The Twiga partnership between Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSTSX) and the Tanzanian government generates 51% of the government’s revenue from the extractive sector, according to the latest report from the Tanzania Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative. The partnership encompasses the North Mara and Bulyanhulu gold mines.
Both mines have excelled in safety performance, with Bulyanhulu winning this year’s Occupational Safety and Health Award and North Mara being recognized by Tanzania’s Occupational Safety and Health Authority as the leading company for supporting workers with special needs.
In a recent media briefing with local stakeholders, Barrick President and CEO Mark Bristow highlighted that ongoing brownfields exploration around the Bulyanhulu and North Mara mines continues to uncover opportunities for replenishing and expanding depleted reserves, thereby enhancing their long-term operational flexibility.
Bristow also noted significant progress in identifying new greenfield areas that could potentially add new mines to Barrick’s portfolio.
Furthermore, the Barrick-Twiga Future Forward Education initiative has successfully completed its first phase, which involved a $10 million investment in infrastructure improvements at 64 schools, including the construction of 396 classrooms, 97 dormitories, and 600 ablution blocks.
The second phase is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, with an additional $10 million investment planned, followed by a third phase of $10 million.
Additionally, the Barrick Academy, inaugurated earlier this year at the former Buzwagi mine by the Minister of Minerals, has trained over 1,000 foremen, supervisors, and superintendents from across Barrick’s Africa and Middle East operations. The Academy aims to train more than 2,000 individuals by the end of this year.
In line with Barrick’s commitment to transparency, Bristow stated that the company has referred recent allegations of human rights abuses at the North Mara Mine to the Tanzanian Commission of Human Rights and Good Governance. Following a thorough investigation, the Commission released a report confirming no evidence of human rights violations, refuting claims made by certain international NGOs.
