The month of June in my mind is fitting of the word "Leadership" which I would like to focus on in this message, as we continue unpacking ABASA's three-year mandate of Driving Leadership Excellence Through Inclusive Social Accountability.
As presented in our National Leadership and Membership Induction on the 2nd of April 2022, some of the words that come to mind when thinking about the type of leadership our organization would like to see and produce include:
- consistent
- committed
- advocacy
- servant
- selfless
- forward thinking
Leading in unprecedented times
As the Covid-19 restrictions relax we are now faced with an energy supply crisis and rising costs that continue to impact businesses, education imperatives, mental wellbeing and general productivity so adversely.
As an organization with a committed back office team of young people who assist our Board, National and Provincial Leadership and Student Chapter Leaders in servicing our growing membership base, it is important that we lead with agility and with compassion. We must strive to put the underlying needs of our people first in these challenging times in our country. We encourage all our members and stakeholders to do the same and to make time to check up on the people who drive the work of our respective organizations.
I would like to applaud our back office team for their resilience and our members and stakeholders for your continued patience as we all navigate through this "dark" period in our country.
UNISA Intervention
Following the town hall held by ABASA to engage with our members on the disheartening 2021 South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Initial Test of Competence (ITC) results, ABASA has participated in various engagements with key stakeholders, academics and the executive leadership of UNISA.
ABASA welcomes the commitment from the Principal and Vice Chancellor of UNISA, Prof Puleng LenkaBula, to work with ABASA, Auditor General and SAICA to find and implement solutions that will protect the accreditation of a university that plays a critical role in producing black chartered accountants.
ABASA will continue to work closely with UNISA as a member of its advisory council.
June 16 Commemoration
True leadership comes at a sacrifice. The month of June has reminded us of the sacrifice made by the youth of our country. As we commemorate young leaders who united and stood up for the education they wanted on the 16th of June 1976, may it be a reminder that leadership is a calling for something bigger than ourselves. True leaders stand up for the greater good with the understanding that they may not see the benefits of their sacrifice in their lifetime but stay committed to the cause for the benefit of generations that follow.
We salute the class of 1976 and commit to continue to be an organization that advocates for quality education for our people which is a transformation imperative in our profession.
ABASA Student Chapters Youth Day Campaign
It was absolutely inspiring to see our young leaders across the country lead us on the 16th of June with their National Youth Month Campaign. Your words and energy are a reminder of why we do what we do as ABASA. Click here to see all the messages from our student chapters.
ABASA Pride
With June also being pride month, it was important for ABASA to reiterate its commitment to inclusivity across our communication platforms. It is my hope that more of our members within the LGBTQI+ community can get closer to our transformation space to capacitate the organization in driving an exemplary messaging within our profession around the challenges of this important constituency within our membership.
Representation is important. As we stand up with pride and authentically we encourage others to do the same. Happy Pride Month!
NABA Conference in Hollywood, Florida
On the 21st to 25th of June, an ABASA delegation comprising of representatives from the ABASA Board attended the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) Recharge 2022 Convention and Expo held at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood Beach, Florida, USA.
I had the privilege to make a presentation at the President's Circle Event which provided a special for ABASA to share its longstanding history with NABA which dates back to 1986 under Founding President Jeff van Rooyen's tenure. It was also an opportunity to give NABA members and stalwarts a preview of the collaborative work that ABASA and NABA will be working on.
ABASA extends a huge congratulations to the President and CEO of NABA, Madam President Guylaine Saint Juste and her team on an excellently executed record 2700 attendee convention. We look forward to hosting Madam President Guylaine together with her board and delegation at the ABASA Annual Convention scheduled for the 27th - 29th of October in Cape Town where we will unpack this global collaboration to ABASA members.
We would also like to thank our global mobility partners, SAPRO, for making this trip possible as part of the ABASA President's Roadshow partnership.
President Lwazi Bam's Farewell
On the 28th of July I had the privilege of attending a fitting farewell hosted by Deloitte South Africa for their outgoing CEO and past president of ABASA, Lwazi Bam after 28 years at the firm.
President Lwazi has served Deloitte with leadership excellence for 3 tenures as CEO and his contribution to our profession and its transformation will be a legacy for years to come. We wish him well as he enters this next chapter of his journey.
Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) Audit Outcomes 2021/22
On the 15th of March 2022 the Auditor General of South Africa, Tsakani Maluleke, tabled the 2021/22 MFMA Audit Outcomes. Click here to read the report. ABASA will be hosting an engagement on these outcomes. Please look out for communication coming out soon.
State Capture
On the 22 of June 2022, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo handed over the Final State Capture Report to H.E President Cyril Ramaphosa. After 4 volumes of findings and recommendations, it is now the leadership will of the State that comes into focus. Prosecution and investigations have been recommended and it is the manner in which the state chooses to act on these recommendations that will set the tone on whether deliberate action will be taken against corruption in our country going forward.
ABASA plays a critical role in advocating for the implementation and creation of measures to prevent a repeat of the unethical behaviour that has resulted in the capture of organs of state. This is a role we take seriously and will work with the necessary stakeholders to fulfill.
B-BBEE Presidential Advisory Council
See statement from the office of the ABASA Presidency on the new B-BBEE Advisory Council appointed by H.E President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Managing Director Position - Applications now open
The position for the ABASA Managing Director is now open for applications. Please click here to see job description. Interested candidates to email their CVs to ea@abasa.org.za. Closing date is 30th of July 2022.
Membership
I would like to remind all our stakeholders that individual or corporate membership with ABASA is only recognized through our national centralized membership system. To refer to yourself as member of ABASA on any social platform or professional space one must:
- Complete the electronic membership application via our membership tab available on our website www.abasa.org.za
- Make payment online or via EFT between 1 January and 31 December of the current membership year (contact finance@abasa.org.za should you encounter any difficulty in making payment)
- Have an ACTIVE membership status and membership number per the centralized system
Should you have any queries regarding membership please email finance@abasa.org.za
President's Roadshow
I look forward to the South African leg of the President's Roadshow which will focus on engaging with our students in our various universities, business forum members and celebrating the success of our newly qualified professionals at our provincial ABASA Professional Excellence Dinners proudly sponsored by Investec.
Please take note of the final dates updated below, register and come join us as we strengthen support our branches and student chapters.
