The overall objective of the study is to provide commentary on the extent to which the public sector audit process contributes to the strength of democracy in South Africa by enhancing accountability. By studying audit outcomes, the concerns of the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) around lack of accountability due to auditee non-responsiveness was confirmed. The amendments to the Public Audit Act which give the AGSA the power to sanction individuals is therefore considered necessary as a mechanism to change the culture of non-responsiveness amongst auditees and to therefore ensure accountability going forward. A comparative evaluation was conducted for the Ugandan public service where the Ugandan Auditor General has similar powers. This case study points to the necessity of supreme audit institutions in developing countries having enhanced powers to ensure accountability and thus enhance the quality of democracy, although there may be a trade off with the other dimensions of democracy, bringing in to question the overall quality of democracy. The study also outlines areas for future considerations which may impact on the strength of public financial accountability.

There is increasing evidence that anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are the major cause for global warming. A changing external environment and societal pressure is driving companies to respond to climate change and to limit further contribution where possible. Despite carbon emissions still being largely unregulated and carbon disclosure not being mandatory, many companies in South Africa have voluntarily decided to reduce emissions and make disclosures to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Institutional, socio-political and economic voluntary disclosure theories all indicate that there is a pressure for companies to monitor their climate mitigation, evaluate the costs of disclosing and manage stakeholders’ pressures by producing voluntary climate change disclosure. The CDP scores the disclosure made by each company as a measure of the company’s progress towards environmental stewardship. The highest CDP score indicates that a company has leadership in its efforts to environmental stewardship and so addressed stakeholders’ concerns. This study aims to determine which factors, either company specific or individual company responses within the CDP questionnaire, influence a high CDP climate change score for South African companies. The top 100 South African companies were selected using a full Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listing as at 31 March 2017 and the climate change programme score and individual company responses to the climate change questionnaire were obtained from the CDP for the five-year period from 2013 to 2017. A random effect model was used to examine the determinants of voluntary disclosure of carbon information. The results indicate that while CDP scores have improved post the signing of the Paris Agreement in December 2015, providing incentives for managing climate change has also led to improvements in the CDP score which results in improved climate change disclosure. Furthermore, the longer the company assesses climate change risks and opportunities into the future, the better its CDP score. This research contributes a more thorough understanding of disclosure theories, as established from these results. In terms of institutional theories, institutional investors should call for incentives to motivate for climate change management because companies might then be more likely to receive a better CDP score. In terms of socio-political theories, this study’s findings indicate that managers should be made aware that the further into the future they consider climate change risk management the better because this practice will result in the company obtaining an improved CDP score, while simultaneously managing stakeholders’ perceptions of the company. Additionally, this study contributes by making recommendations for companies and policy makers.

In this study, the main focus was to investigate the relationship between listing suspensions and corporate governance mechanisms which are related to the board of directors. The study also examined the effectiveness of King III in improving corporate governance on companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange of South Africa (JSE). The matched pairs research design was utilised where a comparison of 56 suspended companies were selected for the study. The period covered by the study was 2006 to 2017. Control companies were selected to match all the relevant suspended companies. The matching was done in terms of time, industry and size (measured by total assets). The control company should not have been suspended in the year under consideration. With the use of the conditional logistic regression model to analyse the data, the study found that the practice of board performance evaluation significantly reduced the odds of suspension. Another key finding of the study was that the number of directors with shares in the company has a statistically significant negative correlation to the odds of suspension. A comparison of King II and King III regimes indicates a stronger corporate governance era during the King III phase. Board size, the proportion of non-executive directors, and the number of independent directors and board performance evaluations increased significantly during the King III phase. Additionally, the study notices a decrease in the number of JSE listing suspensions during the King III era as compared to King II which implies that King III brought in stronger governance measures to listed companies in South Africa. Corporate governance is a critical focal point in managing corporates, raising capital as well as performing valuations of entities. The governance aspects relating to the actions of directors appear to have a direct correlation in determining whether a company will be suspended or not from the JSE. Findings of the study have contributed to the body of literature in proving the presence of a correlation between corporate failure and the failure of corporate governance structures. The findings in this study have a significant impact on policymakers in South Africa as they continue to strengthen corporate governance.

The objective of this study is to examine Uganda’s interaction with state reporting under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on the Rights and welfare of the Child (ACRWC). In pursuing this objective, the study proceeds with this broad question: Has Uganda provided adequate information in its Periodic State reports to the African Commission and the ACERWC which would enable them to adequately examine the country’s implementation of the provisions of the relevant treaties? To answer that broad question, the study embarked on answering the following specific questions: (i) What kind of information is the state of Uganda, through its periodic reports, expected to provide to the African Commission and the ACERWC? (ii) In its reports submitted to these bodies thus far, what information has Uganda provided? (iii) From a review of the submitted reports, has the information provided by Uganda enabled the African Commission and the ACERWC to adequately review the country’s human rights situation? (iv) What lessons can be drawn, and what recommendations can be made, for Uganda to maximize the benefits of state reporting to the African Commission and the ACERWC? In terms of its methodology, the study was fully desk researched involving a review of literature on state reporting generally with emphasis on state reporting under the African human rights system. This is coupled with a content analysis of Uganda’s periodic reports to the African Commission and the ACERWC in terms of their adequacy in facilitating the reviewing bodies with sufficient information to undertake an adequate examination of the human rights situation in the country. In this regard, the study relies on the data available on the websites of the African Commission and the ACERWC as well as library and online publications making commentaries on the same. / Mini Dissertation (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa))--University of Pretoria, 2021. / The European Union through the Global Campus of Human Rights and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa / Centre for Human Rights / LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa) / Unrestricted

The main purpose of this study is to examine the current extent of transformation disclosure in the integrated reports/annual reports of the top 50 listed South African companies on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) for the 2018 year. A longitudinal assessment to discern the developments in transformation disclosure trends over a 5-year period (2014 -2018) was also undertaken. Transformation for purposes of this study refers to transformation of the workplace “to be truly non-racial and non-sexist within companies”. Transformation is very topical in South Africa bearing in mind the historical injustices of the past and thus the need for redress. Disclosure relating to transformation is argued to be a pivotal contributing instrument that could empower stakeholders towards holding companies accountable. The specified transformation disclosure is required by the Employment Equity Act and is considered to be mandatory. The transformation disclosure reported by companies within their annual reports/integrated reports was thus critically scrutinised by application of a scoring technique relating to a closed list of 15 variables selected. Results showed that disclosure relating to the transformation variables was low overall despite there being a statutory requirement, with the highest scores recorded around the corporate social responsibility variable. The stunted level of transformation disclosure has wider implications for users of these reports and their ability to be afforded the opportunity to facilitate action and thus exercise accountability in relation to these companies.

Research in the field of financial literacy has found that black people and other minority groups, globally, underperform in financial literacy assessments, in comparison to their white counterparts. Multiple factors have been identified in literature, which try to explain the distribution of financial literacy results across demographic groups. However, none of these factors fully explain the disparity. Language has been identified as a potential factor, yet no studies have specifically explored this. A common characteristic among the underperforming group is that financial literacy assessments typically are not conducted in the participants' primary language. This paper aims to explore the impact of the language of assessment by testing whether assessing individuals in their primary language would improve their financial literacy scores. A quantitative research methodology was applied to surveys, which were disseminated in both English and isiXhosa (an African language). The survey performed is in line with existing financial literacy assessment however this study is made unique by controlling for language, to isolate its impact on the results. Statistical analysis of 240 respondents found that language was not the issue. Instead, in line with the findings of existing literature, self-efficacy and educational background are significant in determining financial literacy. These findings are key to financial literacy research and will help in the creation of financial literacy interventions. While there are no retrospective interventions for educational background, self-efficacy can be improved through targeted financial literacy intervention programmes designed to bridge the gap in financial literacy across racial groups.

The need for racial transformation within the accounting profession has been highlighted in recent years and consequently, efforts have been made by numerous players to further support accounting students pursuing the chartered accountant designation. This research focuses on an innovative postgraduate accounting programme, referred to as a Certificate in Theory of Accounting (CTA), offered by a private higher education institution, CA Connect. The research examines the factors associated with academic success in that programme as well as the subsequent initial professional board exam, known as the Initial Test of Competence (ITC). The variables considered are students' demographic details (age, gender and race), prior academic performance, prior tertiary institution, previous CTA attempts, time lapses between undergraduate and postgraduate study and class format selection. While this research repeats prior work done in public education contexts within the private higher education space, it is also novel, in that it extends prior research by examining several variables which have not been investigated before, neither in the South African context nor abroad. Three logistic regression models were developed, employing both forced entry and hierarchical regression methods. The findings confirm prior research which suggests that previous academic performance is strongly positively associated with future academic success and that race is a key determinant of success, most notably in CTA. Prior tertiary institution and attending fulltime, contact classes were also found to be associated with success at CTA level. However, adopting an after-hours, blended learning approach to CTA was found to be associated with success in the ITC. These findings provide further evidence of the need for continued grassroots interventions to allow scholars and students to build upon the strongest possible educational foundation and show a link between the innovations introduced by CA Connect and student success in the ITC.

Yes / Clinical Imaging contributes to screening, diagnosis, planning and monitoring of treatment and surveillance in cancer care. This literature review summarises evidence about radiographer reporting to help imaging service providers respond to Health Education England's 2017 Cancer Workforce Plan project to expand radiographer reporting in clinical service provision. Key findings: Papers published between 1992 and 2018 were reviewed (n ¼ 148). Evidence related to dynamic examinations (fluoroscopy, ultrasound) and mammography was excluded. Content was analysed and summarised using the following headings: clinical scope of practice, responsibilities, training, assessment, impact in practice and barriers to expansion. Radiographer reporting is well established in the United Kingdom. Scope of practice varies individually and geographically. Deployment of appropriately trained reporting radiographers is helping the NHS maintain high quality clinical imaging service provision and deliver a cost-effective increase in diagnostic capacity. Conclusion: Working within multiprofessional clinical imaging teams, within a defined scope of practice and with access to medical input when required, reporting radiographers augment capacity in diagnostic pathways and release radiologist time for other complex clinical imaging responsibilities.

Published Article / It is widely assumed that sustainability reporting is a mechanism that companies can use to demonstrate their trustworthiness with regard to development in a sustainable manner. This article uses the Mayer, Davis and Schoorman trust model as basis to discuss how sustainability reporting can enhance trustworthiness in a sustainable development context. The study also uses a survey-questionnaire, sent to South African sustainability reporters, to explore whether they are finding sustainability reporting useful for enhancing companies' trustworthiness among stakeholders in a sustainable development context. Respondents indicate, amongst other things, that sustainability reporting in South Africa has a role to play in enhancing trustworthiness, more so among contractual stakeholders than among community stakeholders. To entrench trust benefits in the long term will however require long term strategies. Such strategies should focus on increasing the engagement of community stakeholders, authentic use of the GRI and implementing effective control systems that prevent the misuse of sustainability reports, while not preventing the formation of real trust.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the usefulness of spin-off historical and pro forma financial statements on the market’s ability to predict the firm’s future earnings. This study evaluates the spin-off historical and pro forma financial statements required for a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulation (Form 10-12(b). The study evaluates the question Are spin-off financial statements that reflect the firm’s adoption of the accounting required for the regulation (SEC form 10-12(b)) predictive of future earnings and thus useful? According to Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts No. 8 (SFAC8), the objective of general purpose financial reporting is that financial statements are useful to investors in making decisions about providing resources to the firm. Financial information is capable of making a difference in decisions if they have predictive value, confirmatory value or both. This is a quantitative, positivist, empirical archival study of final SEC Forms 10-12(b) for spin-off firms filed for listing on a public exchange of either NYSE or NASDAQ from the period of 2000 to 2014. The study evaluates if spin-off financial statements (historical and pro forma) are predictive, confirmatory or both. This study compares the performance of these companies to their peer group to assess if the results of this population are significantly different from the performance of the peer group in predicting future earnings. There were large variances between the historical, pro forma and Year 1 key financial statement elements. Variances ranged between 4% to over 500%. The difference in means in the population were significant between historical and pro forma net income as well as the change in shareholders equity and between historical and Year 1 shareholders’ equity. There was a significant difference in the leverage metric between historical leverage ratio and Year 1’s leverage ratio of the firms. The study found that the peer financial metrics were predictive of future earnings but the historical spin statements are not as predictive as their peer group. There was a significant difference in the predictability between the peer group and the historical spin metrics. The research supports the usefulness of the pro forma information. The research does not appear to support the usefulness of the historical information. Thus, the study provides the first empirical evidence that spin-off financial statements provide less information to the market. This is a new approach to study the application of accounting standards.