19 March OUR GENERAL APPROACH TO COVID-19 (2020-03-19) March 19, 2020 COVID 19, General COVID-19, pandemic, World Health Organisation, WHO, GRC, coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, sacoronavirus.co.za CGF is a Proudly South African company which offers a wide range of corporate governance services for all industry sectors, no matter the size of the organisation. Our Lead Independent Consultants specialise in various areas of governance risk and compliance (GRC), working across South Africa. We are constantly monitoring the Government's prescriptions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, including all measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Notwithstanding the unknown variables regarding this virus, we have been evaluating the potential impact of the virus on our business. Our priorities are the safety of our employees, consultants and clients, and the continuity of our business operations. Avoiding Business Disruption by Operating Without Interruption We have invested in technology and training that enables our consultants to operate remotely. We are reducing face-to-face meetings and encouraging the use of Microsoft Teams or Zoom for all client engagements as far as possible. Face-to-face meetings and conferences will be limited and our governance training sessions will be conducted online as far as possible. Keeping Our Clients, Lead Independent Consultants and Employees Safe We are approaching COVID-19 outbreak with extreme caution to ensure the health and safety of our clients, consultants and employees. We are also following the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and relevant SA governmental health organisations. We have implemented the following precautionary hygiene measures: we are reducing face-to-face meetings and encouraging the use of video conferencing; we have temporarily suspended all business travel arrangements and have recommended that our consultants and employees refrain from personal, domestic or international travel; we will abide by the rule of no more than 100 persons being present at any business event. Our functions, meetings and training will be kept to small gatherings of no more than 30 individuals. However, we will continue to monitor developments in respect of the spread of the virus and will make decisions regarding these events with an eye on maximum caution and vigilance; we are working closely with our suppliers and partners (whether in affected areas or otherwise) to ensure that they are also taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus and ensure their own sustainability; hand sanitizers have been implemented throughout our offices for both client and employee use. Regular cleaning of hand-touch areas at our offices with disinfectants is also being done; our consultants and employees have been requested to avoid hand-shakes, as hands carry a lot of germs. Appropriate distances and office seating arrangements have also been introduced that avoid close human contact; and ‘social distancing’ is being practised by our consultants and employees and we urge our stakeholders to do the same. We fully support the self-isolation activities advocated by the various authorities. The above steps all help promote a safe environment for our clients, consultants, employees and suppliers. Each of us has a responsibility to act responsibly to avoid the spread of COVID-19. We will advise all our stakeholders of any potential risk of exposure and expect them to do the same. United we can and will make a difference in restricting the spread of this virus. Yours in good governance. The CGF Executive Follow CGF on Twitter: @CGFResearch Click on this link sacoronavirus.co.za for the official COVID-19 (Corona Virus) Resource Portal for South Africa. Related Articles COVID-19: ADDRESSING DEBILITATING RISKS REQUIRES A ROBUST GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK (2020-04-17) The times we are currently living in are unprecedented. Covid-19 has once again highlighted the reasons why governance -- good governance -- is a critical function in a democratic country. COVID-19: A BRAVE NEW WORLD WHERE GOOD GOVERNANCE IS KEY (2020-03-25) Dear CGF clients, constituents and followers A brave new world As the world, and indeed South Africa, now faces the uncertainty of a risk that threatens human life, business operations and social movement as we know it, the Corona virus (Covid-19) has forced the world’s leaders and businesses to rethink measures aimed at protecting a nation and its inhabitants to ensure their safety and survival. SURVIVING DISRUPTIONS IN BUSINESS CALLS FOR MORE AGILE BOARDS AND A ROBUST GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK (2020-07-23) Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ease of doing business in South Africa was already under great pressure. According to the World Bank’s annual ratings, South Africa’s ranking had deteriorated from 82nd position amongst 190 economies to 84th position in 2019. The Covid-19 saga has clearly made matters far worse for businesses to survive in South Africa, hence requiring greater board agility to weather and beat the socio-economic tsunami we are now facing. COMBINED ASSURANCE: STRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE AND BUSINESS REPORTING (2025-03-31) In an era of heightened scrutiny over corporate governance and accountability, the responsibilities of directors and executives have evolved significantly. High-profile corporate failures, including Enron and WorldCom in the United States, HIH Insurance in Australia, and Parmalat in Italy, have underscored the need for robust governance frameworks. Similar failures in other markets, including cases such as Steinhoff and VBS Bank in South Africa, illustrate that the risks of poor governance and weak oversight are universal. A DIGITISED GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK SUPPORTS A DECENTRALISED AUTONOMOUS ORGANISATION (DAO) (2024-04-10) Traditional governance reporting With the age of digitalisation firmly entrenched -- and a global economy on the cusp of the Fifth Industrial Revolution -- forward-thinking organisations worldwide have embraced the notion of equipping their workforce for greater meaning and purpose. Considering how organisations have the technological means to streamline their business processes, which often has negative implications upon mundane and/or highly repetitive job functions, these organisations understand the importance of a more ‘human-centered’ approach to conducting their business which is fundamental to their future and sustainability. Given the focus on human empowerment -- being one of the 6-capitals cited by the King Report IV™ for Corporate Governance -- the importance of collective governance assessments made by a much broader stakeholder group of the organisation could not be more important. INTERNAL AUDITORS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN STRENGTHENING THE GOVERNANCE OF AN ORGANISATION (2020-08-12) People who occupy positions of authority include not only executive and non-executive directors of the board, but also managers who have the means of influencing or causing material changes in the organisation. The latter, according to the South African Companies Act of 2008, are known as ‘prescribed officers’ and together with the organisation’s directors and internal auditors, can all be held liable for not ensuring that the interests of the organisation are being adequately served and protected. Comments are closed.