ZIMRA’s CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COMMITMENT
THE CSR historical Background
ZIMRA is credited for its commitment to corporate social responsibility and this marks one of the corporate’s success. The ZIMRA Chairman’s Charity Fund was birthed out of the need to instill discipline among employees, where one would be fined for misdemeanors such as not wearing full uniform, coming late for meetings, having one’s phone ringing during a meeting, among others. The fund grew and was put in place to benefit the less privileged members of the society mainly at Orphanage and Old People’s Homes.
As the need to assist the less privileged grew, the Authority held its first Charity Ball in 2004, where it invited other organisations to purchase dinner tables and all proceeds would be distributed towards charity. The ZIMRA Charity Ball became an annual event and benefitted many charity institutions and individuals from the Authority’s four regions which cover the whole of Zimbabwe.
In 2008, due to the economic meltdown, ZIMRA was forced to suspend its charity activities which include the Charity Ball, as organisations could no longer afford to purchase tables. Charity activities were revived in 2009 and the Authority supported various charitable events notably the Wheelchair Tennis, books, books for schools, street clean up campaigns, groceries, among other items. In 2013, focus shifted to sustainable projects where the Authority donated piggery projects, construction of greenhouses, poultry projects, wheelchairs, scholarships for university students, school classroom blocks, among other projects.
In 2014, the phenomenal growth of the fund prompted the Authority to transform it into a Charity Trust run independently by a Management Committee and governed by a Board of Trustees. The Trust published a book, Inspirational Harvest, a compilation of daily inspirational messages which were circulated to all staff members. The book was sold and all proceeds were distributed to charity.
Some of the donations made by the Trust include since 2014 include:
- Grinding Mill for Jairos Jiri Mukuwapasi Children’s Home in Rusape
- Pit latrines at Mazowe Old People’s Home
- Poultry Projects for Mucheke and Zororayi Old People’s Homes in Masvingo and Mutare respectively and Enthembeni and Enthandweni Homes in Bulawayo
- Goat rearing project for Kawiwi Children’s Home in Nyamapanda
- Construction of a kitchen at Rugare Old People’s Home in Kwekwe
- Wheelchairs for Jairos Jiri Southerton Children’s Home
- Scholarships for University Students, Kawiwi and Emerald Hill Children’s Homes, among others.
- Piggery Project at Mathew Rusike Children’s Home
- Grocery donations to more than 20 Homes around ZIMRA regions among other donations at a time when the country was faced by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020
