CGF ARTICLES, OPINIONS & EDITORIALS
August 7,
2015 8771 8771
Criminals target generators and solar panels for resale on the black market
As South Africa’s power crisis deepens, businesses and households are opting to beat power cuts by acquiring back-up and renewable energy solutions – from generators that cost around R6k and upwards, through to sophisticated solar photovoltaic (PV) and inverter solutions which start from around R100k. But as with any industry that sees sudden and significant demand, criminals have not missed the opportunity to cash in by selling stolen property to consumers looking to save a quick buck.
August 6,
2015 7788 7788
Hardly a day goes by in South Africa that someone does not become a victim of opportunistic crime. Social media channels such as YouTube are awash with video clips of incidents captured by onlookers, such as this smash and grab incident which took place on Witkoppen Road in Fourways during peak hour traffic. It begs the question of how we can protect ourselves from falling victim to the spate of opportunistic crime that seems to be an everyday event in South Africa.
July 27,
2015 8710 8710
Presentation by Terrance M. Booysen (Breakfast Seminar)
My topic, Unpacking the critical importance of a Corporate Governance Framework® (and the mutually fulfilling roles of ISO standards) may come as a revelation for many of you this morning. But before I delve into the matter of a Corporate Governance Framework®, I wish to state that many organisation’s GRC practices have remained not only static through the years, but also largely fragmented.
July 27,
2015 9004 9004
Article by Terrance M. Booysen (CGF: Chief Executive Officer) and peer reviewed by Louis Strydom (Partner: PricewaterhouseCoopers)
For the past number of years South Africa has been placed in the spotlight when it comes to matters such as crime and corruption, and most of the surveys dealing with this scourge have a consistent message that this situation is not improving. Once again, the PricewaterhouseCoopers 2014 Global Economic Crime Survey validates this dire situation where 69% of South African respondents indicated that they had experienced economic crime of various proportions. Alarmingly, this figure of affected organisations had increased nine percentage points higher than in the previous survey results which were recorded in 2011. Whilst the PwC Economic Crime Survey also noted a shift in the typical perpetrator (now being found in the senior management structures), most concerning is the fact that these perpetrators are typically males with university degrees who are aged between 31 and 40 and who have been with the same employer for over ten years.
July 15,
2015 42732 42732
Article by Jenè Palmer (CGF Lead Independent Consultant)
It has been painful to watch the likes of Lance Armstrong, Mike Tyson and Hansie Cronje sabotage their futures through poor decision-making. Similarly, many organisations and their boards have failed to demonstrate strong and responsible leadership qualities to motivate and drive their organisations to success. Awareness, decisiveness and accountability are some of the business leadership qualities required to achieve remarkable performances.
July 14,
2015 8786 8786
A stitch in time saves nine
Winter is well and truly here and the plummeting temperatures usually bring a fair amount of mayhem and discomfort with it. The good news is that with some simple preparations and planning to ‘winterise’ your home, cold temperatures don’t have to sub-zero your pocket or your mood.
July 14,
2015 8337 8337
Have you ever really thought about what would happen if you lost your home and all your possessions in a fire? If you live in a fire prone area, you may have an inkling of the anxiety and strain of being ordered to evacuate your home, or watching helplessly as walls of flames engulf your neighbourhood, desperately hoping that it doesn’t reach your home.
June 26,
2015 8361 8361
Article by Terrance M. Booysen and reviewed by Bruno Bruniquel (Bruniquel & Associates: Chairman)
As sad as it may be, the incidents of a particular colleague walking past your table and greeting you, or even asking about your weekend activities may not be as ‘innocent’ as you may first have thought.
May 27,
2015 9651 9651
Article by Terrance M. Booysen and peer reviewed by Sharon van Rooyen (Partner: EY)
It’s a fact. No matter which global or regional surveys a person may refer to, the latest 2014/15 surveys on economic crime all show that crime of this nature is on the increase. Economic crime -- particularly
fraud and corruption -- are causing organisations in both the public and private sector substantial financial losses, and increasing pressure on business to grow their revenues together with market volatility could be just some of the reasons why these crime statistics are increasing.
May 18,
2015 9288 9288
Presentation by Terrance M. Booysen
...it is imperative that we make a distinction between words such as “accountability”, “responsibility”, “must” and “should” – and specifically so in the context of its use within a boardroom and its organisation.