Housing in Southern Africa April 2015

Industry Buzz, Events & Products

DTI’s Corporate Governance Development Programme Principles.

T he Department of Trade and Industry will award certificates towomenwho have completed the Corporate Governance Develop- ment Programme, which aims to in- crease the pool of trained candidates for possible appointment on boards of public and private entities. The department has to date trained approximately 200 women in its partnershipwith the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa (IoDSA) and the South African Women Entre- preneurs’ Network (SAWEN). The Corporate Governance Devel- opment Programme aims to address

the increasing importance of good governance and ethical conduct in the private and public sector. It provides a platform for business and government leaders to communicate what should constitute ethical and good governance in daily businesses. One of the policy objectives for the Companies Act, 2008 is to enhance transparency and corporate gover- nance in companies. The Corporate Governance Devel- opment Programme was initiated to promote the principles of good gov- ernance espoused in the Companies Act and the King Code of Governance

The programme was launched by the former Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Elizabeth Thabethe, in September 2013. The focus in 2015 is on the second phase of the programme, which is placing each trainee on a company board as an observer in one meeting to obtain practical exposure regarding the workings of boards. Most companies have heeded to the request from the department and have opened their boardmeetings to trainees of the programme to attend meetings as observers. ■

Commission fines Group Five

T he Competition Commission has referred three cases of col- lusive tendering in theWestern Cape against GVK Siyazama. The first collusive tendering is between GVK and Neil Muller Con- struction (NMC) in respect of the Tygervalley Mall project. The second collusive tendering is also between GVK andNMC in respect of the Akila Trading project. The third The collusive tendering was be- tween Group Five and WBHO Con- struction as well as with Concor, a subsidiary of Murray and Roberts, in respect of the rehabilitation of the Collusive tendering T he Competition Commission has referred a case of collusive tendering against Group Five to the Competition Tribunal.

Five won the tender. The Commission’s investigation found sufficient evidence that Group Five colludedwithWBHO and Concor in respect of the Senekal project. The Commission is requesting the Competition Tribunal to impose a maximum penalty of 10% of Group Five’s annual turnover. ■ spect of the TygervalleyMall andAkila Trading tenders. The investigation further found that GVK also colluded with Group Five in respect of the Cape Gate Medi- Clinic tender. The Competition Commission is requesting the Competition Tribunal to impose amaximumpenalty of 10% of GVK’s annual turnover in respect of each contravention. ■

collusive tendering is between GVK and Group Five in respect of the Cape Gate Medi-Clinic. GVK had bilateral collusive agree- ments with NMC and Group Five, in which GVK submitted bid prices that were higher than that of NMC and Group Five respectively. The Commission’s investigation found that there is sufficient evidence that GVK colluded with NMC in re- National Route 5, section 4, between Senekal and Vaalpenspruit in the Free State. Group Five had bilateral collusive agreements with WBHO and Concor respectively, in terms of which Group Five would submit a bid price lower than those submitted by WBHO and Concor, in order to ensure that Group

April 2015