Annual Report 2012 - Sentula

Sentula Mining Limited Integrated Annual Report 2012Sustainability report continued48Communicating with our stakeholdersGood corporate governance promotes interactivecommunication processes to address the legitimateinterests and expectations of stakeholders. As such,Sentula remains committed to providing allstakeholders with relevant, transparent and timelycommunication through the most appropriatemedium and in the most appropriate manner.Communication channels include SENS, the press(local and national newspapers), corporate reportsand publications, formal meetings and forums,informal information sharing, marketing channels andthe internet. Our Group website (www.sentula.co.za)provides relevant news and information aboutSentula. Our formal business language is English but,where applicable, communication may be provided inother languages.Strategic objectivesOverviewSentula aspires to be recognised as a responsible,ethical organisation. Our sustainable developmentgoals are in line with this aspiration and through acontinuous process of review we aim to consistentlyimprove our performance in the areas of sustainabilityand responsible mining.During this reporting period, monthly sustainabilityreports from each subsidiary division were introducedin order to improve the quality of reportinginformation. Sentula also embarked on abenchmarking exercise, to compare our reporting tothat of our peer companies, in preparation forpossible assurance on selected sustainabilityinformation in future. The objective of the exercisewas to provide an analysis of the key performanceareas and assurance priorities of our peer group. Wealso examined the feedback provided from across theGroup, to understand our level of preparedness forsustainability assurance at divisional level as well asassess the relative ability of divisions to support theGroup reporting and assurance goals.Organisational competenciesIn order to manage our sustainable developmentgoals, Sentula employs a dedicated Groupsustainability coordinator. A range of consultants arealso used throughout the business to supplement theskills of Sentula employees. These consultants notonly assist with the more specialised aspects ofprojects, including specific environmental work, legalopinions, civil engineering and safety systems, butprovide us with an independent viewpoint.Last year we identified the following focus areasfor improvement going forward: stakeholderengagement, environmental licensing; and monitoringprocedures. This year we will continue to focus onthese areas but with added focus areas:• Safety––Complacency––Adherence to policies and procedures• Quality of sustainable development reporting dataand structures