African Journal of Public Affairs Volume 6, Number 2 (2013)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/59615

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Front matter, African Journal of Public Affairs, Volume 6, Number 2
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2013)
Reformation of corporate governance in Malaysia : do changes in audit and accountability practices increase institutional performance?
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2013) Abas, Z.; Arshad, R.
Following a sequence of financial crises around the world, a series of corporate governance codes were issued concerning best practice with regard to corporate governance reformation. Central to these codes was the aim of the government to create investor confidence, to raise the standard, drive corporate governance reforms and use as a benchmark monitoring and implementing as corporate governance practices and policies at the corporate company level. The Malaysian government is committed to ensure that corporate companies demonstrate a track record of good governance in order to attract and retain long-term investors. Therefore, after seven years, the first Malaysian Code on Corporate governance (MCCG) was introduced in 2000, while the revised MCCG was introduced in 2007. The amendments of MCCG 2000 involved the components of audit committees and board of directors. It was aimed to improve the quality of audit committees and board of director’s functions among Publicly Listed Companies (PLCs) in promoting accountability and high levels of protection for the investor. This article aims to examine the effect of the Malaysian Code on Corporate governance on audit and accountability practices by comparing practices prior to, and after the implementation of the Code. Furthermore, the relationship between changes in audit and accountability practices and institutional performance in terms of corporate governance reformation is also examined.
A corporate governance framework for Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs)
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2013) Barclay, D.; Cloete, Fanie
The establishment of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) was initially seen as a lifeline for a country plagued by massive inequalities in income and skills provision. The continuous supply of skilled professionals and core skills remain the foundation for a competitive emerging economy and young democracy such as South Africa. SETAs are established for a five year period and are aligned to the financial year of government. The SETAs attracted much media attention as a result of poor service delivery primarily attributed to poor corporate governance. Despite the many positive contributions by SETAs, they remain the most criticised entities in post-democratic South Africa. Corporate governance is important for managers in organs of state (more specifi cally SETAs) policy makers in the field of public administration and politicians. The board of a SETA is ultimately accountable for the implementation of corporate governance. The article assesses the role of the board, accounting offi cer and audit committee among others and the legislative framework supporting the implementation of good governance. The analyses show an unstable framework of operation in SETAs and this is further complicated by the lack of skilled human resources specifi cally in financial management
An assessment of state gold mining enterprise in the Democratic Republic of the Congo : a case study of Kilo-Moto
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2013) Lukamba, M.T.
A major challenge of State Owned Enterprises in the Democratic Republic of Congo is lack of leadership and good managerial skills. Office des mines d’or de Kilo-Moto (OKIMO) is one of the state’s gold mining enterprises which demonstrate managerial failure in gold production. This situation is not only found amongst the state mining companies, but also in different public enterprises. The reason for this is bad governance and political interference by Congolese politicians, especially those in positions of power. Before the country became independent on 30 June 1960, most of the mining organisations were well-managed, but this government tried to control the entire production of the mining industry across the country. The production of state mining companies declined in the entire sector. It has been claimed that nepotism during the second era of independence is one of the major causes of OKIMO’s bankruptcy. Instead of changing the corporate governance of the company, the government has remained in this position of stasis until the present day. The company has completely collapsed and solicits a strong recommendation that the senior management and the board members should develop good culture to manage a state gold mining company. It means the objectives of chief executive must be accepted by the board member and all the staff within the company. Senior managers need a strategic plan to increase the production of gold in the company and this will have an impact on the financial viability of the SOE.
Public participation : a South African local government perspective
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2013) Maphazi, N.; Raga, K.; Taylor, J.D.; Mayekiso, T.
The need for enhanced community consultation and participation is clearly articulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Constitution), and also in terms of a variety of developmental local government legislation. Community members are now expected to play a more meaningful role in terms of their involvement in civic matters. Community members who play an active role in local government matters and who are well-informed, will have greater confidence in their local government structures. However, various recent studies on community participation reveal that the envisaged participatory role has generally not met the expectations of government. A great deal of apathy still exists, especially regarding matters pertaining to local government. The article reviews the need for community consultation and participation from a variety of perspectives within the South African context. Certain strategies to enhance public participation are reviewed with emphasis on the third sphere of government.
Social capital and collaborative environmental governance : the case of the Cape West Coast Biosphere
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2013) Muller, Kobus
To cope with the increasing complexities of environmental challenges, innovative models of governance that are capable of greater flexibility, speed and adaptability have emerged. Following international trends, new collaborative partnerships varying greatly in form and purpose have developed over the last 15 years. The Western Cape Province, world renowned for the Cape Floristic Region and one of the world’s 25 most threatened biodiversity hotspots, has also experienced a proliferation of ‘collaboratives’. In an effort to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of building social capital and institutional capacity in these types of governance settings, this article focuses on the evolution of one of the more successful of these new forms – the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve – from an organisational learning perspective before reflecting on the question of whether the concepts of social capital and organisational learning are useful to explain its apparent success. Although the findings are inconclusive, a sufficient number of pointers have emerged from the exploration of the case study to warrant further research on the role of social learning and social capital as explanations of why particular collaboratives seem to be more successful in achieving desirable outcomes than others.
Perspectives on African leadership in the spirit of Ubuntu
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2013) Pillay, P.; Subban, M.; Govender, Vasi
There is a surge of literature focusing on African leadership around the world. Nelson Mandela has stood out as an African icon and an international leader amidst the challenges of a globalised world. There is a quest to strike a balance with finding a leader with charisma and passion, and at the same time, finding a brand of leadership and strategic thinking to lead Africa new horizons. African leadership is about African solutions to local problems, and to reconscientise and rejuvenate the hearts and minds of people regarding the richness of collectiveness with an emphasis on Ubuntu (humanness and moral regeneration) and “Umoja” (togetherness). The appreciation that “humanity finds fulfillment only in community with others” and restoration of the moral fibre of leadership can serve as a repository of knowledge and centre of learning in the cornerstone of good governance in African leadership. This article examines the concept and practice of African leadership in the South African context, and on the African continent. The emphasis of this discussion is not only a conceptual understanding of African leadership, but a focus, amongst others, on the leadership competencies, professional values of responsibility and accountability, spirit of collectiveness, humanness and social cohesion.
Perspectives on enhancing the change management competency of South African senior public service managers
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2013) Sing, D.
The South African Public Service is the implementation agency of the South African Government. Located at the apex is the Senior Management Service (SMS). As leaders, role-models and pace-setters senior public service managers are required to be transformation-based and vision-driven. To support and enable undertaking of this task is the change management competency–one of eleven competencies set out in the Public Service Handbook for the Senior Management Service. Each competency has its own competency criteria, scale and aim. As is the case worldwide this change management competency is bedevilled continuously by a complex set of connected internal and external change forces. It is the view of the author that a keen grasp and deep understanding of the paradigmatic view of change, conceptual and theoretical perspectives of change, change constructs, factors resisting and supporting change, change interventions as well as the role of change agents and change leadership will enhance the change management competency of South African senior public service managers.
Towards a typology of models in Public Administration and Management as field of scientific inquiry
(African Consortium of Public Administration, 2013) Van der Waldt, Gerrit
Models are often the envisioned outcome of research endeavours in Public Administration and Management (PAM). Especially post-graduate studies intend to construct models as ideal type interventions to improve policy, structures, systems, functions and behaviour in government settings. The scientific underpinnings associated with model construction and the nature of the type of models that are available are, however, often not understood clearly. The purpose of this article is firstly, to gain conceptual clarification about the concept model and secondly, to contribute towards constructing a typology of models in PAM as a discipline. Typologies fulfil a classification function. Therefore it is proposed that a typology of models in PAM could aid in an appropriate design of research endeavours to achieve the desired end result and make meaningful contributions to the field of PAM research in general.

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