Kumba Iron Ore

Sishen Mine. Credit: Anglo AmericanSishen Mine. Credit: Anglo AmericanAudits

Sishen, Kolomela Begin IRMA Surveillance Audits

9 July 2025By

ERM CVS to Conduct “Check-In” Assessments to Verify Performance, Progress Identified in Initial Audit

Yesterday IRMA-approved independent audit firm ERM CVS started IRMA surveillance audit of the Sishen and Kolomela iron ore operations in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. These mines are owned and operated by Kumba Iron Ore, a company of which Anglo American is a primary shareholder.

Sishen and Kolomela both achieved IRMA 75 upon release of their full audit reports in April 2024.

Within the IRMA independent assessment cycle, an IRMA surveillance audit is the midpoint between the initial full audit and the full re-assessment audit. It verifies that the previously awarded IRMA Achievement level is still warranted. It is an abbreviated verification that the operation’s systems and controls are still in place and are functioning effectively, that no major changes have occurred that negatively affect the operation’s performance, and that the operation is progressing on its corrective action plan.

As with a full audit, a surveillance audit consists of a desk audit and an onsite audit, and includes confidential interviews with workers and engagement with community stakeholders. As with a full audit, the onsite component will be announced at least 30 days prior.

Following the completion of the surveillance audits, reports will be published on Sishen’s audit page and Kolomela’s audit page.

Stakeholder Engagement in the Surveillance Audit

Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the surveillance assessments. 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, representatives of the workforce, or other organizations are invited to submit comments regarding how the operation 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 ERM CVS to share comments or to ask to be interviewed as part of the audit process. The audit firm can be reached via:

On the web:

erm.com/ermcvs/services/sector-specific-certification-schemes/irma-stakeholder-feedback-form/

Email: post@ermcvs.com

QR code to access online form:

ERM CVS IRMA feedback form english QR code

More Information

ERM CVS is an independent IRMA-approved and trained audit firm. For more about ERM CVS visit ermcvs.com.

IRMA’s mission is to protect the environment and people directly affected by mining. For more about IRMA including the assessment process, the IRMA Standard, and to see audit reports of other mines visit responsiblemining.net

For more information about the IRMA audit cycle, please visit the Independent Assessment Timeline page. If you have concerns or complaints about the IRMA mine site assessment process or the IRMA Standard visit the IRMA Feedback and Complaints page.

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Sishen Mine. Credit: Anglo AmericanSishen Mine. Credit: Anglo AmericanAudits

Audits released for first African iron ore mines

5 April 2024By

Two Anglo American mines are first African iron ore operations audited against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining

Kolomela and Sishen achieve IRMA 75

UPDATED 5 April with recording of 4 April webinar

27 March 2024 – Today the Initiative for Responsible Mining (IRMA) released the audits of Kumba Iron Ore’s Kolomela and Sishen iron ore operations against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Independent audit firm ERM-CVS assessed both operations at IRMA 75 when measuring their performance against the Standard’s best practice social and environmental criteria. Kumba Iron Ore is an Anglo American subsidiary.

The IRMA 75 achievement level means that ERM-CVS verified that the operations at least substantially met all 40 critical requirements of the IRMA Standard, as well as at least 75% of the Standard’s criteria in each of the four principle areas: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, business integrity and planning for positive legacies. The full audit reports are available on the Kolomela and Sishen audit pages on the IRMA website.

“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.”

As the IRMA Standard is recognized and adopted around the globe, these audits are first steps in a deepening dialogue between mining companies and those affected by their operations. Because the process is still evolving, IRMA cautions that the initial results should be reviewed and interpreted accordingly.

“These mines began audits during the early COVID years. The timeline was delayed by travel challenges, and then the company’s decision to use the optional corrective action period to make improvements. The public has long awaited opportunity to review the information included here, and we applaud Anglo American for volunteering these mines for audit against such comprehensive criteria.” Ms. Boulanger went on to say, “That said, the IRMA Standard is relatively new for companies that volunteer to be audited, and even our accredited auditors are still learning. The same is true for community members and workers who are interviewed as part of the process, some of whom may not yet feel comfortable engaging. So, the Amandelbult and Mototolo audits need to be read with this in mind.”

The report also provides an honest accounting of IRMA’s own progress as the Standard and assessment process continue to mature.

“If the results don’t fully reflect the experience of communities, Indigenous rights holders or other affected groups, we want to hear from them,” Ms. Boulanger said. “We’ll help them communicate with the company to better understand its performance, and with the auditors on any issues they feel were overlooked in the review. This is a cornerstone of our own commitment to transparency. We invite anyone who has criticisms of our work to join us in making it better. Finding ways to improve is built into our system — and a measure of its success.”

The IRMA Standard is being updated in 2024; input on how to improve the IRMA Standard is welcomed. Chapters in the IRMA Standard include requirements on protection to human rights, water resources, worker health and safety, biodiversity, Indigenous free, prior, informed consent and more.

“Committing to an IRMA audit reflects our desire to improve and our openness to dialogue”

Mpumi Zikalala, Chief Executive for Kumba Iron Ore said, “Our achievement of IRMA 75 for Kolomela and Sishen mines is testament to the hard work of our teams. The result is informed by evidence from a diverse range of stakeholders including employees, governments, NGOs, and communities alike. This invaluable input will drive our ongoing efforts to enhance sustainability performance. Achieving excellent results in IRMA audits serves as recognition and proof of our commitment to high standards, best practices, transparency and assurance.”

Including Kolomela and Sishen, 19 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).

Apr 4th Webinar Q&A

For More Information:

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