Graduates Urged to be Ethical Leaders

BY: .

Professor Cosmas Ambe, Head of the Nedbank Chair in Accountancy, University of Limpopo, delivered an inspiring Graduation address to graduands of the College of Law and Management Studies on 10 April during one of UKZN’s Graduation ceremonies.

The theme of his keynote address titled: “Ethical Leadership and Corporate Citizenship in the Context of King III” was relevant to new graduates who were on the threshold of entering the demanding employment sector as well as those who were economically active and already established in the public and private sectors.

The keynote address was centred on various important leadership principles which the late former President Nelson Mandela lived by.

Ambe used his address to appeal to graduates to practice ethical leadership at the workplace and to use as a benchmark important resources such as the King III Code of Corporate Governance which promotes the highest level of corporate governance in South Africa and focuses on Corporate Governance, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Citizenship.

He said: ‘Good governance is essentially about effective leadership. Leaders need to define strategy, provide direction and establish the ethics and values that will influence and guide practices and behaviour with regard to sustainability performance.  As current and future leaders, we look forward to your leadership in the application of ethical leadership and governance, especially in the public sector.’

‘As you approach the world of work, you need to uphold the code of professional ethics required of your profession and exercise the level of ethical leadership and governance to promote the legacy of Tata Madiba,’ he concluded.

Ambe commended the University for its contribution to the development of human capital in South Africa through the academic training imparted to its graduates.

Hazel Langa