CIMA AGM – KWA-ZULU NATAL BRANCH

MINUTES OF THE KWA-ZULU NATAL BRANCH’S 64TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD ON

THURSDAY THE 07 APRIL 2016 AT THE DURBAN COUNTRY CLUB, 101 ISAIAH NTSHANGASE

RD, DURBAN, 4001 AT 07:30.

Attendees: Branch Committee members, CIMA members and students as per attendance

register taken

Also in attendance: CIMA South Africa Country Manager, Zahra Cassim; CIMA Africa

Regional Director, Samantha Louis and CIMA Global Deputy President from the UK, Andrew

Miskin

1. Opening and Welcome

There were 50 people in attendance.

The Chairman of the KZN Branch, Taher Jhavary opened the meeting by welcoming and

thanking everyone present at the meeting for their presence and gave a brief on the

Agenda. He presented the events that took place in 2015 and the new direction on the

Newsletter strategy, introduced the revised CIMA KZN Branch committee and their specific

roles. After the 2015 feedback, he tabled the 2016 plans of events and noted some changes

to be done in some of the planned dates and also encouraged members to diarise the

confirmed events. Finally, touched on the new role of marketing where members and

students were encouraged to bring their ideas and a budget for KZN was approved for 2016.

2. Apologies

As stated above. There are also a few apologies noted by the JHB office from Anthony,

Brad, Allen, Elizabeth and Bernard. Gabi, Pravika and Romona from the KZN committee also

apologised.

3. Confirmation of minutes of the previous meeting

The minutes of the 2015 AGM were taken as read and accepted as an accurate reflection of

matters discussed at the meeting.

Mover: Graham Muller, ACMA Seconded: Patricia Shewell, ACMA

4. Matters arising not covered elsewhere on the Agenda

None were raised.

5. Report by the branch President, Taher Jhavary (ACMA, CGMA)

5.1 Questions on Taher’s presentation

None were raised.

6. Country Manager’s report by Zahra Cassim

6.1 Zahra’s 1st presentation

Highlights:

She thanked the KZN Branch Committee for their hard work and dedication.

First CIMA branch opened in Nigeria and Eastern Cape branch revived.

Face-to-face interviews has fast-tracked progressing students to members with 80 people through so far.

The certificate level has 4 modules now instead of 5

Encouraged to check the new CGMA website on CGMA Principles

Questions/Suggestions:

Suggestion 1: from Sandi (committee member), she suggested CIMA to find companies to

sponsor students at high school level to study specifically CIMA qualification, so as to raise

awareness of CIMA at lower levels of education.

Response 1: from Zahra, This is something already started talking about at a different level

though, looking at undergraduates to be part of CIMA community and talk to employers to

sponsor from that level. This will help provide pool of skill of Management Accountants.

7. CIMA Global Vice President presentation by Andrew Miskin

Highlights:

CIMA Joining the CPA Joint Venture (JV) and strongly encouraged the members and

students to vote when the emails come through in support of this great initiative in

the accounting profession (he also explained the voting process briefly). This JV will

deepen and broaden Management Accounting globally, also allows members to be

more employable around the world and attraction of higher salaries. More than 50%

of companies in the USA are in support of this JV.

He also encouraged checking the CGMA website and focus on the principles for a lot

of relevant information.

CGMA also offers similar sets of exams around the world.

From his meeting with employers, there is a high interest in Management

Accounting (MA) and everyone wants to do it.

The importance of maintain clear credibility of MA e.g. helping make decision on the

declining world climate and earth becoming a finite resource.

Questions:

Question 1 – from Graham Muller, is there any existing blending of examinations between

the two bodies or plans to have it in the future?

Response 1 – for ACMA and CGMA it is same case study, objective tests and CPD consistency

100% across the world. May be over the years, there will be exemptions from ACCA to

CIMA but for now only CPA credits ACCA which is understandable because they are both

(CPA and ACCA) auditing qualifications.

8. Nomination and election of the branch committee

Ntuthuko Khuboni and Karishma Singh have stepped down due to moving to different cities.

The 4 new volunteers were: Zakira Mohamed, Thokozani Shabalala, Jitesh Jaganath and

Sibusiso Hwalima.

2 will be taken in immediately and 2 will be placed on a reserve list once vacancies arise on

the team.

Mover: Deven Govender

Seconded: Patricia Shewell from UKZN

9. Presentation of awards for 2015

Chairman, Taher thereafter congratulated all the students on their hard work and efforts.

The certificates were presented by Andrew Miskin and Taher Jhavary to the students who

were present to receive the awards, Zahra took the photos.

10. General

The Chairman thanked everyone for coming.

11. Closing

Taher wished everyone the best of 2016 and closed the meeting. Followed by a hot

breakfast.