Kuvimba Mining House (KMH) has launched the latest iteration of its comprehensive “Wellness Beyond Generation” program, signalling a significant scaling of its commitment to sustainable and ethical operations, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By: Rudairo Mapuranga
The program, launched at the Group’s Head Office in Borrowdale, Harare, is set to be rolled out across all its mines and business units nationwide.
This year’s initiative builds on the foundational work started last year, which focused heavily on mental health awareness as a key strategy to reduce Lost Time Incidents (LTIs) and enhance productivity.
However, Group CEO Mr. Travor Barnard has now articulated a more holistic vision, positioning employee and community wellness as central pillars of the company’s identity.
“Kuvimba’s vision is to actually provide a better and sustainable future for Zimbabwe. And within that, certainly for us, it’s very important that we include the wellness of our people within our activities on a continuous basis,” said Barnard.
Tafadzwa Nyikadzino
Kuvimba Mining House has rolled out an annual sustainability campaign, a programme aimed at preserving the environment at its operational areas across the country.
The campaign, which runs under the theme, “Restoring Nature, Securing Tomorrow”, aims to restore and rebuild sustainable communities through the development and preservation of green spaces using native plants, dust suppression initiatives, and local infrastructure rehabilitation.
The campaign was launched yesterday at Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, where the Local Chief Chipadze, representatives from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and over 100 students on attachment and graduate trainees at Freda Rebecca Gold took part on a tree planting exercise at the company’s Tailing Storage Facility (TSF).
The company revealed that it has planted over 10 000 trees this year alone around its TSFs, which are structures used to store waste materials after mineral extraction. If left unattended, TSFs can cause a lot of damage to communities.
Speaking at the launch, KMH’s Group CEO Trevor Barnard said the company is committed to preserve the environment and protect the communities around its operational areas.
“We are strongly committed to preserving the environment and protecting communities in our operational areas. I am delighted to launch the ‘Restoring , Nature, Securing Tomorrow’ initiative, where we build our operations and support our teams to foster environmental stewardship. We work in collaboration with local communities to realize intergenerational environmental sustainability,” said Barnard.
Chief Chipadze applauded the company for working to preserve the environment.
“I would like to thank the team from Fredah Rebecca Mine for realising the importance of preserving the environment after they conduct their mining activities. The tree planting initiative protects the environment and surrounding communities from degradation,” he said.
A TRADITIONAL leader from Mashonaland Central, Chief Chipadze has urged mining companies to take environmental conservation seriously by planting indigenous trees to counter deforestation and land degradation caused by mining activities.
The traditional leader was giving remarks at a sustainability campaign launch event, which was held by Freda Rebecca Gold Mine (FRGM) Friday where he commended efforts to rehabilitate the environment.
The campaign focuses on restoring and rebuilding sustainable communities through developmental and preservation of green spaces using native plants, dust suppression initiatives, and local infrastructure rehabilitation and these include planting trees and lawn.
“This tree planting exercise we are witnessing today is a great initiative as we are using our own indigenous trees which can survive in this environment.
“We wish and urge all mining companies to do the same to avoid environmental damages to the surrounding communities,” Chipadze said.
These initiatives are done at the Tailing Storage Facility (TSF), a mining structure used to store waste materials after mineral extraction which can cause significant damage to local communities if not managed properly.
TSFs can cause water and air pollution, soil erosion, dust pollution, landscape alteration, and potential disasters like dam failures, impacting ecosystems and human health.
This year alone, FRGM, a subsidiary of Kuvimba Mining House (KMH) has already planted over 10 000 trees under the theme “restoring nature and securing tomorrow”.
“Since the beginning of this year, FRGM has already planted more than 10 000 trees and we planted another 900 trees here today.
“We are replanting specifically indigenous trees but a few exotics which will be planted for very specific reasons like some of them will be able to restore the soil quality and assist the indigenous trees to grow as well,” added KMH CEO Trevor Barnard.
The campaign will be rolled out across all KMH mines in Zimbabwe.
“This will go to all our other operations, we cleared vegetation, we removed crop soil, we disturbed the natural environment, even though we can never completely restore this area to what it was before, that would have been an effort to restore the vegetation,” said FRGM managing director Patrick Shayawabaya.
KUVIMBA Mining House (KMH) has launched its annual sustainability campaign, which aims to promote environmental stewardship and build environmental resilience in the company’s operational areas.
The initiative, dubbed Restoring Nature, Securing Tomorrow, focuses on restoring and rebuilding sustainable communities through the development and preservation of green spaces using native plants, dust suppression initiatives, and local infrastructure rehabilitation.
The campaign was launched at Freda Rebecca Gold Mine on Friday, where over 10 000 trees have been planted since January 2025 around the tailings storage facility (TSF), a mining structure used to store waste materials after mineral extraction.
TSFs can cause significant damage to local communities if not managed properly.
Speaking to the media ahead of the launch, KMH group chief executive officer Trevor Barnard emphasised the company’s commitment to environmental preservation and community protection.
“We are strongly committed to preserving the environment and protecting communities in our operational areas,” he said.
“I am delighted to launch the Restoring Nature, Securing Tomorrow initiative, where we build our operations and support our teams to foster environmental stewardship.
“We work in collaboration with local communities to achieve intergenerational environmental sustainability.”
Local Chief Chipadze, the Environmental Management Agency, and over 100 students on attachment and graduate trainees at Freda Rebecca Gold Mine were among the delegates who participated in the environmental stewardship programme.
The event coincides with International Women’s Week and will also honour the role of women in environmental stewardship.
As part of this campaign, KMH’s operational mines have been actively involved in various community initiatives.
Sandawana Mines, the company’s lithium mine in the energy cluster, has built over 20 kilometres of roadworks and implemented dust suppression initiatives in the Mberengwa District.
Additionally, they have rolled out health promotion initiatives for the district and its 16 chiefs.
Jena Mines has constructed over five kilometres of roadworks in the Lower Gweru area, while Zimbabwe Alloys operates a backfilling programme for disused pits to protect local communities.
KMH is Zimbabwe’s leading gold producer and a mining conglomerate with a diverse portfolio of mines in gold, platinum group metals, energy, and bulk commodities clusters.
The country’s largest mining conglomerate, Kuvimba Mining House (KMH), has announced the appointment of Trevor Barnard as its new substantive Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective December.
By Tina Musonza
Barnard’s appointment comes at a critical time as KMH seeks to expand its operations and consolidate its position as a leader in Zimbabwe’s mining sector. With over two decades of experience in the mining industry, Barnard brings a wealth of expertise in operational efficiency, strategic leadership, and stakeholder engagement.
In a statement released by the company, Kuvimba’s board expressed confidence in Barnard’s ability to drive the company’s vision forward. “We are excited to welcome Mr. Trevor Barnard as the new CEO of Kuvimba Mining House. His extensive industry knowledge and leadership acumen align with our strategic goals of fostering sustainable growth and maximizing shareholder value,” the statement read.
Kuvimba Mining House has been a key player in Zimbabwe’s economy, with investments spanning gold, nickel, and platinum mining, among other minerals. The company has also contributed significantly to employment creation and foreign currency generation, making it a cornerstone of the country’s economic recovery efforts.
Speaking on his appointment, Barnard expressed optimism about the company’s future and reiterated his commitment to driving innovation and sustainability in mining operations. “I am honoured to join Kuvimba Mining House at such a pivotal moment. Together with the team, I aim to harness our potential and deliver long-term value to our stakeholders while prioritizing environmental stewardship and community development,” he said.
The announcement has been met with optimism in the mining sector, with analysts predicting that Barnard’s leadership could usher in a new era of growth for KMH. Industry insiders highlighted that his international experience could open doors for further foreign investment and technological advancement in Zimbabwe’s mining industry.
Kuvimba Mining House has been at the centre of government-led efforts to revitalise the mining sector, which is a critical pillar of Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 economic blueprint. The company is expected to play a leading role in achieving the government’s ambitious target of a US$12 billion mining industry by 2025.
As Barnard takes the helm, stakeholders will be watching closely to see how his leadership shapes the future of KMH and its impact on Zimbabwe’s mining and economic landscape.
