Abstract
M.Com. (Business Management)
Corporate social investment (CSI) does not have a universal definition, but corporations tend to interpret it according to the extent of their activity in community social programmes of development. It is of particular importance in South Africa given the fact that South Africa is still a developing country that struggles with high unemployment and inequality. This dissertation explores this concept of CSI in research that was conducted in the community of Letswaleng (Embalenhle), in Mpumalanga, in order to establish whether there is a relationship between the mining company that operates in the community and the community within which it operates. Mining corporations continue to assume little responsibility for the health, education or housing of the families of their black employees while operating in monopolistic conditions and making exorbitant profits. A wide variety of these mining opportunities have attracted multinational enterprises and local firms to invest in the region of Mpumalanga.
The purpose of the research was to explore the relationship between the community and the mining company in terms of CSI initiatives. It was also to establish if there are any community structures to ensure that the mining company does consult with the community in making sure that they are kept informed concerning the plans of the mining house within the community. The nature of this research was exploratory, qualitative research and, for this reason, structured interviews were conducted and these were face-to-face. Corporate social investment is an issue that the government needs to take seriously by setting up audit committees to monitor the implementation of these ventures. Government structures such as the Department of Trade and Industry need to fund community structures in order for them to be more effective.