive director of Foskor.
He is married with two children, and has been resident in South Africa for the last 19 years.
Commenting on Mr Magara’s appointment, Lonmin’s chairman, Mr Roger Phillimore, said:
“I am delighted to be able to announce the appointment of Ben Magara to lead Lonmin. The company is performing well and our safety record is better than it has ever been.
“Our renewal plan is on track and progress is being made towards the better definition and achievement of our initiatives to improve both the working and living environment of all Lonmin employees for the benefit of all stakeholders and shareholders.
“The board is confident that Ben’s extensive experience in working in South Africa and the mining community, his relationships and his demonstrated success in proactive relationship building with all stakeholders will drive Lonmin forward.”
And this is what he said about his appointment: “Lonmin is a company with excellent assets. I am excited at the prospect of leading team Lonmin and contributing to making a positive difference.
“The success of the mining industry is vital to the future of South Africa and as the Lonmin team, we will drive excellence and build value with and for all our stakeholders.”
Simon Scott, who has been acting chief executive since August 2012, will resume his role as chief financial officer when Ben joins the company in the next three months.
Mr Magara also known as “Smarty” (derived from Safety Must Always Relate To Yourself), was born in Masvingo in a family of nine. He grew up in a rural environment and recalls how his school day was frequently disrupted in the rainy season because the school he attended was on the other side of a river and had no bridge.
Despite this, Mr Magara went on to complete a degree in mining engineering at the University of Zimbabwe and joined the then Wankie Colliery, now Hwange Colliery in 1990, then still part of Anglo American Zimbabwe.
After four years, he was transferred to SA and flew into Johannesburg on a day that is engraved in his memory: March 28 1994.
That was the day the Shell House shootings took place.
The scheduled introductory visit to Anglo head office in central Johannesburg was cancelled. Magara was whisked away to New Denmark, near Standerton, in southern Mpumalanga.
Eleven years later, Mr Magara lives in Johannesburg, where his main concern is the traffic congestion, he finds horrendous after the tranquillity of Standerton.
His solution is to avoid it by getting to work at around 5.30am and going home after 6pm. But despite these long hours, Mr Magara insists he is not a workaholic.
Arriving in the new SA, Mr Magara found himself ideally placed for career development in a mining operation that wanted to change the way it did business. He flung himself into it. He got his mine manager’s ticket within a year and learnt to speak Zulu within six months. He worked his way through the ranks at a number of Anglo Coal operations until he was appointed mine manager at New Denmark in 2002 at the age of 34. He was promoted to GM a year later.
Asked how he set about running New Denmark, he said: “When I was appointed to the job I asked my bosses – Anglo Coal chairman Tony Redman and Anglo Coal CEO John Wallington – what they wanted me to do there. Their reply was, Go and be Ben Magara’’. Those were wonderful words. I will never forget them.” What Mr Magara wanted was for New Denmark to be a happy mine.
“You cannot be happy if you are injuring people,” he said. “You cannot be happy if your product quality is not what the customers want and your production costs are too high.
“I spent an hour every morning for the first two months just talking to staff and finding out what they wanted and what they were prepared to do. That was invaluable because through those interviews, I picked people I felt were important to the operation and who could influence others. From there we got buy-in from the entire workforce.”
In his spare time, he jokes, plays golf and is “fanatical” about Formula One Grand Prix racing.
His own choice of vehicle is practical: a 4×4 Pajero, a vehicle ideal for negotiating the rural roads in Zimbabwe, when he visits his family three times a year. — Business Reporter/Agencies.
Online Reporter