The Development of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conceptual Framework to Address Unregulated Artisanal Gold Mining in South Africa: A Micro - Developmental Approach.

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is a worldwide occurrence with the majority of artisanal mining occurring in the global South. With the availability of mineral resources, coupled with high unemployment and poverty, many are pushed into this source of livelihood. Therefore, ASM is widely considered as a viable livelihood strategy to alleviate poverty. Yet, the sector falls mostly outside the state’s legal framework and mining laws, making the activity extra-legal. This, causes much unease for government and the mining houses, and the question on how to address the growing challenges of the ASM sector has become a general concern globally.

Unregulated artisanal mining has become a problematic issue over the past couple of years in South Africa too. The sector, which falls outside any regulatory framework, has a serious impact on the country’s socio-economic landscape, and a need to develop a framework to support the sector has become urgent. With limited formal responses from the government, this marginalised growing sector is being left to a great extend unaddressed by the state and mining companies. Yet, there is an increasing recognition on the role that Large-scale mining (LSM) cán play in supporting the ASM sector. Large-scale mining companies must start seeing the ASM issue as an essential part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy. Equally important is that the plan (strategy) to address artisanal mining in South Africa should involve a multi-stakeholder approach which involves governments, civil society, ASM representatives, LSM officers and international development agencies working collaboratively.

Through discussions with relevant stakeholders around the issue of artisanal mining and CSR, the paper aims to discuss findings that can contribute to the development of a CSR conceptual framework to address unregulated artisanal mining in South Africa.