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The group has continued to actively engage with its stakeholders and in
instances where communication to stakeholders is regulated, the group
has met its regulatory obligations.
In this connection, the regulatory requirements regarding the dissemination
of information are strictly observed. Material announcements are
communicated to the market via SENS and made available on the
company’s investor relations website within 24 hours. The company’s
investor relations website is maintained regularly and updated as and when
developments arise.
In addition, executive management meet with analysts regularly, except
during closed periods, and meetings are held with analysts upon release
of the company’s results. The chief executive communicates the company
results to employees both electronically and at presentations held at the
company’s head office which are made available by video recording to the
group’s operating units.
Our employees, as our key internal stakeholders, are communicated with
via numerous channels such as the One Sun magazine which is a quarterly
published internal magazine; a detailed intranet site which is regularly
updated and regular staff notices. Staff feedback is obtained by means of
direct processes and through formal mechanisms such as an employee
engagement survey.
It is anticipated that the formalisation of processes in the various aspects
of stakeholder engagement will permit more comprehensive reporting in
the forthcoming year.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The board is responsible for compliance with the occupational health and
safety regulations and environmental standards.
Compliance with the occupational health and safety requirements is
monitored by the internal audit department. In addition, external service
providers provide an environmental rating to the properties within the
group.
The policies adopted by the group with regard to health, safety and
environmental management, as well as the particular focus areas and
areas of concern are set out in a dedicated section on pages 71 and 84.
CODE OF ETHICS
The group code of ethics commits management and employees to the
highest ethical standards of conduct and has been reviewed in the year
under review. The code articulates the group’s commitment to all its
stakeholders. The code of ethics appears on page 96. The group is
reviewing all of its policies and guidelines regarding the personal conduct
of management, officials and other employees. As indicated earlier, the
code of ethics and the revised policies, once finalised, will be rolled out to
all of the group’s operations.
Whistle blowing and fraud response policies are encapsulated in clear
guidelines which have been disseminated throughout the group. These
are intended to provide an infrastructure and mechanism for protected
disclosure to executive management for investigation, action and mitigation
of criminal, legal, health and safety, environmental, discriminatory, and other
improprieties by colleagues, other stakeholders or employers, as well as
fraud and misconduct, without fear of occupational detriment.
Employees who are aware of any crime or fraud within the group may
also contact the Ethics Line on an anonymous basis. A toll-free number is
manned by operators employed by an external group, and is available to
staff on a 24 hour basis.
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REPORT continued
The board is cognisant of the group’s responsibility towards people,
planet and profits, and the group considers the sustainability of its
business practices and its potential impact on all stakeholders, including
the environment. The detail provided above, as well as the group’s key
strategic imperative themes, lends itself to the continued support and
commitment to sustainable business practices throughout the group. The
board is addressing this by conducting an assessment of the long term
impact of any strategic project on the group’s stakeholders.
The board has engaged the services of an external assurance provider to
provide an independent assurance statement on the group’s sustainability
as advocated by King III. Even though the group has had several
independent assessments done, particularly in the areas of environmental
management and risk, an external assurance assessment of this nature
can be beneficial in indicating those areas where the group’s business
practices meet sustainability criteria and in identifying those areas where
there is room for improvement.
The group intends to report on the progress made in the forthcoming
year, in terms of any areas that are identified as room for improvement,
and the board reiterates its commitment to sustainable business practices.
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