Corporate Governance

When The Malilangwe Trust was formed on 23 November 1993, it became the custodian of an extraordinarily priceless asset, 40 000 hectares of exceptionally beautiful and diverse Zimbabwean wilderness bordering the spectacular Gonarezhou National Park in the south, the Hippo Valley Safari area in the west, the Save Valley Conservancy in the north and the Chizvirizwi Communal Area in the east.

The stage was set for the emerging Trust to discharge its dual mandate of restoring the land’s historical biodiversity and uplifting the lives of people in the communities surrounding the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve.

With their boundless wisdom and energy, the founding Trustees, Dr Colin Saunders, as Chairman, and Dr Liberty Mhlanga, laid the foundations of what has become an icon for research and conservation, community development and sustainability in Zimbabwe.

Such progress would not have been possible without the pragmatism and far-sightedness of the Trust’s Settlor, the Conservation Foundation. From the outset it was made very clear to the Trustees that the interests of the surrounding communities and the wellbeing of Malilangwe’s wildlife would take precedence over financial considerations, and this pre-empted the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ideals that would acquire such importance.

The cornerstone of The Malilangwe Trust is excellence in natural resource conservation in Africa, and a reputation as the best neighbour anybody in Zimbabwe could wish for.

As Chairman, Dr Colin Saunders message to The Board of Trustees was to be a fiduciary in four things:

  • Wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe
  • The interests of the indigenous people of Zimbabwe
  • The funds governed by The Malilangwe Trust – to be accountable to ensure that all the money that The Malilangwe Trust is granted, or it generates from its own efforts is spent wisely, and that the Trust operates in a business-like manner
  • The personal interests of those who raise funds for The Malilangwe Trust and support the Trust in its work

With the benefit of such clarity of purpose The Malilangwe Trust continues to go from strength to strength.

Malilangwe’s Board of Trustees are privileged to follow in the footsteps of The Malilangwe Trust’s illustrious founders. Even though they are all non-executive, their collective wisdom, experience, and business acumen has added immense value to the quality of the Malilangwe Executive team’s decision-making over the years.

With over 100 years of experience between them in business, finance, law and leadership, The Malilangwe Trust’s Board of Trustees is committed to achieving its fiduciary obligations whilst actively partnering with the Executive Director and the Malilangwe Executive team in the fulfilment of The Malilangwe Trust’s mandate of conservation and community upliftment – “development through conservation”.