Abstract
In developed economies, it is no longer much of a debate whether an organisation owes its host community social responsibility . Current discussion focuses on how to identify the specific and appropriate social engagements that are in line with the policies , goals and aspirations of a corporation , as it strives to impress its shareholders , meet customers ’ needs, and remain afloat, in the face of stiff competition. Available evidence from literature shows that in the 19th century, and even from the earliest stirrings of the Industrial Revolution , business corporations readily appreciated the weight of their responsibility to society and responded accordingly; they ensured that their activities did not constitute hazard to the environment, and ploughed part of their profits into community development projects. Even in the 21st century, these corporate practices have not been the trend in Africa; yet the continent contributes about 25% of global natural resources . Rather, these resources are dispersed and consumed in other parts of the world, while Africa remains trapped in underdevelopment. This paper focuses on the vulnerable community of Marange , which has been at the receiving end of the diamond mining activities in Eastern Zimbabwe. In spite of the abundance of alluvial diamonds, which are considered as the most prized natural resource in the world, the Marange experience has been that of neglect of the environment, retrogression, servitude; bloodletting, abject poverty and permanent displacement of indigenous communities . The sources of data for this study were library and archival materials, as well as secondary (Internet) sources, which were subjected to critical analysis. Exploring the concept and nature of corporate social responsibility (CSR) , the paper draws out the ethical implications of diamond mining activities of corporations for the social , economic and political development of Marange and its neighbouring communities.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aja, E. (1997). Individuality in an African communal universe. International Philosophy Conference, Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu, Nigeria, 29th April – 3rd. (May 1997). Africa: Philosophy and Public Affairs (pp. 379–395). Enugu: Delta Publishing.
Adefarasin, V. O. (2014). Effective leadership as the basis for Nigeria’s quest for development. Journal of Philosophy and Nature., 10(1 & 2), 151–164.
Carroll, A. B., & Shabana, K. M. (2010). The business case for corporate social responsibility: A review of concepts, research and practice. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), 85–105.
Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG). (2013). A tale of two countries: A comparison of Botswana and Zimbabwe’s diamond industries. Retrieved December 2, 2017, from https://projekt263.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/a-tale-of-two-countries.pdf.
Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG). (2015). Communities, companies and conflict. Retrieved September 12, 2017, from http://www.yestolifenotomining.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Communities-Mining-Companies-Conflicts.pdf
Chiketo, B. (2018, March 15). Families flee Arda Transau. Eastern Daily News Live. Retrieved June 8, 2018, from https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2018/03/15/eastern-news-families-flee-arda-transau.
Chimhete, C. (2012, September 9). Zimbabwe: Villagers sue diamond firms for pollution. Zimbabwe Standard. Retrieved September 14, 2017, from http://allafrica.com/stories/201209090441.html.
Chiponda, M. and Saunders, R. (2016). Holding ground: Community, companies and resistance in Chiadzwa. In R. Saunders & T. Nyamunda (Eds.). Facets of power: Politics, profits and people in the making of Zimbabwe’s blood diamonds (pp. 171–200). Harare: Weaver Press.
Christie, S. (2016). Marange: Looting one of the world’s main diamond supplies. 32–35. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from http://weaverpresszimbabwe.com/images/pdf/fwInDepth_SEAN_Final.pdf.
Crowther, D. and Aras, G. (2008). Corporate social responsibility. Ventus Publishing.
D’Amato, A., Henderson, S. and Florence, S. (2009). Corporate social responsibility and sustainable business: A guide to leadership tasks and functions. North Carolina: Center for Creative Leadership.
Doda, S. (2015). The importance of corporate social responsibility. Journal of Sociological Research., 6(1): 86–91.
Ellis, S. (2005, September/October). How to rebuild Africa. Foreign Affairs, 84(5), 135–148.
Ejizu, C. I. (n.d.). African traditional religions and the promotion of community-living in Africa. Retrieved November 4, 2017, from http://traditions-afripedia.wikia.com/wiki/AFRICAN_TRADITIONAL_RELIGIONS_AND_THE_PROMOTION_OF_COMMUNITY-LIVING_IN_AFRICA.
European Commission. (2002). Communication from the commission concerning corporate social responsibility: A business contribution to sustainable development. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities. Retrieved September 17, 2017, from http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/february/tradoc_127374.pdf.
Goodpaster, K. E. (Ed.). (2010). Corporate social responsibility: The shape of a history, 1945–2004. Minneapolis: Center for Ethical Business Cultures.
Hohnen, P. (2007). Corporate social responsibility: An implementation guide for business. Manitoba, Canada: International Institute for Sustainable Development.
Howard, A. (2016). Blood diamonds: The successes and failures of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in Angola, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. Washington University Global Studies Law Review, 15(1): 137–159.
Jonker, J. and De Witte, M. (Eds.). (2006). Management models for corporate social responsibility. New York: Springer.
Madebwe, C., & Madebwe, V. (2016). Forced removals and hidden power: Involuntary displacement and resettlement in Marange. In R. Saunders & T. Nyamunda (Eds.), Facets of power: Politics, profits and people in the making of Zimbabwe’s Blood Diamonds (pp. 157–170). Harare: Weaver Press.
Menkiti, I. A. (1984). Person and community in African traditional thought. In R. A. Wright (Ed.). African philosophy (2nd ed.). USA: University Press of America.
Mlambo, A. S. (2014). A history of Zimbabwe. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Mtisi, S. (2016). Enforcer or enabler? Rethinking the Kimberley Process in the shadow of Marange. In R. Saunders & T. Nyamunda (Eds.), Facets of power: Politics, profits and people in the making of Zimbabwe’s blood diamonds (pp. 67–91). Harare: Weaver Press.
Mupfumi, J. (March, 2017). Civil society’s role in shaping Zimbabwe’s diamond governance. Policy Insights, 41. Retrieved August 21, 2017, from https://www.saiia.org.za/policy-insights/1171-2017-03-27-garp-policy-insight-mupfumi/file.
Newsday. (2014, October 6). Chiadzwa pollutants causing stillbirths. Zimbabwe Newsday. Retrieved November 4, 2017, from https://www.newsday.co.zw/2014/10/chiadzwa-pollutants-causing-still-births/.
Nichols, J. E. (2012). A conflict of diamonds: The Kimberley Process and Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond fields. Denver Journal of International Law and Policy, 40(4): 648–688.
Ntlhakana, S. (2015). Conflict diamonds in Zimbabwe: Actors, issues and implications. Southern African Peace and Security Studies, 3(1): 61–76.
Odozor, U. S. (2015). Nature on trial: A philosophical interrogation of G.C. Williams’ ‘Mother nature is a wicked old witch’. Asset: Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts, 10: 54–68.
Owolabi, K. A. (2011). My people perish for lack of philosophy. University of Ibadan, Nigeria: Inaugural Lecture.
Partnership Africa Canada. (2012). Reap what you sow: Greed and corruption in Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond fields. Retrieved September 23, 2017, from https://impacttransform.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2012-Nov-Reap-What-You-Sow-Greed-and-Corruption-in-Zimbabwes-Marange-Diamond-Fields.pdf
Partnership Africa Canada. (2010). Diamonds and clubs: The militarised control of diamonds and power in Zimbabwe. Retrieved 23 September, 2017, from http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-engJune2010.pdf
Reuters. (2017, November 29). Amnesty to restore cash looted from Zimbabwe coffers. Times Live. Retrieved December 6, 2017, from https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/africa/2017-11-29-amnesty-to-restore-cash-looted-from-zimbabwe-coffers/
Rionda, Z. L., Baird, V., Kramer, C. and Wofford, D. (2002). What is corporate social responsibility? 8 Questions and Answers. CATALYST Consortium. Retrieved August 22, 2017, from http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=od_theses_mp
Rotberg, R. I. (2011). Beyond Mugabe: Preparing for Zimbabwe’s transition. Washington D.C.: Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Saunders, R. (2016). Epilogue: Back to the beginning. In R. Saunders & T. Nyamunda (Eds.), Facets of power: Politics, profits and people in the making of Zimbabwe’s blood diamonds (pp. 201–206). Harare: Weaver Press.
Saunders, R., & Nyamunda, T. (Eds.). (2016). Facets of power: Politics, profits and people in the making of Zimbabwe’s blood diamonds. Harare: Weaver Press.
Schodde, R. (2016). A decade of discoveries: A good-news story driven by junior explorers, guided by artisanal workings. Mining Journal. 12–15. (Special publication).
Shkolenko, Y. (1987). The space age. Moscow: Progress.
Stumpf, S. E. (1994). Philosophy: History & problems (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
The Marange Diamond Fields of Zimbabwe: An Overview. (October, 2011). Retrieved 23 July, 2017, from http://archive.kubatana.net/docs/demgg/sokw_marange_diamonds_overview_111102.pdf.
The Zimbabwean Herald. (2017, November 29). 3-month Amnesty to return looted $. Retrieved December 6, 2017, from http://www.herald.co.zw/breaking-news-forex-externalisation-president-gives-three-month-moratorium/.
Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (Producer). (2015). Marange voices: Effects of diamond mining in Zimbabwe. Harare: A Maijai Films and Norwegian People’s Aid Co-Production. Associated website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKU3riWz6nI
Zimbabwe Independent. (2016). Marange diamond plunder explodes. December 16, 2016.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Odozor, U.S., Aduradola, R.R., Thompson, O.O., Akintona, E.O. (2019). A Conceptual and Ethical Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility in Africa’s Development Crisis: The Marange Experience. In: Mugova, S., Sachs, P. (eds) Opportunities and Pitfalls of Corporate Social Responsibility. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17102-5_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17102-5_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-17101-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-17102-5
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)