Corporate Governance

When The Malilangwe Trust was established on 23 November 1993, it assumed stewardship of an exceptional 40,000-hectare landscape of diverse Zimbabwean wilderness. The reserve borders Gonarezhou National Park to the south, the Hippo Valley Safari area to the west, the Save Valley Conservancy to the north and the Chizvirizwi Communal Area to the east.

From the beginning, the Trust’s mission has been twofold: to restore and protect the area’s biodiversity, and to improve the lives of people in the communities surrounding the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve.

Founding Trustees Dr Colin Saunders, who served as Chairman, and Dr Liberty Mhlanga helped lay the foundations for what has grown into one of Zimbabwe’s leading organisations in conservation, research, community development and sustainability.

 

 

This progress was made possible in part by the vision and pragmatism of the Trust’s Settlor, the Conservation Foundation. From the outset, the Trustees were clear that the wellbeing of surrounding communities and the protection of Malilangwe’s wildlife would take precedence over financial considerations. Long before environmental, social and governance principles became widely recognised, these values were already central to the Trust’s work. At its heart, The Malilangwe Trust is committed to excellence in natural resource conservation and to being a trusted and constructive neighbour.

As Chairman, Dr Colin Saunders encouraged the Board of Trustees to act as fiduciaries in four key areas:

  • 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.

That clarity of purpose continues to guide The Malilangwe Trust today.

Malilangwe’s Board of Trustees is honoured to build on the legacy of the Trust’s founders. Their collective wisdom, experience and business insight have strengthened decision-making and supported the work of the Malilangwe executive team over many years.