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18 July 2023 | Story Kekeletso Takang
UFS to host ABASA sixth annual Prof Wiseman Nkuhlu lecture

The University of the Free State (UFS) is pleased to host the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa’s (ABASA) sixth annual Wiseman Nkuhlu lecture on 28 July 2023 in the Equitas Auditorium on its Bloemfontein Campus.

The prestigious lecture will be delivered by Tantaswa Fubu, ABASA past President and CEO of Great Well, under the theme, The Value of Accountants Reimagined.

ABASA was established in 1985 to promote the professional interests of black persons engaged in the accounting profession. Through this lecture, the association aims to raise renewed support from ABASA stakeholders, captains of industry, and corporates to assist in providing the resources and expertise required for the university to continue producing the leadership excellence it is known and respected for.

Attendees can look forward to presentations by Prof Wiseman Nkuhlu, Chancellor of the University of Pretoria and Chairman of the Board of KPMG; Linda Maqoma, ABASA President; Dr Molapo Qhobela, a Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the UFS; Ayanda Mafuleka, CEO of Fasset; and Likeleli Monyamane, Programme Manager at Standard Bank Group.

The event will be attended by dignitaries from the UFS, SAICA, Fasset, and ABASA.

Event details:

Date:28 July 2023
Time:14:00-16:00
Venue:Equitas Auditorium
RSVP:communications@abasa.org.za

For more information, click here: https://ufsweb.co/3rzOORh

 


 

The prestigious lecture will be delivered by:

Tantaswa Fubu

Tantaswa Fubu was Group Executive: Human Capital and Transformation at Barloworld Limited, an industrial brand management company based in Sandton, South Africa. Fubu’s experience spans 30 years in diverse areas of the economy, including the banking, industrial, automotive, medical scheme, and mining sectors. At Barloworld, she was also instrumental in the integration of newly acquired businesses that performed exceptionally well in their first year; under her leadership, Barloworld was named among the overall Gender Mainstreaming Champions of 2020.

Fubu has worked for KPMG SA, where she was Executive Head: People (HR) and Transformation, and a member of the executive committee. She is a chartered accountant with qualifications in industrial psychology, accounting, banking, and finance.

She has also served as National President of the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa (ABASA). In addition, Fubu has previously worked for Standard Bank and Nkonki Inc, and serves as a non-executive director on several boards.

She is the founding CEO of Great Well, as well as a mentor and coach.

Bios of speakers:

Prof Wiseman Nkuhlu

Prof Wiseman Nkuhlu is the former Chancellor of the University of Pretoria and a member of the advisory board of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

Prof Nkuhlu served two terms as President of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, from April 1998 to April 2000. He is passionately involved with the development of black accountants and is the patron of the Nkuhlu School of Accounting at the University of Fort Hare.

He served as economic adviser to the President of the Republic of South Africa, TM Mbeki, and as chief executive of the secretariat of New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) from 2000 to 2005, playing a major role in the elaboration of NEPAD policy framework and in promoting the programme both in Africa and internationally. He regularly participates as a speaker at international conferences on African development issues and corporate governance.

In recognition of his contribution to education, business, and development, Prof Nkuhlu has received a number of awards, including honorary doctorates from the University of the Free State, Stellenbosch University, the University of Cape Town, the University of Pretoria, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, the University of the Witwatersrand, and the University of Fort Hare; and merit awards from the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce, the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa, and the Black Management Forum. He was also awarded the President of Convocation Medal by the University of Cape Town in June 2004. The medal is awarded to graduates of UCT for outstanding community service.

Linda Maqoma

Linda Maqoma is the national president of ABASA, as well as the founding and chief executive of the Nomatshawe Group. Maqoma holds a BCom Accounting degree and Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from the University of Fort Hare and has 11 years of experience in the audit space, both in the public and private sectors. She is the deputy chairperson of the Southern African Institute of Government Auditors (SAIGA) Africa and Global Committee, a member of the Black Business Council, National Council and Women's Alliance, Black Management Forum, as well as a member of the Black Business Women's Alliance steering committee.

With an inherent passion for business, people, and development, Maqoma is also an independent non-executive director of the Young African Entrepreneurs Institute, providing advice on the finance and fundraising portfolio. She is a candidate fellow of the fourth class of the Young African Leaders Initiative – South Africa (YALI), an extension of the Aspen Global Leadership Network fellowship. She has served as an audit manager in financial services at KPMG and as a success coach at SAPRO.

Dr Molapo Qhobela

Dr Qhobela holds a PhD in Plant Pathology from the Kansas State University in the United States of America. His career started at Rhodes University in 1991, where he was a lecturer in microbiology and pharmacy, after which he joined the University of Cape Town, before joining the public service sector. His leadership and strategic direction have been sought by several large and complex organisations in the course of his career. From 1998 to 2007, he was Chief Director: Higher Education Policy and Development Support in the Department of Education, from 2007 to 2009 he was Deputy Director General: Higher Education in the same department, and from 2010 to 2011 he was Deputy Director General: Human Capital and Knowledge Systems in the Department of Science and Technology.

Dr Qhobela was appointed Vice-Principal: Institutional Development at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 2011 and held the position until 2015. He was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Research Foundation (NRF) from 2016 to 2020. 
Dr Qhobela has strong governance credentials, having served and led governing boards, among others as the former chairperson of the boards of the Agricultural Research Council, the Global Research Council, and the Committee of Heads of Organisations of Research and Technology (COHORT). He is currently the chairperson of the Tertiary Education and Research Network of South Africa (TENET).

Ayanda Mafuleka

Ayanda Mafuleka was appointed CEO of the Financial and Accounting Services Seta (FASSET) with effect from 1 January 2019. She previously served as the CFO of the state-owned coal mining company, African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation (AEMFC). Prior to her AEMFC role, she was CFO at the National Credit Regulator. She has worked in finance across a diverse range of departments in government, including Transtel, the National Ports Authority, National Treasury, the Department of Home Affairs, and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo. She holds a BCom Honours, Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Auditing, and an LLB from UNISA.

Likeleli Monyamane

Monyamane sought to utilise the platform that her profession provided to serve her community. From her articles days, Monyamane served as a member of the Free State chapter of the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa (ABASA), rising through the ranks to become its first female chairperson. She also served as the youngest member of the University of the Free State Council, as well as on its audit and risk and finance committees.

She co-founded the Keep Lesotho Clean Campaign, which aims to solve Lesotho’s waste management challenges. The group hosts monthly clean-up campaigns and is planning to host a waste management conference and business and innovation challenges.

Monyamane is committed to the development of the accounting profession in Lesotho and has partnered with the Lesotho Institute of Accountants to host a number of development initiatives, such as a young accountant development workshop and a student leadership summit.

Monyamane is also a successful businesswoman who runs a professional services company in Lesotho – Inspire Innovation Business Consultants – with a number of leadership achievements, including the Mandela Washington Fellowship. She holds an MBA from the African Leadership University.

News Archive

Power interruptions: Information for internal communication
2008-01-31

As part of the UFS’s commitment to address load shedding, the management would like to communicate the following:

The UFS mainly deals with the power interruptions by way of (a) the possible installation of equipment (e.g. generators) and (b) operational arrangements to ensure the functioning of the UFS in spite of power interruptions.

During the past week progress was made on both fronts. The information that follows resulted from a meeting of a task team of Physical Resources led by Mr Nico Janse van Rensburg, which took place on Monday 28 January (this task team naturally focuses on physical solutions) and a discussion by Exco on Wednesday 30 January 2008. Exco discussed the recommendations of the mentioned task team in respect of physical aspects, as well as the operational arrangements proposed by faculties.

Physical solutions

A Main Campus

1. New emergency power installations already approved:

Last week Exco gave its approval for the design and installation of emergency power equipment in all the large lecture-hall complexes to proceed immediately.

In all these cases

  • load surveys have been completed and a start has been made with the ordering of equipment and the process of appointing contractors. (Exco approved the adjustment of normal tender procedures in an attempt to expedite completion.)
  • generators with 20-30% more capacity than required for the current load are being ordered.
  • provision is being made for the connection of lights and at least one wall plug to the emergency power.
  • the expected construction time is 16 weeks (except in the case of the Flippie Groenewoud Building where it is 6 weeks).

The above-mentioned concerns lecture halls/ venues in the following buildings: Examination Centre, Flippie Groenewoud Building, Stabilis, Genmin and the Agriculture Building.

As far as the Agriculture Building is concerned, a larger generator (larger than required for lecture venues only) is being ordered in view of simultaneously providing essential research equipment (refrigerators, ovens, glasshouses) with emergency power within 16 weeks.

2. Investigation into the optimal utilisation of present emergency power installations

All the emergency power systems are being investigated on the basis of a list compiled in 2006 to determine whether excess capacity is available and whether it is possible to connect additional essential equipment or lights to it.

The electrical engineer warns as follows:
“Staff members must under no circumstances overload present emergency power points.

A typical example of this is a laboratory with 10 power points of which 2 points are emergency power outlets. Normally a fridge and freezer would, for example, be plugged into the two emergency power points, but now, with long load-shedding interruptions, a considerably larger number of appliances are being plugged into the power point by means of multi-sockets and extension cords. In the end the effect of such connections will accumulate at the emergency generator, which will then create a greater danger of it being overloaded and tripping, in other words, no emergency power will then be available.”

3. Requests and needs addressed directly to Physical Resources or reported to Exco via the line managers.

All the physical needs and requests addressed directly to Physical Resources or submitted to Exco via the line managers are being listed, classified and considered technically in view of their being discussed by the task team on Monday 11 February.
The information will (a) lead to recommendations to Exco regarding possible additional urgent emergency power installations, and (b) be used in the comprehensive investigation into the UFS’s preparedness for and management of long power interruptions.

Requests that can easily be complied with immediately and that fit into the general strategy will indeed be dealt with as soon as possible.

4. Purchase of loose-standing equipment: light, small, loose-standing generators, UPSs as solutions to/ aids during power interruptions

Exco approved that

a) faculties and support services accept responsibility themselves for the funding and purchase of loose equipment such as, for example battery lights, should they regard these as essential.
b) UPSs (uninterruptible power supplies) that faculties and support services wish to purchase to combat the detrimental effect of unexpected power interruptions on computer equipment) can (as at present) be purchased from own funds via Computer Services.
c) UPSs (uninterruptible power supplies) that faculties and support services wish to purchase to combat the detrimental effect of unexpected power interruptions on other types of equipment can normally be purchased from own funds with the consent of the line manager concerned.
Note: Please just make sure of the appropriateness of the equipment for a specific situation: it is not a power supply that can bridge a two-hour power interruption.)
d) small, loose-standing generators can be purchased from own funds via Physical Resources and installed under their supervision.
e) laptop computers can , where necessary, be purchased from own budgets. The availability of second-hand laptop computers must be taken into account.

B Vista

No major problems have been reported to date. The situation is being monitored and will be managed according to need. The same guidelines that apply to the Main Campus will naturally also apply to the Vista Campus.

C Qwaqwa

The situation is receiving attentions and solutions have already been found for most problems.

D General

1. All-inclusive project
A comprehensive investigation into the UFS’s preparedness for and management of long power interruptions will be launched as soon as possible. Available capacity will be utilised first to alleviate the immediate need. The needs assessment to which all faculties and support services have already contributed is already an important building block of the larger project.

2. Building and construction projects currently in the planning and implementation phase
The need for emergency power for projects such as the new Computer Laboratory is being investigated proactively and will be addressed in a suitable manner.

3. Liaison with Centlec
Attempts at direct and continuous liaison are continuing in an attempt to accommodate the unique needs of the UFS.

4. HESA meeting and liaison with other universities
A representative of the UFS will attend a meeting of all higher education institutions on 11 February. The meeting is being arranged by HESA (Higher Education South Africa) to discuss the implications for the sector, the management of risks and the sector’s response to government.

5. Internal communication
It is the intention to communicate internally after every meeting of the task team, which will take place on Mondays. Strategic Communication will assist in this regard.


 

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