3 minute read
CEO's Note
by kwedamedia
The basic relationship between the state and its citizens, in which the state accounts for its actions in terms of how it uses public funds and makes decisions, has broken down. At the heart of this malaise is the lack of accountability and corruption which has crippled service delivery of basic human needs.
This has led to Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola tabling a bill that seeks to strengthen the National Prosecution Authority’s (NPA) independence and capacity to pursue highlevel crimes.
If passed, the bill will see the establishment of the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption, targeting among other cases, the ‘state capture’ crimes.
It will ensure the effective implementation of the recommendations from the State Capture Commission as it will allow the NPA to apply the experience gained from South Africa’s efforts to tackle high-level corruption.
All in all, this bill is an essential step in reinforcing South Africa’s anti-corruption efforts and ensuring that those suspected of corrupt activities are held accountable.
This was one of the main takeaways from Lamola’s presentation at the 3rd Annual SAIGA Conference, which was held at Emperors Palace last month.
Themed “Advancing auditing and accountability for citizens and the future,” the conference, which coincided with SAIGA’s 35-year anniversary celebrations, brought together auditing and accounting professionals, politicians, opinion makers and thought leaders.
These included among the many speakers and panelists, the Acting Public Protector, Adv Kholeka Gcaleka, Deputy Auditor-General Vonani Chauke, CEO of IRBA, Imre Nagy, Prof Mabutho Sibanda, SARS Deputy Commissioner Bridgette Backman, the CEO of PwC, Shirley Machaba and Dr Liezl Groenewald from the Ethics Institute.
This year, we revisited the principles that have remained central to SAIGA’s existence as we ignited meaningful discussions around the critical role that auditors play in the public and promoted the core values of this Institute.
In her keynote address, Gcaleka hammered home this point even further by emphasising the crucial role auditors and accountants play in fostering openness, accountability, and public trust in institutions.
Her views are fully detailed in the cover piece of this Spring edition.
The edition also contains interesting and thoughtprovoking articles, that, however, are not limited to auditing and accounting, but also cover politics and health issues, in light of the current water crisis.
You may also read about how improving audit outcomes in South Africa is a multifaceted endeavour that requires addressing challenges, upholding independence, embracing technology and promoting transparency.
Has the AI summer arrived? Find out why leading players in the audit sector are starting to experiment with various AI-driven tools to improve audit processes, and many more.
Enjoy your reading!
