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15 August 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi
Business Acumen Day
The UFS School of Accountancy recently hosted its third annual Business Acumen Day and Panel Discussion, featuring former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, Prof Deon Rossouw, Rochelle Murugan, and Prof Bernard Agulhas.

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) School of Accountancy in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences hosted its third annual Business Acumen Day and Panel Discussion on 12 August 2025, placing ethics, integrity, and public trust firmly under the spotlight.

Sponsored by audit, accounting and consulting firm Forvis Mazars South Africa, the day opened with a student-centred engagement in the Callie Human Centre, followed by a dynamic panel discussion with staff and stakeholders at the Centenary Complex. Both sessions tackled the theme ‘Restoring Public Trust: Ethical Leadership in an Era of Public Accountability’.

The panel featured former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, whose decades in judicial service include leading the State Capture Commission; Prof Deon Rossouw, an internationally recognised authority on business ethics and corporate governance; and Rochelle Murugan, Head of Audit at Forvis Mazars South Africa and a leader in diversity and inclusion. The discussion was facilitated by Prof Bernard Agulhas, former CEO of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors and an influential figure in global standard-setting and corporate governance.

According to Prof Frans Prinsloo, Director of the School of Accountancy, the event’s timing was deliberate: “Given the erosion of public confidence in leadership and the ongoing reports of corruption and abuse of power, it is crucial to address ethical leadership and public trust head-on. Our profession has a responsibility to lead conversations that promote integrity, accountability, and responsible leadership. These events give our profession and students the opportunity to hear directly from leaders who have shaped the national dialogue on these issues.”

 

Building a culture of ethics

Earlier in the day, Justice Zondo spoke directly to students who are preparing for careers in accounting and auditing, emphasising the importance of integrity in sustaining the profession’s credibility. “Your job is a very important job, and ethical behaviour is the only way your profession is going to continue to be respected. You must never let your profession down. Remember, your integrity is priceless,” he said. He also identified features of ethical leadership – integrity, fairness, humility, accountability, and courage – as non-negotiables for those entering the profession.

In the panel discussion, Murugan stressed that “the tone at the top plays a massive role” in shaping ethical cultures. She said leaders have a responsibility to create environments where ethical leadership and accountability are built into performance measures and reward systems. “Speaking up should be something we expect, respect, and protect,” she said, adding that embedding ethical policies into daily processes ensures they become a natural part of everyday work.

Prof Rossouw built on this point, noting that ethical tone must extend beyond the top levels of leadership. “We often find that the tone at the top does not filter down through the rest of the organisation. We need the same commitment to ethics across all employees,” he said, adding that an ethical culture requires clear standards, open discussions about ethics, and accountability. “If you do the wrong thing, there must be consequences. Equally, if you do the right thing, there should be recognition for the role you play,” he said, explaining that this approach allows employees at all levels to see themselves as active participants in an organisation’s ethical life.

 

Ethics in action: From Parliament to the public

Justice Zondo contributed a legal and governance perspective, drawing on an example from his time overseeing parliamentary processes. He recounted how, during a motion of no confidence in then-president Jacob Zuma, members of the ruling party were instructed to vote against the motion or risk losing their parliamentary seats. “This illustrates how individuals sometimes compromise their ethics out of fear for their positions,” he said. “In the public sector, the system can work against ethics when decisions are taken in the interest of the organisation rather than the people it serves. This undermines the fight against corruption.”

He also outlined three ways citizens can play a role in strengthening public accountability: avoiding the election of leaders with histories of wrongdoing; remaining active and vocal in holding public representatives accountable; and supporting or joining organisations that fight corruption. “Remember, people in Parliament work for you, not the other way around,” he told the audience.

Prof Rossouw offered a conceptual distinction between ethics and values, clarifying that, although the two are related, they are not identical. “Ethics is about doing good unto others as you expect them to do unto you. Values, on the other hand, are our priorities or convictions about what is important – but not all values are ethical. Ethical values are those that guide how we treat other people and interact with them,” he explained, describing ethics as a subset of an organisation’s broader values.

Underscoring why this conversation matters for the profession and the country, Prof Prinsloo noted: “Accounting and auditing are cornerstones of public accountability. Ethical leadership ensures these functions are performed with integrity and transparency. In South Africa, where there have been significant breaches of trust, the intersection of these three elements is vital. Ethical accounting and auditing practices, guided by strong ethical leadership, are essential for ensuring that public resources are managed responsibly and that those in positions of power are held accountable. In the School of Accountancy, we aim to equip our students with the skills and ethical grounding to navigate these complexities and uphold the highest standards of public accountability.”

Hosting thought leaders such as Justice Zondo and Prof Rossouw, he added, is both “a privilege” and a signal of intent: “By providing a platform for these important conversations, we signal to our students, alumni, and the broader community that we are serious about shaping ethical leaders and promoting a culture of accountability.”

The third annual Business Acumen Day and Panel Discussion continues the School of Accountancy’s commitment to convening rigorous, topical dialogue across auditing, governance, sustainability, and ethics – a commitment Prof Prinsloo says will endure: “We will continue to host conversations that challenge conventional thinking, bring together diverse voices, and provide students and practitioners with tools to strengthen ethical cultures in their organisations.”

News Archive

Inaugural lecture: Prof Robert Bragg, Dept. of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology
2006-05-17



Attending the inaugural lecture were in front from the left Prof Robert Bragg (lecturer at the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) and Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor).  At the back from the left were Prof James du Preez (Departmental Chairperson:  Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) and Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences). Photo: Stephen Collett
 

A summary of an inaugural lecture delivered by Prof Robert Bragg at the University of the Free State:

CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS AVIAN DISEASES – LESSONS FOR MAN?

Prof Robert R Bragg
Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology
University of the Free State

“Many of the lessons learnt in disease control in poultry will have application on human medicine,” said Prof Robert Bragg, lecturer at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology during his inaugural lecture.

Prof Bragg said the development of vaccines remains the main stay of disease control in humans as well as in avian species.  Disease control can not rely on vaccination alone and other disease-control options must be examined.  

“With the increasing problems of antibiotic resistance, the use of disinfection and bio security are becoming more important,” he said.

“Avian influenza (AI) is an example of a disease which can spread from birds to humans.  Hopefully this virus will not develop human to human transmission,” said Prof Bragg.

According to Prof Bragg, South Africa is not on the migration route of water birds, which are the main transmitters of AI.  “This makes South Africa one of the countries less likely to get the disease,” he said.

If the AI virus does develop human to human transmission, it could make the 1918 flu pandemic pale into insignificance.  During the 1918 flu pandemic, the virus had a mortality rate of only 3%, yet more than 50 million people died.

Although the AI virus has not developed human-to-human transmission, all human cases have been related to direct contact with infected birds. The mortality rate in humans who have contracted this virus is 67%.

“Apart from the obvious fears for the human population, this virus is a very serious poultry pathogen and can cause 100% mortality in poultry populations.  Poultry meat and egg production is the staple protein source in most countries around the world. The virus is currently devastating the poultry industry world-wide,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg’s research activities on avian diseases started off with the investigation of diseases in poultry.  “The average life cycle of a broiler chicken is 42 days.  After this short time, they are slaughtered.  As a result of the short generation time in poultry, one can observe changes in microbial populations as a result of the use of vaccines, antibiotics and disinfectants,” said Prof Bragg.   

“Much of my research effort has been directed towards the control of infectious coryza in layers, which is caused by the bacterium Avibacterium paragallinarum.  This disease is a type of sinusitis in the layer chickens and can cause a drop in egg product of up to 40%,” said Prof Bragg.

The vaccines used around the world in an attempt to control this disease are all inactivated vaccines. One of the most important points is the selection of the correct strains of the bacterium to use in the vaccine.

Prof Bragg established that in South Africa, there are four different serovars of the bacterium and one of these, the serovar C-3 strain, was believed to be unique to Southern Africa. He also recently discovered this serovar for the first time in Israel, thus indicating that this serovar might have a wider distribution than originally believed.

Vaccines used in this country did not contain this serovar.  Prof Bragg established that the long term use of vaccines not containing the local South African strain resulted in a shift in the population distribution of the pathogen.

Prof Bragg’s research activities also include disease control in parrots and pigeons.   “One of the main research projects in my group is on the disease in parrots caused by the circovirus Beak and Feather Disease virus. This virus causes serious problems in the parrot breeding industry in this country. This virus is also threatening the highly endangered and endemic Cape Parrot,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg’s research group is currently working on the development of a DNA vaccine which will assist in the control of the disease, not only in the parrot breeding industry, but also to help the highly endangered Cape Parrot in its battle for survival.

“Not all of our research efforts are directed towards infectious coryza or the Beak and Feather Disease virus.  One of my Masters students is currently investigating the cell receptors involved in the binding of Newcastle Disease virus to cancerous cells and normal cells of humans. This work will also eventually lead to a possible treatment of cancer in humans and will assist with the development of a recombinant vaccine for Newcastle disease virus,” said Prof Bragg.

We are also currently investigating an “unknown” virus which causes disease problems in poultry in the Western Cape,” said Prof Bragg.
 
“Although disinfection has been extensively used in the poultry industry, it has only been done at the pre-placement stage. In other words, disinfectants are used before the birds are placed into the house. Once the birds are placed, all use of disinfectants stops,” said Prof Bragg.

“Disinfection and bio security can be seen as the ‘Cinderella’ of disease control in poultry.  This is also true for human medicine. One just has to look at the high numbers of people who die from hospital-acquired infections to realise that disinfection is not a concept which is really clear in human health care,” said Prof Bragg.

Much research has been done in the control of diseases through vaccination and through the use of antibiotics. “These pillars of disease control are, however, starting to crumble and more effort is needed on disinfection and bio security,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg has been working in close co-operation with a chemical manufacturing company in Stellenbosch to develop a unique disinfectant which his highly effective yet not toxic to the birds.

As a result of this unique product, he has developed the continual disinfection program for use in poultry. In this program the disinfectant is used throughout the production cycle of the birds. It is also used to ensure that there is excellent pre-placement disinfection.

“The program is extensively used for the control of infectious diseases in the parrot-breeding industry in South Africa and the product has been registered in 15 countries around the world with registration in the USA in the final process,” said Prof Bragg.

“Although the problem of plasmid mediated resistance to disinfectants is starting to rear its ugly head, this has allowed for the opening of a new research field which my group will hopefully exploit in the near future,” he said.

 

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