In an effort to harness a resolution-based conversation around financial governance, the Mandela Bay Development Agency hosted a webinar on Thursday, 16th of September. The aim of this webinar was to rally together practitioners, industry experts, civic society, public and private organisations to share knowledge that will empower participants in various forms of refining financial management in the public sector.

Despite the prevailing crippling effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the tourism and hospitality industry, the establishment of the Fly CemAir routes from Gqeberha to East London and Bloemfontein respectively, is an important step towards revitalising the industry. Fly CemAir, in existence for the last 16 years, will initially operate thrice weekly to the King Phalo Airport (East London) and four times a week to the Bram Fischer Airport in Bloemfontein from 15 September. The company plans to increase their offering when consumer demand improves.

It’s that time of the year when the Auditor-General starts to probe whether municipalities and their entities such as the MBDA have done what they committed to do in the previous financial year, whether this was done lawfully and then determine whether to issue an audit opinion which describes the institution’s Annual Financial Statements as a fair reflection of the state of that institution. Such opinion can be what is often referred to as a clean audit on the one hand, or on the other hand, to issue a disclaimer which is an indication of an institution in disarray. The next article will explain the different audit outcomes, but it is very difficult to achieve a clean audit despite following the rules, whereas a disclaimer means that something serious is amiss.

The MBDA has been made aware of the unfortunate and regrettable incident that happened at the Donkin on Monday.
Although the MBDA provides limited security services for the property on the Donkin, it is disappointing that a contract security service guard allegedly took no proactive steps to intervene.

“Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.