Sibanye-Stillwater celebrates the United Nations’ International Day of the World’s Indigenous People.
As a global group, we operate in jurisdictions where many Indigenous Peoples live and have livelihoods, hence it is important for us as a business and as a stakeholder, to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples [“Indigenous Peoples” as defined by the United Nations, the International Labour Organisation, international indigenous forums and/or recognised as such by national, country-specific and international law]. For more on the global celebrations of IDWIP 2024, please also view the UN’s video clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qzpd-hqUJY
We support the ICMM (International Council on Mining and Metals) Position Statement on Indigenous Peoples, launched on 8 August 2024, and we commit to work collaboratively with all stakeholders including the relevant indigenous peoples in the jurisdictions where we operate, to respect the rights of indigenous peoples as well as working towards meeting the letter and spirit of the other commitments on indigenous peoples that we as a member of the ICMM subscribe to. To find out more about the ICMM’s Position Statement on Indigenous Peoples and its nine commitments, please visit https://www.icmm.com.
Shared value is referred to as “benefit sharing” in the ICMM Position Statement Commitment #6
Our Vision is to be a leader in superior shared value for all stakeholders, so as we celebrate IDWIP, we want to demonstrate this through the following case study.
Case study:
Our Century operation in northern Queensland, Australia, is a proud and active member and contributor to the Aboriginal Development Benefits Trust (ADBT),under the auspices of a broader historic Gulf Communities Agreement (GCA) established in 1997. The ADBT’s primary aim is to empower and increase economic opportunities for Native Title Groups through a land use and benefit-sharing agreement among Native Title Groups. Through active cooperation and collaboration with other key stakeholders, amongst others, the State of Queensland, Sibanye Stillwater’s Century operation contributes to the ADBT via membership on the Board of Directors of the ADBT. As a recognised Indigenous Economic Development organisation, the ADBT’s core mission is to identify, promote and support Aboriginal businesses in the region, develop business networks within and beyond the Gulf region, attract other funding and financing agencies to support ADBT activities, invest in joint ventures with private enterprise and to manage regional investments beyond the life of the Century operation.
In pursuit of this mission, the ADBT through the provision of low-interest loans and other financing to small businesses and social enterprises, recently invested approximately A$12 million in the development of a large supermarket in the remote community of Normanton.
The ADBT understands the value and impact that local business ventures can have in spurring economic development and advancing opportunities for Indigenous people. It works with local councils and Indigenous communities to identify businesses that would benefit and grow from entrepreneurial investing.
Other examples of where the ADBT has collaborated with small business in the interest of socio-economic upliftment of Indigenous Peoples include:
- Collaboration with Doomadgee Shire Council to update and renovate the Doomadgee Bakery
- Investment of A$1.5 million by ADBT to establish the Doomadgee Roadhouse, which now provides hot food and other general store items in addition to fuel and petrol and where 12 of its 14-person staff are Indigenous members of the community
- Collaboration with Gulf Projects Pty Ltd to open Ancient Journeys, an Indigenous art and retail shop located in Cairns, Australia. ADBT provided A$1.5 million in start-up funds for this economic development project. The shop provides a space for the retail sale of authentic Aboriginal art and a tour desk that promotes another of their social enterprises, the Daintree Discovery Centre
For more information on this, and other activities of the ADBT and its associated entity, the Gulf Regional Economic Aboriginal Trust (or GREAT Trust), watch the video at https://youtu.be/0eDz7BOjR9w.
Please join us in celebrating International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, and let us acknowledge, recognise and reflect on the many challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples all around the world but specifically where we operate, and how we can work collectively and collaboratively towards addressing these challenges.
