Africa

Leeufontein pit at Kolomela Iron Ore Mine. Credit: Anglo American KumbaLeeufontein pit at Kolomela Iron Ore Mine. Credit: Anglo American KumbaAudits

Anglo American’s Kolomela Iron Mine Completes IRMA Surveillance Audit

13 March 2026By

On 13 March 2026 the Initiative for Responsible Mining (IRMA) released the surveillance audit report of Anglo American’s Kolomela iron ore mine, located near Kathu in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. IRMA-approved audit firm ERM CVS conducted the audit and assessed the progress made on the corrective action plan that the operation committed to in the initial audit report.

IRMA’s independent assessment cycle occurs in 3 stages: (1) initial audit, (2) surveillance audit, and (3) reassessment audit. Mines in the IRMA system must undergo a surveillance audit during each 3-year audit cycle, and this audit must occur between 12 and 18 months after an initial audit report has been publicly released. Surveillance audits are not full audits, meaning that conformance with all requirements reviewed in the initial audit does not need to be re-established. Typically, during a surveillance audit the audit team verifies that the mine’s systems and controls are still in place and are functioning effectively, that no major changes have occurred since the initial audit that negatively affect the mine’s performance. The surveillance audit includes confidential interviews with workers and engagement with Indigenous rightsholders and community stakeholders. The initial and surveillance IRMA audit reports for the operation are available on the Kolomela audit page on the IRMA website.

IRMA audits are important steps in deepening dialogue between mining companies and those affected by their operations. The independent IRMA system is the only global mining standard that provides equal power to the public sector (communities and Indigenous rights holders, mine workers, and environmental and human rights advocates) alongside the private sector (mining companies, mined materials purchasers and investors).

For More Information:

READ MORE
Sishen Mine. Credit: Anglo American KumbaSishen Mine. Credit: Anglo American KumbaAudits

Anglo American’s Sishen Iron Mine Completes IRMA Surveillance Audit

12 March 2026By

On 12 March 2026 the Initiative for Responsible Mining (IRMA) released the surveillance audit report of Anglo American’s Sishen iron ore mine, located near Kathu in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. IRMA-approved audit firm ERM CVS conducted the audit and assessed the progress made on the corrective action plan that the operation committed to in the initial audit report.

IRMA’s independent assessment cycle occurs in 3 stages: (1) initial audit, (2) surveillance audit, and (3) reassessment audit. Mines in the IRMA system must undergo a surveillance audit during each 3-year audit cycle, and this audit must occur between 12 and 18 months after an initial audit report has been publicly released. Surveillance audits are not full audits, meaning that conformance with all requirements reviewed in the initial audit does not need to be re-established. Typically, during a surveillance audit the audit team verifies that the mine’s systems and controls are still in place and are functioning effectively, that no major changes have occurred since the initial audit that negatively affect the mine’s performance. The surveillance audit includes confidential interviews with workers and engagement with Indigenous rightsholders and community stakeholders. The initial and surveillance IRMA audit reports for the operation are available on the Sishen audit page on the IRMA website.

IRMA audits are important steps in deepening dialogue between mining companies and those affected by their operations. The independent IRMA system is the only global mining standard that provides equal power to the public sector (communities and Indigenous rights holders, mine workers, and environmental and human rights advocates) alongside the private sector (mining companies, mined materials purchasers and investors).

For More Information:

READ MORE
Mining Indaba 2026 Eramet IRMA interviewMining Indaba 2026 Eramet IRMA interviewAfrica

Senegal’s Landmark IRMA-Assessed Mine: A New Era for Responsible Mining in Africa

10 February 2026By

[This is a reproduction of an article on the Mining Indaba website. View the original, and scroll down to watch the interview video.]

In this exclusive Mining Indaba TV interview, Mathilde Jean, NGO and Civil Society Dialogue Manager at Eramet, and JJ Messner, Lead for Purchasing at the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), discuss the successful implementation of global mining sustainability standards in Africa.

Reflecting on the landmark IRMA assurance of Eramet’s Grande Côte operation in Senegal — the first IRMA-assured mine in West Africa and the first mobile mineral sands operation to reach this level — they share insights into the motivations, challenges, and tangible impacts of undergoing a rigorous independent assessment.

The conversation explores what downstream buyers are looking for from responsible mining operations, how IRMA standards have influenced workforce practices, community engagement, and environmental management, and the lessons this collaboration offers to other mining companies and governments across the continent.

Looking ahead, they discuss how broader adoption of responsible mining standards could strengthen investor confidence, expand market access, and support long-term sustainable development outcomes for African economies.

READ MORE
GCO operation. Credit: ErametGCO operation. Credit: ErametAudits

Eramet’s Grande Côte Operation completes first IRMA audit in Senegal

5 February 2026By
Senegal’s first mineral sands mine reaches IRMA 50 when audited against the world’s only equally governed mining standard

5 Feb 2026 – Today the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) released the audit of the Eramet Grande Côte Operation (EGC), the Senegalese subsidiary of the Eramet Group, against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Independent audit firm SCS Global Services (SCS) assessed EGC at IRMA 50 when measuring its performance against the Standard’s best practice social and environmental criteria.

Achieving IRMA 50 means SCS verified that EGC at least substantially met all 40 critical requirements of the IRMA Standard, as well as scored at least 50% in each of Standard’s the four principle areas: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, business integrity and planning for positive legacies.

The full audit reports (in English and French) are available on the EGC audit page on the IRMA website: https://responsiblemining.net/egc

The information stakeholders need to decide what’s going well — and what may require more attention.

“This report demonstrates that mines can point to transparent, independent evaluations of their environmental and social performance,” said Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director of IRMA. “Through detailed IRMA audit reports, mining companies, communities and companies that purchase mined materials can gain the information they need, to decide what’s going well — and what may require more attention — at specific mines.”

The IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining is recognized and adopted around the globe, where audits like EGC’s are steps in a deepening dialogue between mining companies and those affected by their operations.

“An increasing number of community members and workers are engaging in IRMA audits, and they’re using the audit reports to communicate directly with the mining company about their priorities for improvement,” Ms. Boulanger said. “If readers find results inconsistent with their experience, we encourage them to share their perspectives with IRMA and the company so that we can improve the audit review process and support continuing improvement at the site—as community members and NGOs have already done in this case.”

“Achieving IRMA 50 is a powerful validation of the progress made by Eramet Grande Côte Operations and of the Group’s commitment to Act for Positive Mining,” said Virginie de Chassey, Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer at Eramet Group. She continued, “IRMA provides the most comprehensive, transparent, and rigorous standard in our sector, and this assessment confirms that our responsible mining practices are delivering measurable outcomes on the ground. This milestone reflects not only the work of Eramet Grande Côte’s teams, but also our ambition to build trust by operating to the highest international expectations.”

Including the EGC operation, 27 industrial-scale mines worldwide are within the IRMA independent assessment system. After an initial self-assessment, a participating mine engages a third-party audit firm — trained and approved by IRMA — to conduct a detailed independent evaluation, including on-site visits to the mine and nearby communities. Following the release of the initial audit, a shorter surveillance audit checks on the mine’s performance. Three years after the initial audit, the operation is fully audited again. (Note: The first mines audited in the IRMA system have had extensions to this timeline due to Covid delays and launch-phase learning; updated full reviews will be required to maintain or increase achievement scores.)

The independent IRMA system is the only global mining standard that provides equal power to the public sector (communities and Indigenous rights holders, mine workers, and environmental and human rights advocates) alongside the private sector (mining companies, mined materials purchasers and investors).

For More Information:

About IRMA
IRMA is a nonprofit organization working to protect people and the environment directly affected by mining by creating financial value for industrial-scale mining operations independently assessed against IRMA’s best practice Standard for Responsible Mining. For more information, visit: responsiblemining.net

READ MORE
GCO operation. Credit: ErametGCO operation. Credit: ErametAudits

L’exploitation Grande Côte d’Eramet réalise son premier audit IRMA au Sénégal

5 February 2026By
La première mine de sables minéralisés du Sénéral a obtenu le score d’IRMA 50 après avoir été auditée à l’aune de la seule norme minière au monde régie de manière équitable

5 février 2026 — L’Initiative pour l’assurance d’une exploitation minière responsable (IRMA) publie aujourd’hui l’audit de Grande Côte Opérations d’Eramet (EGC), la filiale sénégalaise du Groupe Eramet, réalisé par rapport à la Norme IRMA pour une exploitation minière responsable. Le cabinet d’audit indépendant SCS Global Services (SCS) a attribué le niveau IRMA 50 à EGC après avoir mesuré ses performances par rapport aux critères sociaux et environnementaux des meilleures pratiques de la norme.

L’attribution du niveau de conformité IRMA 50 signifie que SCS a vérifié que l’exploitation satisfaisait au moins de manière substantielle à l’ensemble des 40 exigences essentielles de la Norme IRMA, et obtenait une note d’au moins 50 % dans chacun des quatre domaines principaux de la Norme : responsabilité sociale, responsabilité environnementale, intégrité de l’entreprise et planification pour un héritage positif.

Les rapports d’audit complets sont disponibles sur la page d’audit d’EGC1 du site Internet de l’IRMA : https://responsiblemining.net/egc

Les informations dont les parties prenantes ont besoin pour déterminer ce qui fonctionne bien et ce qui nécessite davantage d’attention.

« Ce rapport démontre que les mines peuvent se prévaloir d’évaluations transparentes et indépendantes de leurs performances environnementales et sociales », déclare Aimee Boulanger, directrice exécutive de l’IRMA. « Grâce aux rapports d’audit détaillés de l’IRMA, les entreprises minières, les communautés et les entreprises qui achètent des matériaux extraits peuvent obtenir les informations dont elles ont besoin pour déterminer ce qui fonctionne bien et ce qui nécessite davantage d’attention dans une mine particulière. »

La Norme de l’IRMA est reconnue et adoptée dans le monde entier. Ainsi, les audits tels que celui d’EGC constituent des étapes dans l’approfondissement du dialogue entre les entreprises minières et les personnes touchées par leurs activités.

« Un nombre croissant de membres des communautés et de travailleurs participent aux audits de l’IRMA et utilisent les rapports d’audit pour communiquer directement à l’entreprise minière leurs priorités en matière d’amélioration », explique Mme Boulanger. « Si les lecteurs constatent des résultats qui ne correspondent pas à leur expérience, nous les encourageons à partager leur point de vue avec l’IRMA et l’entreprise afin que nous puissions améliorer le processus de vérification des audits et soutenir l’amélioration continue sur place, comme l’ont déjà fait les membres des communautés et les ONG dans le cas présent. »

« L’obtention du score d’IRMA 50 constitue une validation convaincante des progrès réalisés par Eramet Grande Côte Opérations et de l’engagement du Groupe à poursuivre son projet d’entreprise minière responsable, Act for Positive Mining », déclare Virginie de Chassey, directrice du développement durable et de l’engagement d’entreprise du Groupe Eramet, avant d’ajouter : « L’IRMA fournit la norme la plus exhaustive, la plus transparente et la plus rigoureuse de notre secteur, et cette évaluation confirme que nos pratiques minières responsables produisent des résultats mesurables sur le terrain. Cette réussite reflète non seulement le travail accompli par les équipes d’Eramet Grande Côte, mais aussi notre ambition d’instaurer la confiance en satisfaisant aux attentes internationales les plus élevées. »

Le système d’évaluation indépendant de l’IRMA concerne 27 mines d’échelle industrielle, GCO comprise, réparties à travers le monde. Après une autoévaluation initiale, une mine participante engage un cabinet d’audit tiers, formé et approuvé par l’IRMA, pour mener une évaluation indépendante détaillée, comprenant des visites du site de la mine et dans les communautés voisines. Après la publication de l’audit initial, un audit de surveillance plus court vérifie les performances de la mine. Trois ans après l’audit initial, l’exploitation fait à nouveau l’objet d’un audit complet. (Remarque : les premières mines auditées selon le système de l’IRMA ont bénéficié de reports de ces échéances en raison des retards occasionnés par la COVID et de l’apprentissage inhérent à la phase de démarrage ; des révisions complètes actualisées seront nécessaires pour maintenir ou augmenter les niveaux de conformité atteints.)

Le système indépendant de l’IRMA constitue la seule norme minière mondiale qui accorde les mêmes pouvoirs au secteur public (communautés et titulaires de droits autochtones, travailleurs de la mine, défenseurs de l’environnement et des droits humains) qu’au secteur privé (entreprises minières, acquéreurs de matériaux extraits et investisseurs).

Pour plus d’informations :

About IRMA
IRMA est une organisation à but non lucratif qui œuvre à la protection des personnes et de l’environnement directement touchés par l’exploitation minière en créant une valeur financière pour les opérations minières à échelle industrielle évaluées de manière indépendante selon la norme IRMA relative aux meilleures pratiques en matière d’exploitation minière responsable. Pour plus d’informations, rendez-vous sur : responsiblemining.net

READ MORE
Kamativi Mining Company Source:KMCKamativi Mining Company Source:KMCAudits

Kamativi’s lithium operation to be audited

12 December 2025By

Kamativi Lithium Mining Operation to be independently audited against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining

Kamativi Mining Co, owned by Yahua Group, has signed agreements with IRMA and IRMA-approved audit firm Resilience Environmental Assurance (REA) to independently assess its Kamativi lithium mining operation against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The Kamativi mine is located in the Hwange District of Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North Province.

The assessment includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an on-site audit (stage 2) Stage 2 includes confidential interviews with local communities and workers without mine management present. After the on-site audit REA will draft an audit report which IRMA and Kamativi will then review, after which the company may choose to release the report or take up to twelve months to implement corrective actions first. When complete, IRMA will publish the final audit report in which REA assigns an overall IRMA Achievement Level, and explains how and why they scored Kamativi against each of the 400+ requirements of the IRMA Standard.

Stakeholder engagement in the assessment

Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the Kamativi independent assessment (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 onsite visit, link to public summary of audit results). The Mines Under Assessment page of IRMA’s website will also provide up-to-date information on all assessments.

Members of the community, public officials, workers and representatives of the workforce, or other organizations are invited to submit comments regarding how the mine site is managing their impacts to the environment including air, water, waste, greenhouse gases, and ecosystems; how the mine supports their workforce; and how the mine interacts with the surrounding community, and how it impacts the community, positively or negatively.

Interested parties may contact the independent audit firm, REA, to share comments or to ask to be interviewed as part of the audit process. The audit firm can be reached via:

Email: stakeholderInput@resilience-assurance.com

Web form

or

REA QR code for webform

WhatsApp: +27 73 112 5526

or

REA QR code for WhatsApp

Please share this announcement, and feel free to contact REA directly to provide names and contact information for other REA stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process.

More Information 
READ MORE
Communities

How IRMA Helped Rebuild Trust Between Mine and Community – the Unki Case Study

5 December 2025By

Cover of Unki Case StudyEarlier in 2025, IRMA published a case study of the IRMA audit of the Unki mine in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe: Bridging the Gap: How IRMA Helped Rebuild Trust Between Mine and Community, excerpted below.

In the Beginning, Voices Were Lost in Translation

Before the audit, community members rarely had a seat at the table. Now, they bring the chairs.

That’s how it feels in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe, where a shift in how mining is done – and who gets to speak about it – has started to take hold.

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), a global standard for more responsible mining, played a big role in that shift. IRMA is not just about emissions or tick-box safety, but the full picture: labor, land, community, biodiversity, water, human rights. It brings companies, workers, communities and civil society to the same table, and it doesn’t just ask for compliance — it pushes for better.

The audits are independent, the findings are public, and the focus is on shared progress. Change doesn’t come from slogans or public relations campaigns. It comes from patient work: dialogue, discomfort, and the simple act of being heard.

Read the rest of the Unki case study.

READ MORE
Audits

SCS to Conduct On-site IRMA Renewal Assessment of Valterra Platinum’s Unki Mine

7 November 2025By

Read this announcement in Shona

SCS Seeks Input from Local Community and Other Stakeholders

Today, November 7, SCS Global Services announces that from December 8 to December 13, its auditors will visit Valterra Platinum’s Unki Mine in the Midlands Province, Zimbabwe, to conduct the on-site phase of its independent Renewal Assessment (audit) evaluating the site’s continuing performance against the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Standard for Responsible Mining.

During the onsite visit, independent auditors from SCS Global Services will inspect the operation and associated facilities and collect feedback from local stakeholders – anyone directly or indirectly affected by the mine including community members, mine workers, and government officials.

The IRMA assessment results will be published on the IRMA audit page and available on request from the site. The IRMA audit report will describe how and why SCS Global Services scored Unki Mine against each of the 428 requirements of the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The report will also  present an overall achievement level: IRMA Transparency, IRMA 50, IRMA 75, or IRMA 100.

8-13 December 2025

Your comments will help SCS Global Services assess the impact of Unki Mine on local communities and measure its performance against best mining practices. SCS Global Services invites you to sign up for an interview with auditors during the on-site visit, and/or submit written comments about Unki Mine using the contact details below.

Interviews can be held in Shona or English. Interviews requested by November 30 can be conducted remotely or in-person. Interview requests made after that date will most likely be conducted remotely but may also be conducted in-person if time permits, and remotely if it does not. Written comments can be submitted anytime until December 19.
On the web

Email: feedback@scsglobalservices.com

Telephone: +1 520 248 4276 (voice or text)

QR code to access online form:

QR code for SCS-IRMA-feedback
Comments and interviews are confidential and interviews are conducted without mine personnel present. SCS Global Services does not share the names of stakeholder interviewees/commenters or copies of written comments with Valterra Platinum or IRMA. Only the general nature of comments will be summarized in the final audit report.

Valterra Platinum uses the results on environmental and social performance of the Unki Mine to improve its practices. Other stakeholders, particularly affected communities and mine workers, may use this audit report to engage with Valterra Platinum and others to improve the operation in the ways that matter most to them.

Unki underwent a comprehensive Initial Audit in 2021 achieving IRMA 75, followed 3 years later by an abbreviated Surveillance Audit to ensure site performance still supported its IRMA Achievement level and to monitor progress on the site’s Corrective Action Plan. Before the expiration of IRMA Achievement level, the operation completes a comprehensive Renewal Audit at which point the audit firm awards a new IRMA Achievement level. Ordinarily the entire initial-surveillance-renewal audit cycle takes 3 years, but because Unki was the first operation to complete the cycle the timeframe was extended to accommodate learnings and process improvements

More Information 
READ MORE
Mototolo PGM mining operation. Credit: Anglo AmericanMototolo PGM mining operation. Credit: Anglo AmericanAfrica

ERM CVS to Conduct On-site IRMA Surveillance Assessment of Valterra Platinum Mototolo operations

24 October 2025By

From IRMA approved independent auditor ERM CVS. View/download the announcement as PDF in Sepedi

ERM CVS Seeks Input from Local Community and Other Stakeholders

ERM CVS announces that on 24-26 November 2025 it will visit the Valterra Platinum Mototolo complex in South Africa’s Limpopo province to conduct an independent, third-party Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) surveillance assessment of the operation..

The initial audit report of Valterra Platinum’s Mototolo mining complex was released on 16 February 2024 with an achievement level of IRMA 75. The report is available on the IRMA website: https://responsiblemining.net/mototolo.

The onsite surveillance audit will verify that the site operations continue to align with the performance previously recognized in the initial audit report. The audit team will verify that the mine’s systems and controls are still in place and are functioning effectively, that no major changes have occurred that negatively affect the mine’s performance, and that the site is progressing on its corrective action plan. The audit will also include confidential interviews with workers and engagement with community stakeholders. Following the completion of the surveillance audit, a report will be published on the IRMA website.

The abbreviated surveillance audit summary report will provide Valterra Platinum and stakeholders insight into continuity of operations, material changes, and evidence of continued improvement. A full reassessment audit will occur three years after the release of the initial audit report.

24 – 26 November 2025

Your comments will help ERM CVS assess the impact of Valterra Platinum’s Mototolo mine on local communities and measure its performance against best mining practices. ERM CVS invites you to sign-up for an interview with auditors during the surveillance audit, and/or submit written comments about Valterra Platinum Mototolo mine using the contact details below.

Interviews can be held in English and Sepedi. You must contact us before 17 November 2025 to be interviewed. Written comments submitted before 25 November 2025 will be incorporated into the results of this audit.
On the web

Email: post@ermcvs.com

Telephone: +27 10 596 3740

QR code to access online form:

ERM CVS contact QR code
Interviews with members of the community occur without mine personnel present. Interviews with non-management workers occur without management present and can be scheduled to occur offsite on request. ERM CVS protects the identity of individual commenters although the general nature of comments will be summarized in the report.

For more information about

READ MORE
Amandelbult PGM Complex. Credit: Anglo AmericanAmandelbult PGM Complex. Credit: Anglo AmericanAfrica

ERM CVS to Conduct On-site IRMA Surveillance Assessment of Valterra Platinum Amandelbult operations

24 October 2025By

From IRMA approved independent auditor ERM CVS. View/download the announcement as PDF in isiXhosa | Sepedi | Setswana

ERM CVS Seeks Input from Local Community and Other Stakeholders

ERM CVS announces that on 18-20 November 2025 it will visit the Valterra Platinum Amandelbult mining complex in South Africa’s Limpopo province to conduct an independent, third-party Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) surveillance assessment of the operation..

The initial audit report of Valterra Platinum’s Amandelbult mining complex was released on 16 February 2024 with an achievement level of IRMA 50. The report is available on the IRMA website: https://responsiblemining.net/amandelbult.

The onsite surveillance audit will verify that the site operations continue to align with the performance previously recognized in the initial audit report. The audit team will verify that the mine’s systems and controls are still in place and are functioning effectively, that no major changes have occurred that negatively affect the mine’s performance, and that the site is progressing on its corrective action plan. The audit will also include confidential interviews with workers and engagement with community stakeholders. Following the completion of the surveillance audit, a report will be published on the IRMA website.

The abbreviated surveillance audit summary report will provide Valterra Platinum and stakeholders insight into continuity of operations, material changes, and evidence of continued improvement. A full reassessment audit will occur three years after the release of the initial audit report.

18 – 20 November 2025

Your comments will help ERM CVS assess the impact of Valterra Platinum’s Amandelbult mine on local communities and measure its performance against best mining practices. ERM CVS invites you to sign-up for an interview with auditors during the surveillance audit, and/or submit written comments about Valterra Platinum Amandelbult mine using the contact details below.

Interviews can be held in English, Setswana, Sepedi and isiXhosa. You must contact us before 11 November 2025 to be interviewed. Written comments submitted before 19 November 2025 will be incorporated into the results of this audit.
On the web

Email: post@ermcvs.com

Telephone: +27 10 596 3740

QR code to access online form:

ERM CVS contact QR code
Interviews with members of the community occur without mine personnel present. Interviews with non-management workers occur without management present and can be scheduled to occur offsite on request. ERM CVS protects the identity of individual commenters although the general nature of comments will be summarized in the report.

For more information about

READ MORE