Staff Reporter

THE second edition of the Manicaland Corporate Social Responsibility Awards will roar to life tonight (Friday) at Holiday Inn Mutare with the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba  expected to officiate the prestigious annual awards.

The leading responsible business awards organized by the Corporate Social Responsibility Network Zimbabwe (CSRNZ) recognize excellent sustainability strategies that are transforming business, society and the environment. CSR Network Zimbabwe executive director Willard Razawo said this year’s provincial awards would have a special category that would recognize companies that contributed significantly to the Cyclone Idai disaster that greatly affected Manicaland province early this year.

“We showcase the very best – from CEOs to investors to companies leading the way in innovation, technology and impact – setting new standards and direction for industry. Last year’s inaugural provincial awards were successful and we aim to grow these awards each year recognizing the great work being done by individuals and corporate out there,” said Razawo in a press release.

The Tendai Chitowa Foundation board members receiving their award last year.

The event will run under the theme, ‘Shaping responsible business towards the attainment of vision 2030. This year CSRNZ also partnered with the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) in identifying companies excelling in best environmental management practices. Other new entries introduced under the EMA adjudicated categories are the Clean Energy Transition Award which will consider the best company investing in clean emission energy, Plastics Innovation Award for companies that have recycling facilities and best waste management practices to help reduce pollution, to mention a few.

Early this year, to expand its footprint on CSR initiatives in the Manicaland, CSRNZ appointed three members from Manicaland into the national committee. Those selected were businessmen Tendai Chitowa and Joseph Sanhanga who will serve as patron and ambassador respectively for the CSRNZ Manicalnd chapter. Manicaland based journalist and media consultant Ngoni Dapira was the third to be appointed as a committee member.

The Manicald chapter in March also launched the Corporate Social Responsibility Zimbabwe Guide during the World CSR Day commemorations. Razawo said the Zimbabwe CSR Guide, which is a tool kit that assists companies to navigate their CSR activities, will not only give an overview of the most relevant policy developments, but will also be a primer on corporate social responsibility expectations in Zimbabwe for all businesses, from Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to the large corporations.

CSRNZ was founded in November 2016 to champion and promote the best corporate social responsibility practices in Zimbabwe. Last year it held its inaugural decentralized awards in every province. Razawo said the awards promote a culture of philanthropy and sustainable economic growth that will help achieve the country’s sustainable development goals on the socioeconomic front, through acknowledging and appreciating the contributions being made by individuals and companies in both the private and public sectors, towards community development and charity works.