gold
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point of delivering another world-class mine, ahead
of schedule and within budget.
Group Capital Projects Executive John Steele noted
that Kibali had been the team’s largest and most com-
plex assignment to date. “However, this is the fifth
mine we’re building and the experience we’ve gained
in the process has proved invaluable. Randgold’s
owner-builder approach has also helped by ensuring
that we retained hands-on control of the key elements
of the construction programme,” he says.
Willem Jacobs, the Group’s Operating Officer for
central and east Africa, also explained that the con-
struction team will work closely with the operational
team during commissioning and some of its mem-
bers will be transferred to operations to achieve a
seamless hand-over. This will also ensure that Kibali
will have enough experienced people on site to sup-
port the ongoing capital programmes, some of which
will run into 2016.
Localisation pays off
Randgold Resources’ policy of employing and up
skilling the nationals of its host countries – and, to
the largest extent possible – people drawn from its
surrounding communities has been instrumental in
securing its social licence to operate and has also pro-
duced tangible productivity benefits.
From top executives to plant operators, the teams at
its mines consist almost exclusively of local nationals.
The entire management teams at Morila and Goun
koto, for example, are Malian, and at Loulo there are
only two expatriates at executive level. Group wide,
more than 90 % of the workforce are citizens of the
host countries.
“This locals-first employment policy is in line with
our partnership philosophy, generating economic
welfare through the creation of jobs and the transfer
of skills. It also makes sound business sense, as we
have seen that there is a direct link between localisa-
tion and increased productivity,” says Group Human
Resources Executive Philip Pretorius.
“Consequently at Kibali our recruitment drive has
given priority to people from the surrounding villages,
wherever possible, and only thereafter to other Con-
golese nationals. The Kibali region is remote and the
inhabitants have little experience of formal employ-
ment. They have plenty of inherent ability, however,
and following an assessment process a total of 89 Con-
golese, 53 of them drawn from the surrounds of Kibali,
have been sent to our Morila and Tongon mines for an
intensive three-month training programme which will
equip them to be plant operators. A second tranche
will be recruited when the plant ramps up.”
Underground expertise
Group GM Mining Ted de Villiers says that as Rand-
gold’s orebodies continue at depth, its focus is shift-
ing from open pit to underground mining.
“We paid our school fees with the challenging
Yalea underground project, but after we decided to
take over the development ourselves from the con-
tractors, we redesigned the mining plans and fixed
the problems, and both Yalea and the later Gara mine
are now performing as they should,” he says.
“We’re now applying this homegrown expertise at
Kibali, where the critical mass is underground and
where the construction of a vertical shaft takes us into
another mining dimension.”
De Villiers says a significant contributor to Rand-
gold’s underground success has been its selection of
managers who share the company’s approach, con-
tribute valuable skills and have not carried over bad
habits from the traditional mining culture. It has also
strengthened the underground team through the re-
cruitment and development of young local engineers.
Photos courtesy of Randgold Resources
Underground drilling at the Loulo mine in Mali. Total under-
ground ore tonnes mined increased to a record 585 764 t in Q2
2013 from 282 497 t in Q2 2012.
More than 3 400 families have already resettled in the new model village of Kokiza at Kibali. The Relocation Action Plan (RAP) is
scheduled for completion by the end of this month (August).
