Quality Corporate Governance Centre (QCGC) has announced that the Chairperson Lounge will be launched from October 27 to 30 in a bid to gather views on how to improve the governance state state-owned enterprises.

 Wilson Waison

In a press briefing Chief Executive Officer for QCGC, Tendai Rusere said the Lounge is aimed at capacity building of the corporate and private sector leadership with modern managerial trends and tackling corporate governance challenges.

“The Chairpersons Lounge was established with the purpose of emphasizing the significance of chairs in various African occasions and gatherings,” he said.

Rusere said the Lounge will run under the theme, ‘African city in the cockpit whilst taking over the globe.’

Among the speakers include Clara Mlambo, CEO of Bog Gases, Dr. Nozipo Maraire, Emmanuel Fundira from NSSA, Justin Bgoni CEO of Zim Stock Exchange, Professor Amon Murwira, and Dr. Ethel Gwasira from the University of Zimbabwe.

At the conference, they hope to launch the second edition of the National Code on Corporate Governance in Zimbabwe.

The development comes after the centre saw fit to amend the code of conduct published in 2014.

Chairman and Founder of QCGC, Canaan Dube said the corporate world has undergone significant changes in the past few years.

“It has been nearly two decades since the national code of corporate governance was established, and therefore, there is a need to review and update the document,” he said.

Dude said such a move would ensure that the corporate sector remains in sync with the latest trends and developments in the industry, while also promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical practices.

Dube criticized the misuse of public office and corporate funds, emphasizing the need for responsible leadership.

“Public officials must be equipped with refresher courses that focus on personal governance rather than corporate governance. This will help to reorient individuals with guilty intentions and those who may consider engaging in forbidden actions. Such courses are crucial in promoting ethical behaviour and upholding the integrity of public office.” he said.

Dube said apart from refresher courses, perhaps the way people are engaged and appointed had a negative bearing on the output and development of corporate enterprises.

“I think we engage more for whom we know and not what they know in corporate governance and that is where we are starting with the problem. If we put the correct people with the correct ethics in the position of leadership, it's best then to monitor how they behave based on merit,” he added.

Dube acknowledged the success of the 2014 code and said over the years his centre has surpassed milestones in teaching ethical conduct and good corporate governance in both the private and government sectors.

“We have trained 107 state enterprises on Corporate Governance and ethical leadership. We prepared reports that informed the government to take appropriate action,” he added.

Once every quarter QCGC convenes and holds discussions on illegal conduct and unethical issues that have tainted the corporate world.

“Failure of chairs translates to failure of the organizations they chair,” said Dube.