MBDA Annual Report 2022/23 – Word from the Chief Executive Officer, Anele Qaba
It is common cause that I joined the MBDA at the tail end of the financial year under review, and though I have presided over the preparation of this Annual Report, it is the efforts of my predecessors. My initial engagement as the CEO with staff and management of the MBDA gave me the opportunity to realise that a lot more can be achieved by this entity with an improved and efficient organisational structure, culture, policies, and up to date business processes that respond to current realities.
The MBDA is inherently a high-performance organisation that has unfortunately either been sidetracked or become a victim of its past successes. The 0% performance of the prior year is symptomatic of this veering off the beaten track of high performance.
The first steps of a turnaround have already borne fruit as presented elsewhere in this report, and going forward, the Board-approved five-year strategic plan puts the MBDA in a much stronger position. It also fell upon me as the new CEO to oversee the final institutional and management performance review cycle of 2023, and to ensure that the report is a true reflection of the work on the ground. It also became very clear to me that significant improvements are needed in how targets are set, monitored, reported on, and doing so will enable the entity to unlock even higher performance outcomes across all business units.
Strategy implementation
Looking ahead, the top priority when I arrived at the entity was to deliver as strategy aligned Annual Business Plan, the first of the five-year plan. The process of developing the 2023-2024 Business Plan challenged all involved to adopt a new performance management paradigm and to unlearn old ways and build afresh. It is my view that it will be managed as a collective and I look forward to reporting the results of these efforts at the end of the 2023-2024 financial year.
Also, the top priority in as far as strategy implementation is concerned is the organisation review process, updating the policy regime to better respond to the new strategy, and the much-needed diversification of funding through a robust fundraising strategy. The development of the fundraising strategy is currently
underway and will be reported on at the end of the 2023-2024 year, however I can confirm a R5m investment by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation towards a joint film facility infrastructure development.
We are bullish that this ship is turning around and our three-prong strategy of total precinct management, project management services and game-changing catalytic programmes will yield positive results.
To view the annual report please click this link: Annual Report for 2022/2023
ANELE QABA
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
MANDELA BAY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY