NEWS ANALYSIS: The day the Steinhoff suits got a dose of democratic bickering
Just over an hour into the day’s proceedings, the starkness of the cultural differences became apparent. A few metres and a world of difference separated the Steinhoff International team from the parliamentarians on the two sides of the aisle in the Old Assembly chamber. Steinhoff represented the uni-focus of business — one primary constituency, the shareholder, and one primary objective, making profit. Its team members were facing MPs who were representing the diversity that is the South African citizenry with its multiplicity of objectives. Steinhoff’s recently appointed chairwoman Heather Sonn was first up, setting the scene; they did want to co-operate but at this stage weren’t sure what had gone wrong or whether it could have been prevented. Recently appointed commercial director and former lawyer Louis du Preez committed the company to "uncovering the truth and fixing what was wrong".They were followed by a subdued Christo Wiese, who hadn’t prepared anything but spoke with the...
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