As a part of the year long celebration of the country’s 30 Years of Democracy at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the Department Commercial Accounting joined the fray with a public lecture.
The lecture interrogated the role of the judiciary and the accounting profession in protecting SA’s Constitutional Democracy.
The Department, which is located within the School of Accounting gave the responsibility to respected Supreme Court of Appels Judge Boissie Mbha, under the topic: “30 Years of Democracy: The Roles of the Judiciary and Accounting Profession in Protecting South Africa’s Constitutional Democracy”.
Acting Dean of the College of Business and Economics (CBE) Prof Ben Marx opened the proceedings sharing an impassioned plea with the students to encourage them to be part of the ‘rebuilding’ of the country.
“We live in a wonderful country. And we are passionate about our country. We must encourage our students and our youth, to stay here. When we speak to them in class, they express a disillusionment about the state of our country. However, its important to show them why they should stay. They are our future. Our students will one day become the Auditor General of South Africa, Chartered Accountants, Chief Financial Officers etc. This is something I am passionate about.
He added that individuals such as Judge Mbha, or the ‘wise ones’ were important as they could give the necessary direction to making this a reality.
“In the same breath, we need the wise ones, the ones presently in the accounting profession to set the moral and ethical tone. Write the books, have the lectures, we need you to set the direction for the ones that will follow. People look up to you, and I just want to thank you all for coming to the University and sharing your knowledge and experiences, with our students.”
Taking to the podium at the Ubuntu Chambers on the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus where the lecture was held, Judge Mbha traced took the audience on a captivating oddessy, tracing his legal roots from his beginning as a young lawyer when doing his articles at a law firm in Braamfontein, right through to his time presently at the Supreme court of Appeals. Judge Mbha also shared some of the important cases he’s had the responsibility of presiding over, and how these have had an impact in some ways on the constitution, the law and him as an individual.
He left the students audience with a parting shot: “We need an honest accounting profession, that recognizes its critical and important role in protecting our constitutional democracy by preventing threats to it by various forms of criminality such as fraud, theft, money laundering and unethical conduct. To our students, you’ve got role models you can look up to. Ethics are very crucial to the sustenance of our constitutional democracy. You have an important role to play”.
In her closing remarks Head of the Department of Commercial Accounting Boitumelo Kuzwayo expressed her thanks to Judge Mbha for his willingness to impart his knowledge and wisdom.
“As I reflected on this topic this morning, I realized just how important it still is. We are just 100 days in with our Government of National Unity and there are four prominent South Africans that are currently in the courts facing various charges for various things. We need ethical leadership. Each time I’ve had the opportunity to engage with Papa Boissie (referring to Judge Mbha) I have been left in awe. I have often thought to myself that I really shouldn’t be the only one experiencing his wisdom, and today that wish has been fulfilled. Thank you, papa, for availing yourself to us”.
Watch the complete recording here:
