Platinum

Audits

Valterra Platinum’s Unki Mine is First to Undergo IRMA Renewal Audit

10 October 2025By

SCS Seeks Input from Local Community and Other Stakeholders

Valterra Platinum has signed agreements with the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), and IRMA-approved independent audit firm SCS Global Services (SCS), to continue to independently assess its Unki platinum operations against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Located in Zimbabwe’s Shurugwi region, Unki is the first mine in the IRMA system to undergo an independent Renewal Audit. Unki’s initial and surveillance audits occurred under Anglo American ownership. Valterra Platinum, a South Africa-based company, assumed site ownership on 31 May 2025.

IRMA Assessment Cycle

In the IRMA assessment cycle, a mining operation first undergoes a comprehensive Initial Audit and the independent audit firm awards an IRMA Achievement level, valid for 3 years. Midway between the publication of the initial audit and the expiration of the awarded IRMA Achievement level, the operation completes an abbreviated Surveillance Audit to ensure site performance still supports its IRMA Achievement 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. The Unki operation audit cycle has extended beyond 3 years because they were the first operation to be independently audited against the IRMA standard; the timeframe was adapted to accommodate learnings and process improvements.

SCS will conduct the Renewal Audit, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an onsite audit (stage 2). When the assessment is complete, IRMA will publish a final report in which SCS re-evaluates, explains how and why they scored Unki against each of the 400+ requirements of the IRMA Standard, and awards an updated IRMA Achievement level.

Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment

Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the Unki Renewal Audit (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 onsite visit, link to public summary of audit results). IRMA’s Mines Under Assessment webpage also provides information on all independent assessments.

Members of the community, public officials, 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, SCS, 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

Email: feedback@scsglobalservices.com

QR code to access online form:

QR code for SCS-IRMA-feedback

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

More Information 
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At the Unki audit. Credit: Michelle SmithAt the Unki audit. Credit: Michelle SmithBlog

Community perspectives on IRMA: The Unki Mine audit

22 July 2024By

In late June the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA, an IRMA member) published Community success stories: Tracking service delivery and environmental issues, a blog explaining the Shurugwi Development Trust’s experiences with the independent audit of Anglo American’s Unki platinum group metals mine in Zimbabwe. We excerpt it below:

Through meetings facilitated by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), Unki mine embarked on a third party-audit process against the IRMA standard in 2019 that involved the Shurugwi community, [achieved] IRMA 75 in the audit report. In 2022, a surveillance audit for Unki Mine was done, communities shared their concerns with the audit firm SCS Global. This was after the mine publicly audited against the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) [voluntary] standard for Responsible Mining in 2019.

ZELA, which is the only Zimbabwean member of the IRMA Civil Society Organisations global working group on worker and community engagement rights participated in development of data collection tools for communities such as the Community impact survey, IRMA Audits and Communities, sample letter to mining company, tools that can be used to monitor service delivery, engage with mining companies and government. The IRMA processes have enhanced Unki Mine’s relationship with the community, through the community engagement forum which meets quarterly to discuss the company’s mining operations in the community.

Benefits of the Unki IRMA processes and audit to the Shurugwi Community

  • There is now great improvement in the relationship and trust between the company and the community.
  • There is now an active quarterly community engagement forum meeting where 2 people were selected from each of the surrounding villages to represent the community. The relationship is promoting access to information which is enshrined in Section 62 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
  • In addition to the Community Engagement Forum, there is an emergency and response Coordinator which includes village chairpersons.
  • The IRMA audit report is a source of information, assists in identifying gaps and strengths to improve our engagements with government through evidence gathering on mining operations and their impact on communities’ wellbeing, rights and the environment.
  • The IRMA audit reports assist us in carrying out our advocacy work and provides us with information to participate in national, regional and international dialogues such as Alternative Mining Indaba.
  • Unki mine funded 4 partners – Technoserve, World vision, Zvandiri and Apostolic Women Empowerment Trust (AWET) – to implement community development projects.
  • The company is capacitating women with knowledge on their health and empowering them to stand for their rights. It also encourages women in the apostolic sect to register and go for hospital deliveries.  In support, AWET also trains behavior change facilitators (BCFs) on safe motherhood.
  • Unki mine promoted hygiene in the community, building Double Blair Ventilated Improved Pit Latrines in ward 19 and part of ward 18 (now ward 4).
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Amandelbult PGM Complex. Credit: Anglo AmericanAmandelbult PGM Complex. Credit: Anglo AmericanAudits

Audits released for Anglo’s Amandelbult, Mototolo, Unki

16 February 2024By

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

Amandelbult and Mototolo achieve IRMA 50 and IRMA 75, respectively

UPDATE 28 Feb: Watch the audit report release webinar recording

16 Feb 2024 – Today the Initiative for Responsible Mining (IRMA) released the audits of Anglo American’s Amandelbult and Mototolo PGM operations against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Independent audit firm ERM-CVS assessed Amandelbult at IRMA 50 and Mototolo at IRMA 75 when measuring their performance against the Standard’s best practice social and environmental criteria.

IRMA also released the surveillance (interim) audit for Anglo’s Unki PGM operation in Zimbabwe, as conducted by audit firm SCS Global. In 2021, Unki achieved IRMA 75 in IRMA’s first-ever on-site audit; a surveillance audit is a more limited check-in, so it does not result in further detailed scoring but rather provides updates on performance.

IRMA 50 or 75 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 50 or 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 Amandelbult and Mototolo audit pages, as well as Unki’s surveillance report, 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”

Craig Miller, CEO of Anglo American Platinum said, “This significant milestone at Mototolo and Amandelbult mines in our overall adoption of IRMA enables us to promote transparency and best practice in sustainability, while adding value to our global customers by helping them to meet increasing expectations for responsibly mined materials in an efficient and credible way. With Unki mine achieving IRMA 75 in 2021, and now the achievements of Mototolo with IRMA 75 and Amandelbult with IRMA 50, we are continuing to make great progress towards our sustainable mining plan target of having all our mining operations assured against a recognised responsible mining standard by 2025.”

Including Amandelbult, Mototolo and Unki, 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).

Feb 27th Webinar Q&A

  • Speakers:
    IRMA Executive Director Aimee Boulanger,
    IRMA Africa Regional Lead Davidzo Muchawaya,
    IRMA Assurance Director Michelle Smith, and
    Anglo American Platinum Head of Sustainability Stephen Bullock
  • IRMA slides: http://responsiblemining.net/IRMAAmandelbultMototoloUnkiSlides
  • Anglo American slides: http://responsiblemining.net/AngloAmandelbultMototoloUnkiSlides


For More Information:

  • Alan Septoff, +1.301.202.1445, aseptoff@responsiblemining.net
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Unki audit picture with Anglo IRMA SCS logosUnki audit picture with Anglo IRMA SCS logosBlog

Unki Mine Surveillance Assessment Update

12 August 2022By

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to announce the completion of the on-site portion of the third-party independent surveillance assessment of the Unki platinum group metals (PGM) mine against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The Unki mine, located in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe, is operated by Anglo American Platinum. The on-site surveillance assessment occurred Aug 3-5.

What is a Surveillance Audit?

A surveillance audit is a mid-cycle verification to ensure no material negative changes have occurred at a site. It is not a re-assessment of all IRMA requirements. Surveillance audits follow much of the same process as a certification audit and include document review, on site-assessment, and community and stakeholder engagement. An IRMA surveillance audit confirms continued performance against critical requirements, verifies ongoing regulatory compliance processes, and evaluates progress on corrective actions. It also follows up on stakeholder input received since the prior audit and areas of risk identified in the previous audit and confirms no major changes have occurred that would impact the previously assessed achievement level.

SCS Global Services (SCS) is the IRMA-approved certification body carrying out the surveillance assessment.

Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment

Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the Unki mine assessment. The Mines Under Assessment page of IRMA’s website will also provide up-to-date information on all assessments.

Mine site stakeholders are invited to submit comments to SCS on the social and environmental performance of the Unki mine (in particular, how the mine measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining).

Unki mine stakeholders may also contact SCS if they are interested in being interviewed as part of the assessment process or being notified of the publication of the public report.

Stakeholder comments and expressions of interest in being interviewed as part of the audit process should be submitted by email or mail to:

SCS Global Services
2000 Powell St. #600
Emeryville, California, USA 94608

Email: visit the SCS website for this information and more on the audit.

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

For More Information

 

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Blog

IRMA Announcement: Mototolo/Der Brochen Mine Site Assessment Stage 1

8 July 2021By
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) announces the commencement of a third-party independent assessment of the Mototolo/Der Brochen platinum group metals (PGM) mine against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The mining complex, operated by Rustenburg Platinum Mines Ltd. (parent company Anglo American) is located near Steelpoort, in southern Limpopo province, South Africa. ERM Certification and Verification Services (ERM-CVS), an IRMA-approved certification body, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an on-site audit (stage 2). Scope of the Assessment During the assessment the impacts and issues associated with all mining operations and the associated facilities will be reviewed, and each facility and mining location will be visited. The assessment will include operations and facilities in the Mototolo/Der Brochen mining area, which is made up of two underground mining shafts (Lebowa and Borwa), as well as above-ground milling, concentrator, chrome recovery and waste facilities (closed and operating). For more on assessment scope, see the Mototolo/Der Brochen assessment page on the IRMA website. Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment Stakeholders affected by or interested in the Mototolo/Der Brochen mine are invited to submit comments to ERM-CVS on the social and environmental performance of the mine’s operations (in particular, how the site measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining). Mototolo/Der Brochen stakeholders may also contact ERM-CVS if they are interested in being interviewed as part of the assessment process. Stakeholder comments and expressions of interest in being interviewed as part of the audit process should be submitted by email or mail to:
ERM Certification and Verification Services Email: post@ermcvs.com Mail: Exchequer Court, 33 St Mary Axe, London, EC3A 8A
Mototolo/Der Brochen stakeholders and interested members of the public can visit the Mototolo/Der Brochen page on the IRMA website for up-to-date information on the assessment (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 on-site visit, link to pubic summary of audit results). Please forward this announcement, and feel free to contact ERM-CVS directly to provide names and contact information for other mine site stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process. For More Information
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Audits

IRMA Announcement: Amandelbult Mine Site Assessment Stage 1

8 July 2021By
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) announces the commencement of a third-party independent assessment of the Amandelbult platinum group metals (PGM) mining complex against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The mining complex, operated by Rustenburg Platinum Mines Ltd. (parent company Anglo American) is located between the towns of Northam and Thabazimbi in Limpopo, South Africa. ERM Certification and Verification Services (ERM-CVS), an IRMA-approved certification body, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an on-site audit (stage 2). Scope of the Assessment During the assessment the impacts and issues associated with all mining operations and the associated facilities will be reviewed, and each facility and mining location will be visited. The assessment will include operations and facilities in the Amandelbult mining complex area, which is made up of Dishaba and Tumela underground mines and the Zizwe Batlase open pit operation, and concentrator and mine waste facilities. For more on assessment scope, see the Amandelbult assessment page on the IRMA website. Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment Stakeholders affected by or interested in the Amandelbult mining complex are invited to submit comments to ERM-CVS on the social and environmental performance of the Amandelbult operations (in particular, how the site measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining). Amandelbult stakeholders may also contact ERM-CVS if they are interested in being interviewed as part of the assessment process. Stakeholder comments and expressions of interest in being interviewed as part of the audit process should be submitted by email or mail to:
ERM Certification and Verification Services Email: post@ermcvs.com Mail: Exchequer Court, 33 St Mary Axe, London, EC3A 8A
Amandelbult stakeholders and interested members of the public can visit the the Amandelbult page on the IRMA website for up-to-date information on the assessment (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 on-site visit, link to pubic summary of audit results). Please forward this announcement, and feel free to contact ERM-CVS directly to provide names and contact information for other mine site stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process. For More Information
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Unki AuditUnki AuditBlog

IRMA’s 2nd Audit Report released: Anglo American’s Unki Mine

18 February 2021By

Today the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to publish the results from Unki Mine’s independent, third-party assessment. The platinum group metals mine, located in Zimbabwe, is the first of Anglo American’s portfolio of mines to be assessed against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining – the most rigorous and high-bar set of metrics currently available for measuring responsible practices at mine sites globally.

The audit report details results from an independent assessment carried out by SCS Global Services. SCS awarded Unki an achievement level of IRMA 75, a first in the IRMA system and a representation of both Anglo American’s leadership in the sector and the improvements made at the site over the last few years to align with IRMA’s high-bar expectations. The achievement level of IRMA 75 means that a mine has met at least 75% of the requirements in each of the four principle areas of the Standard (Business Integrity, Planning for Positive Legacies, Social Responsibility and Environmental Responsibility), as well as a set of 40 critical requirements.

The audit report is now available for public review. Those reviewing the report should note that some requirements were not scored as part of the audit process. These requirements were identified as needing additional guidance to enable a more accurate and consistent rating of them. In order to be responsive to these challenges, IRMA will update its auditor guidance in 2021 and the Unki mine will have these requirements assessed during its surveillance audit, a process which will occur within 18 months of today’s release. Such learning and adjustment was expected in the first years of assessing mines against the IRMA Standard, and those mines that have stepped into the process during this early phase have allowed IRMA to learn and improve for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Anglo American has long been engaged with IRMA, and for close to a decade has served on IRMA’s Board of Directors and has helped inform and support the creation of IRMA’s Standard for Responsible Mining. The Unki mine was also the site of a field test of an early draft of the IRMA Standard.

“Anglo American’s leadership has been pivotal to the success of IRMA,” said Aimee Boulanger, IRMA’s Executive Director. “During the ten-year process of crafting IRMA’s Standard, they did not shy away from difficult conversations about how to best measure responsible mining in a way that is at once practicable for the industry and meets the expectations of civil society. Now, they are sharing the results of their own operations as measured against the world’s most robust definition of responsible mining. We commend their continued leadership in advancing IRMA’s vision.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

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Blog

Unki Mine Site Assessment Announcement

30 September 2019By

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is pleased to announce the commencement of a third-party independent assessment of the Unki platinum group metals (PGM) mine against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The Unki mine, located in Zimbabwe, is operated by Anglo American Platinum.

SCS Global Services (SCS), an IRMA-approved certification body, will be carrying out the assessment, which includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an onsite audit (stage 2).

Stakeholder Engagement in the Assessment

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

Mine site stakeholders are invited to submit comments to SCS on the social and environmental performance of the Unki mine (in particular, how the mine measures against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining).

Unki mine stakeholders may also contact SCS if they are interested in being interviewed as part of the assessment process.

Stakeholder comments and expressions of interest in being interviewed as part of the audit process should be submitted by email or mail to:

SCS Global Services
2000 Powell St. #600
Emeryville, California, USA 94608

Email: visit the SCS website for this information and more on the audit.

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

For more information on the Unki Mine Site Assessment, contact IRMA’s Director of Standards and Assurance: lsumi@responsiblemining.net

For general information on the IRMA mine site assessment and certification process, visit the IRMA website.

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