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Mozambican Civil Society Within: Evaluation, Challenges, Opportunities and Action
3.2.7.1 Private Sector Attitude
Little has been written on this subject although the opinion of the businessmen invited to comment
on CSOs is that they can play a more active role in improving the quality of life in communities
but that on the whole they have major limitations in terms of operation and action.
Most respondents to the INOSC07 (35%) felt that the private sector’s attitude to civil society in
general is predominantly one of indifference. Many participants in the provincial meetings with
interest groups feel that this attitude is reciprocal, in other words, that civil society in general
also does not understand and explore possible partnerships with the private sector.
This situation confirms some studies that raise and discuss the issue of the difficulty in finding
a platform for an alliance or useful partnership between civil society, the government and the
private sector so they can be more effective, for example, in activities to fight poverty (Francisco,
2005; Fumo, s.d.; Francisco and Matter, 2007).
Based on this information this indicator received a score of 1.0.
3.2.7.2 Corporate Social Responsibility
This indicator addresses the notions and positions of the main companies on their social
responsibility. Corporate social responsibility (CSR), that can be defined in its broadest sense
as the commitment of companies to take into account the social and environmental
consequences of their activities, has grown over the last decade. This is due to increased
corporate awareness throughout the world of the importance of operating responsibly, that is,
ethically, socially and environmentally.
In this context there was a survey of information intended to provide inputs for this indicator and
the following one. How developed are notions of corporate social responsibility in the country?
How narrow/broad is the range of CSOs that receive support from the private sector?
The survey was based on secondary information sources that included, in addition to studies
and articles relating to corporate social responsibility in Mozambique, reports from 2005 and
2006 on 8 of Mozambique’s 10 biggest companies 16 . The companies were selected using the
2006 edition of the annual report by KPMG on the largest 100 companies in Mozambique.
Specific literature on CSR in Mozambique is rare and unpublished. It suggests, however, that
the business environment can only be understood in the light of the country’s history (Mondlane
2007; Fumo 2003). The legacy of colonialism, the post independence centrally planned economy
in 1975, the market economy from the late 80s, and current legislation have influenced how the
business sector functions today in Mozambique. They also influence the social investment
tendencies of companies, where most is done by international/foreign companies, followed by
public companies and to a lesser extent by national private companies.
16
The companies are: Sasol, BP, Cervejas de Moçambique (CDM), Telecommunicações de Moçambique (TDM), Mcel, Electricidade de Mocambique (EDM), PETROMOC, CMC.
The reports of two companies who make up the group of the 10 biggest companies in the country in 2006 were not available and thus not included in the analysis.
.
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Civil Society Index, Mozambique 2007