CAPE TOWN — South African Post Office (Sapo) board chairman Simo Lushaba yesterday failed to attend a critical governance briefing before Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), ironically because he was committed elsewhere: training company directors on corporate governance. Due to Mr Lushaba’s absence, Sapo CEO Mark Barnes and his delegation were sent packing, with committee members from all political parties condemning his nonappearance, saying the meeting could not go ahead without him.In terms of the Public Finance Management Act, the chairman of the board is the accounting authority and the only person authorised to speak on behalf of the company at this forum. The CEO cannot perform this function.Mr Lushaba and his board were scheduled to appear before Scopa to be questioned on the financial mismanagement and fraud that has wracked the organisation and prompted investigations by the Special Investigating Unit and the public protector.Mr Lushaba had written...
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