We continue to broaden our community corporate social investment, enterprise development and affirmative procurement activities. This year a total of over R900 million or 40% of our procurement was from Historically Disadvantaged South Africans, an increase of almost 50% over the previous year.

Progress on achieving our commitments under the Mining Charter is contained in the sustainability review and is commended to your reading.

We invested just over R30 million this past year to reduce dust emissions at several of our cement and lime factories.

We are currently involved in discussions with the cement industry and our National Department of the Environment in preparing a proposed phasing and capital costs of retrofits to our older plants to reduce particle emissions to meet customised South African standards derived from the European Union air quality standards. This will not apply to the very old production lines that we propose retiring permanently once market conditions permit over the next two or three years.

We refer you to the extensive coverage contained in the environmental report section of the sustainability review.

In summary this has been a challenging and busy year, but I believe that all stakeholders can look back on the year with the satisfaction that it was another year of major milestones in our long and unique history.

My sincerest thanks go to all the members of our dedicated and proud Team PPC.