Tag: Africa Forensics and Cyber

Poor governance practices, poor oversight and a lack of accountability lie at the heart of state capture and the large-scale corporate fraud that has dominated newspaper headlines in South Africa over the last three years. It is precisely due to the weaknesses in the governance structures and systems that dishonest and unethical leaders have been able to plunder state resources and commit fraud.

Around the world, shareholder activism is proving a disruptive force in the corporate sphere. While activist investors driving personal agendas are a cause of alarm for many Board members, it’s the environmental, social and governance activists (ESG) that are creating the greatest impact.

Corruption has become as much a part of the South African identity as Seven Colour Sundays or biltong. Eradicating something that is woven into our nation’s fabric seems like an impossible task, and is a possibility only if whistleblowers are prepared to take a stand.

South Africa’s current woes are in large part a result of a large-scale breakdown in ethics (both personal and professional) and good governance practices. One only needs to look at the goings-on at Steinhoff, KPMG, Eskom, SARS and VBS Bank to see the impact that unethical behaviour, large scale looting and unchecked business practices have had on the South African economy and on South Africans, whose confidence in the leadership of this country and those in business is at an all-time low.

Read our exclusive cover story entitled WHISTLEBLOWING | THE COST OF COURAGE! by David Loxton, Head, Africa Forensics & Cyber, as well a host of other topical management articles written by professionals, consultants and academics in the February/March 2019 edition of BusinessBrief.

South Africa has a vibrant non-government sector – and yet, the prevalence of corruption amongst NPOs could be its undoing.

Being able to speak the truth, without the fear of being intimidated or being politically incorrect is a liberty that sets a person free, both physically and psychologically. However, this attribute is increasingly more difficult to find in the leadership and structures of the ‘new’ democratic South Africa.