Blanket Mine declares $1.5m community dividend for Gwanda trust

CALEDONIA Mining Corporation’s Blanket Mine has approved a US$1.5 million community dividend for the Gwanda Community Share Ownership Trust, extending its policy of sharing mining returns with host communities.

The gold producer said the payment reflects its approach to responsible mining, linking operational performance with local development in areas surrounding the mine.

Blanket Mine General Manager Elton Gwatidzo said the dividend formed part of the group’s wider social and governance framework.

“This contribution reflects the Caledonia group’s belief that responsible mining must deliver sustained and measurable benefits to surrounding communities,” he said.

The community dividend will be channelled through the Gwanda Community Share Ownership Trust, a structure created to direct mining proceeds into projects identified at local level. Community trusts are intended to give residents a stake in nearby operations and to fund priorities that fall outside limited public resources.

Gwatidzo said the company’s approach was designed to be practical and long-term.

“Our approach to ESG is practical and long-term,” he said. “These dividend payments ensures that the sucess of Blanket Mine is shared transparently and responsibly with the people of Gwanda, while supporting sustainable community development initiatives identified by the communities themselves.”

Mining-linked community funding has become a key development mechanism in resource-producing districts, where dividends are often used to support clinics, schools and basic infrastructure.

Blanket Mine said the payout formed part of its effort to align commercial performance with social outcomes, tying profits to local benefit through established community structures.