…meet Victor Simango, Bikita Minerals’ long serving employee
BIKITA: Many people hold several jobs throughout their life. Some loyal employees hold jobs for decades. But one man in Bikita has stayed at one company longer than anyone in all the mines located in Masvingo Province – literally. Victor Simango (66), sets the record for working at the same company for 44 years.
Simango’s career started when he was just 18 years old. He got a job at Bikita Minerals in 1981, working as an assistant blaster.
Soon after, he was promoted to a shifts man in the production department before becoming a Quarry foreman. Two years later, Simango would assume the most senior mining post of Quarry/ mining manager, a post he continues to hold until today.
As a child, he would walk barefoot to school — rain or shine — and was an excellent student. He has always been enthusiastic about learning but started working to help his family.
The company has changed ownership over the past 43 years, which taught Simango the most important part of the business: Stay up to date and adapt to different contexts.
To Simango, having a job means a sense of “purpose, commitment and a routine”
“I do a lot of planning, because I care much about tomorrow,” Simango said. “All I care about is that tomorrow will be another day in which I will wake up, get up, exercise and go to work”
“You need to get busy with the present, not the past or the future. Here and now is what counts. So, let’s go to work!”
Every employee has a career defining moment and for Victor there has been a series of career changing events but after a deep cough and pause. He settled for a moment post Covid 19.
“The career defining moment for me came in 2022, Sinomine acquired the mine when it was going towards the end of an ore body. The arrival of a new investor, Sinomine gave hope to the mine and saw the revival of operations. Things took a turn for the better and operations expanded exposing me to more work and management duties,” said Simango.
Behind every successful miner there is a woman. Victor is married to Tamari Simango; a qualified teacher and they have been together for the past 35 years. The couple is blessed with two beautiful daughters but sadly none has invested in mining as a career.
During his free time, he listens to music, watches football and plays table tennis. He is super confident that even up to this day he can still beat Mike Mushava another long-serving Bikita Minerals employee.
