By : Joseph Munzhedzi Tshiwilowilo – SAIPA ChairpersonA daunting and
nding challenge
As a member of SAIPA I have always harboured
the desire to find ways in which I could serve
my fellow members and contribute to their
future success. When the call came to serve
on the Board, I therefore humbly accepted the
challenge, not expecting that I would very soon
thereafter have the honour bestowed upon me of
serving as the Vice-Chairperson under the astute
stewardship of our esteemed past Chairperson,
Mr. Saleem Kharwa, and thereafter be elevated
to the daunting position of Chairperson of the
Board.
The trust that fellow members have placed in me
through my election as Chairperson is a humbling
experience that fulfills my dream of serving the interests
of my fellow members. Thankfully I will be able to rely on
the support of my highly respected Vice Chairperson, Ms.
Shirley Olsen, and the other distinguished members of
the Board. As a team we pledge to further the watershed
work undertaken by my processor, ensuring that the
Institute is fully prepared for the mammoth challenges
that lie ahead in terms of responsible transformation,
and the ongoing restructuring and repositioning of the
Board and the Secretariat.
As preparation my role in guiding the Institute as it
scales the challenges we face, I recently, whilst I was
the Vice-Chairperson of the Institute, accompanied the
Chief Executive on a series of visits to our regional
associations. This was an extremely valuable experience
as I had the opportunity of meeting our grass roots
members and gauging the degree of transformation at
regional association level. I was greatly impressed by
the sterling work many of our regional associations do
to serve the interests of our members, equipping them
for the many and varied challenges they face, but was
very disappointed with the extent to which historically
disadvantaged members are involved within these
structures. Sadly, I also once again had experience
that the dream of a truly united rainbow nation was still
little else than a dream, with many of our associations
still resembled a cultural archipelago of islands that are
oblivious of each other’s aspirations, concerns, fears
and desires. Although we all are rightfully proud that
the scourge of legislated racism has been eradicated,
the chasms of the past still visibly scar the fabric of
our Institute, posing a daunting challenge to us all to
not relent in our efforts to remove every vestige of our
apartheid past, as we collectively strive to build a nonracist,
non-sexist society. We all need to redouble our
efforts to build an Institute that is truly representative
of the new South Africa, bringing black South Africans
into the mainstream of our profession. Although the
excuse is often given that black members are not
interested in serving on the governance structures
of the Institute, we dare not read into this excuse a
justification for the current situation. Our challenge
is to identify the reasons for their reluctance, ensuring
that we remove them. We need to repetitively reach out
to black members and ensure that they have a sense of
co-ownership of the Institute.
It was very heartening to experience the extent to
which our regional organisations embrace and practice
good corporate governance in the management
of their affairs. They are well positioned to make
valuable contributions on behalf of our members to the
Accountancy Charter that is currently being developed
by all accountancy stakeholders including ABASA, SAICA,
ACCA, CIMA, IAC, and ICB. What eventually transpires
must be a true reflection of the voices of the entire
profession, providing positive and constructive guidance
that will create a sustainable future for all accountancy
professionals.
As all leaders should, I also grant myself the liberty
of dreaming about the future of our organisation. I
dream of my team and how to best motivate them for
the challenges we face, sharing my dreams with them
in the hope that we will develop a common dream. I
dream about our contributions to a mutually acceptable
Accountancy Charter that will elevate our profession.
I dream of ever-improving relationships with all levels
of Government, and of concluding agreements with
all the chambers of business in our country, as well
as with Government agencies such as the Umsobomvu
Youth Fund, SEDA and Khula. I dream of growing our
membership beyond 10 000 by 2013, and of ensuring
an Institute that is fully representative of the population
diversity of our country.
A very pleasing aspect of my visits was the increasingly
positive interaction between the Secretariat and our
members. It was very heartening to see how the
constructive interaction between the Chief Executive
and our members during his presentations. They clearly
appreciate the excellent work he is doing to elevate
the Institute is locally and internationally to that of a
leader within our profession. Although it was clear
that communication between the regional associations
and the Secretariat has markedly improved, I appreciate
that there will always be room for continuous further
improvements, and that we need to work even harder
to draw more of or members into the business of the
Institute. We need every hand on deck if we are to
weather the inevitable storms that lie ahead.
In conclusion, I wish to express the Institute’s utter
condemnation of the xenophobic violence that has spread
across our country like a runaway fire. This violence
should be a serious wakeup call for us all, stressing the
immense dangers we all face if the distortions of the
past are not eradicated. Least we all work together to
achieve the cause of a non-racist, non-sexist society;
today’s xenophobic violence may tomorrow become an
all-consuming avalanche that wipes away all we have so
painstakingly achieved