Tinashe Makichi
HARARE – Metallon Gold Corporation has reportedly fired chief executive Kenneth Mekani with immediate effect.
Mekani was appointed as the company’s chief executive in 2015 and has been working closely with Mzi Khumalo, former chief executive officer and deputy chairman.
Metallon head of communications Klara Kaczmarek confirmed to Business Times that Mekani was leaving the company.
“As you are aware Metallon is restructuring each of its mines where each mine will have its own managing director. So on the issue of the CEO, under the new structure we would need someone who will be based in United Kingdom and unfortunately Ken will no longer be part of us. He will continue working with the group on a consultancy basis,” Kaczmarek said.
Metallon operates four mining assets in Zimbabwe—How Mine, Shamva Mine, Mazowe Mine and Redwing Mine.
Well-placed sources at the mining group told this publication that Mekani was leaving after the company had failed to perform according to targets laid out in his contract.
“Mekani has resigned but the truth of the matter is that he has been fired after things at the mining group had been stagnant. The miner had been facing a lot of challenges, a situation which saw the shareholder deciding to part ways with Mekani. The group appointed a Ghanaian guy Ibrahima Tali as chief operations officer,” said the source.
Efforts to get a comment from Mekani were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.
Mekani had been with Metallon for 28 years after joining the then Lonrho Mining as graduate trainee metallurgist in June 1987.
After completing the graduate trainee programme, Mekani was appointed plant metallurgist and he spent several years in the group’s various operations where he worked his way up the ranks and was involved in major metallurgical projects.
In December 2012, he was appointed acting chief operations officer for the company and in June 2013 was appointed general manager for the group’s flagship operation, How Mine.
