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Business Reporter
PROMINENT Bulawayo business executive and former Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe president, Roy George Stephens, has died.

He was 80.

Stephens succumbed to heart attack at Qalisa Retirement Village in Surbubs, Bulawayo on Friday, his son Gavin confirmed yesterday.

“He has been healthy all along but succumbed to heart attack at a retirement home on November 27,” said Gavin.

“There’ll be a memorial service for him tomorrow (today) at the Presbyterian Church at Corner Jason Moyo and Fife Street in Bulawayo at 3.30PM.

He’ll then be cremated and his ash will be interred in Matopos where our grandfather’s remains are.”

Stephens was born in Bulawayo in 1935 and spent his entire life in the city. He attended Milton Junior School and Milton High where he was head boy in the 1950s.

Stephens studied at the University of Cape Town before joining the Bulawayo Board of executors and Trust Company in 1958.

He retired after 42 years of service in 2000 as both chairman, a position he held for many years, and managing director.

A well known figure in the mining sector, Stephens represented the industry on two government delegations to India and Canada shortly after independence.

He was elected Chamber of Mines president, having served for many years on the executive and as vice president.

Stephens was also chairman of the Mining Industry Pension Fund. Following his retirement in 2000, he was elected a life member of the Chamber of Mines.

He served as chairman of Falcon Gold Mines and helped steer the entity into listing on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.

Stephens was very instrumental in the establishment of the Zimbabwe School of Mines in Bulawayo in 1994. The institution is now a regional centre of excellence in mining skills training.

He also served as chairman of Olympus Gold Mines, Willsgrove Brick and Pottery and director of Zimcor Ltd and Knight Frank and Rutley.

Stephens was a fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute London, and served as chairman of Willis Coroon and Associated Brokers International Ltd.

Among other positions, he was chairman of CABS (Matabeleland board) and a member of the main board, served as chief executive officer of ABUZ and chairman of the Bulawayo Publicity Association, in which executive he served for 10 years.

On the sporting arena, Stephens captained Matabeleland Hockey and was a member of the first national team to travel abroad.

As a boy he grew up involved with boy scouts with interest in botany, his lifetime hobby.

Stephens’ great passion was the Matopo Hills, which saw him becoming a member of the Rhodes Estate Matobo Committee, serving as chairman for Matobo Conservation Society.

He is survived by wife, Joan, and three children, Sally, Gavin and Desmond and four grandchildren.