Kavango Resources plc, focused on Botswana and Zimbabwe, announced that its chairman David Smith will retire from the board on 30 June 2025, among other management changes.
COMPANY MOVES
A solicitor and previously a partner in the company’s solicitors, Druces LLP, Mr Smith assumed his role in January 2021.
“The company has advanced and developed very considerably over the last four years, and I am proud to have been able to play a part in that growth,” he said.
“However, as we move from what, at the time of my appointment, was in effect an early-stage start-up, to a maturing business, with active mining operations in Zimbabwe alongside our continuing exploration activities in Botswana, I believe the time has come for the company to be steered by someone with more direct operational mining experience.
“I shall be excited to watch its progress and wish it nothing but success.
“I should however like to thank my fellow directors, and particularly our CEO Ben Turney, for their unwavering support over the last four years; working with them has been a pleasure.”
Mr Turney added: “We all would like to thank David for his support in helping Kavango grow to the position it finds itself in today.
“David and I joined the board together in January 2021.
“Since then, we have worked hard together, experiencing the full spectrum of highs and lows associated with being a junior exploration and mining company.
“David leaves the company in an exceptionally stronger position than when he joined, as we move confidently towards large-scale production.”
Mr Smith’s replacement is current non-executive deputy chairman Peter Wynter Bee who will become non-executive chairman of the board.
Mr Wynter Bee is a lawyer, focused on financing and managing mining companies, having raised capital for the development of mining projects since 1990.
His projects include the development of a gold mine in Zambia, a copper mine in Zimbabwe and the Skorpion zinc mine in Namibia before its takeover by Anglo-American.
Mr Wynter Bee recently retired from Moxico Resources plc, which he founded and was its executive chairman.
NED
Kavango has also appointed Gautam Dalal as a non-executive director, effective 1 July 2025.
Mr Dalal is a chartered accountant with more than 30 years’ experience with KPMG London, where he was a partner from 1990 to 2010.
From 1993 to 1997 he established KPMG’s business in India where he was based.
In 2000 Mr Dalal became chairman and chief executive officer of KPMG’s Indian operations before returning to the UK.
In 2008 he took over as KPMG’s head of diversified industrials market sector.
Mr Dalal is currently a NED of Hoptroff London Ltd, until recently a NED of Moxico Resources plc, and previously a director of ZincOx Resources plc.
He is also NED of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, held positions of NED and vice-chairman of the Bart’s Health NHS Trust, and NED of Camelia plc .
Mr Dalal has an interest in 41,142,857 shares in Kavango, representing 1.35% of the issued share capital.