Sibanye-Stillwater’s mine closure strategy contributes to sustainability

The mining industry has throughout history played a fundamental role in the development of human society. The resources accessed by mining companies are however finite, and once they have been depleted, the mining operations accessing these resources inevitably also have to end their operations, leading to the permanent closure of these mining operations, with consequent impact effect.

At Sibanye-Stillwater, these post-mining impacts are well understood and in order to enable mining towns and surrounding communities to sustain their economies after post closure of the mines, sustainable postmining closure scenarios are co-developed with the communities and other stakeholders in affected regions. The company has committed to cooperatively plan and design alternatives to mitigate the impact of mine closure in consultation with stakeholders and authorities to establish regional fit-for-purpose post-mining scenarios that pivot on alternative economies. This includes considering the use of appropriate and fit-for-purpose mining-related equipment, infrastructure and assets that can safely sustain and contribute to the local and regional economy.

Sibanye-Stillwater’s closure vision is to create a safe, stable, non-polluting and aesthetically aligned regional post-mining solution in agreement with stakeholders, which includes amongst others, socio-economic upliftment, stable post-mining alternative economies [independent of mining] leading to sustainable livelihoods, as well as overall sustainability of both natural and social ecosystems.

Central to this vision, is the repurposing and re-use of mining infrastructure and assets where practical and sustainable. It comprises of the possible use of rehabilitated mine land for development purposes and repurposing renewable energy power generation developed to be used by its mines to support local communities. Land owned by the company is donated for alternative industries including integrated agricultural projects and the establishment of integrated industrial parks and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in partnership with local and national government and other vested stakeholders, in order to further enable and boost post-mining economies and ecosystems.

Sibanye-Stillwater is a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and its internal policies and procedures on post-mine are aligned with the ICMM’s guidelines and principles, providing additional confidence in Sibanye-Stillwater’s approach to closing end of life operations in a safe, sustainable and socially responsible manner. This is a step-change and departure from the standard and traditional approaches to mine closure, as pictured below:

initiating closure planning only 1 towards end-of-life of mine which proved to be way too late 2 3 4

little or no consultation on closure planning with a broad range of stakeholders and interested and Affected parties (I&APs) closure planning pitched at site-level without taking into account regional closure considerations closure seen as an environmental process rather than a broader social closure project

Sibanye-Stillwater has implemented an integrated planning approach that takes the entire lifecycle of a mine into account when planning for closure. Accordingly, closure planning is incorporated into the earliest stages of mine planning, to identify risks and opportunities and to manage those proactively throughout the mining lifecycle to ensure successful mine closure at the end of a mine’s life.

Sibanye-Stillwater also investigates and implements sustainable mine closure and rehabilitation solutions such as, delivering

clean water to local and regional catchments (through functional and well-maintained wastewater and potable water treatment systems, further enhanced by passive water treatment systems and restored wetlands and river systems where applicable), and renewable energy such as PV Solar plants and green hydrogen facilities into localised power grids. In addition, the proposed Bokomosa Ba Rona agricultural hub on the West Rand and the proposed animal husbandry at our Beatrix operation in the Free State, are some of the

Mine closure is a dynamic process and requires clearly defined steps in order to achieve the desired objective. For Sibanye-Stillwater, the first step involves establishing a baseline of the socio-economic status of the communities and the state of the natural environment in our areas of operation. Through the baselining process, the company obtains valuable information that provides insight into what is required to leave sustainable communities behind and to opportunities and initiatives being considered for feasibility and implementation. In so doing, when Sibanye-Stillwater’s mining operations reach their end of life, the company’s mine closure strategy will enable alternative economic activities to replace mining-led development. In addition, the social and environmental baseline conditions will improve to the extent that the regions in which SibanyeStillwater operates will contribute to sustainable livelihoods that are in harmony with nature.

put a plan together that will create feasible substitutive economies during the transitional phase to close the gap between the cessation of mining and the kick-start of alternative postmining economies. This process will make way for the development of a post-mining blueprint for all of Sibanye-Stillwater’s South African operations. Sibanye-Stillwater’s mine closure strategy includes a detailed road map to closure planning, which entails:

1Identifying regional closure planning jurisdictions

Identifying key stakeholders which include inter alia, local government, local communities, employees, other mining houses and industry players in the region

Profiling the community’s key socio-economic development needs and assessing the impact of operations. Addressing the socioeconomic impact during mine operation

Leveraging mine infrastructure into sustainable solutions (Land, WWTW, mine infrastructure (buildings, offices, stadiums)

Engaging stakeholders 6 Developing regional closure plans 7 Submitting plans to the DMRE for approval

The final outcome of the above roadmap will culminate in parallel, mine-specific social closure planning processes and Mine Closure Plans which will integrate and articulate Sibanye-Stillwater’s social closure strategy and its objective.

The land use scenarios for each of SibanyeStillwater’s operations focus on and demonstrably support, equip and train local communities and stakeholders in preparation for alternative economies in the regions in which Sibanye-Stillwater operates.

On a regional level, the identification of meaningful economic partnerships is seen as a critical success factor and a catalyst to create skills and opportunities, in an effort to reduce the transitional gap between active mining and post-mining activities. This process ties in with skills development priorities and operational LED (local economic development) programs as stepping stones towards establishing feasible substitutive longer-term initiatives. Ultimately, Sibanye-Stillwater’s closure planning process aims to promote environmental sustainability, socio-economic upliftment, as well as the eradication of economic hardships and the legacy of mining ghost towns within our operational areas. “Our approach to social closure is a philosophy that endeavours to ensure that the value we create during our life of mine can be sustained well beyond mining. It is about contributing to sustaining livelihoods that relied on mining and transitioning seamlessly into post-mining economies,” says Thabisile Phumo, Sibanye-Stillwater’s Executive Vice President: Stakeholder Relations.