INTERVIEW: RANDGOLD RESOURCES
half-thousand new jobs in Mali. Tose are direct jobs,” says Mr Bristow. Te third step is primary education.
“If you don’t get young people into the classrooms then you just can’t make a difference in society.” But building schools is not enough.
“What we really need to measure is how many children we educate properly and the quality of that education … you can build all the schools in the world but, if you don’t have teachers, you can’t deliver the best. So what we do now is measure pass rates rather than brag about how many schools.”
Community investments In addition, the Randgold has set
Going underground: Mark Bristow. Mr Bristow, a geologist with a PhD
from Natal University, South Africa, has held board positions at a number of global mining companies and is non- executive chairman of Rockwell Resources International. Has also played a significant part in promoting the emergence of a sustainable mining industry in Africa. He outlines three key steps in achieving sustainable mining: profitable mines, investment in skills and education. “Te first thing is to have profitable mines. Tat’s the biggest project one can deliver on. We’re one of the largest employers in the country outside government and we’re one of the largest taxpayers. So the taxes we pay get very close, if not cover, the national civil
18 INTERNATIONAL MINING ENGINEER
service tax bill. Tat the first and most important thing a mining company should do.”
Skills growth Randgold contributes to national skills
growth in Mali through scholarship programmes, hands-on training and career development. As a direct result of this effort, Loulo-Gounkoto is managed and operated by an almost entirely Malian team, with the country’s nationals accounting for 94% of the total workforce. “When it comes to Randgold’s mines, it is a worldclass operation with world class skills and we’ve created some seven-and-
up community-led commissions to direct each of its strategic community investment sectors, including potable water provision, education, healthcare and food security. Investment projects are run by the community, with guidance from Loulo-Gounkoto’s management. Another initiative is the development of local agribusinesses. Te relevant community development committees are being converted into co-operatives, which will secure agricultural land selected by the communities and tested by Mali’s National Agricultural Institute. Construction of an agricultural training centre will also start this month and a number of pilot projects, which will serve as training units, have been identified. “We invest not in trying to perpetuate
Loulo-Gounkoto currently accounts for some 8% of the Mali’sGDP
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