Page 7 - UniZulu Annual Report 2020

LEADERSHIP, ETHICS AND CORPORATE
CITIZENSHIP
Responsible leadership, characterised by the values of accountability, integrity, competence, responsibility, fairness and transparency, has been the defining ethos of Council. Other values of the Institution include innovation, teamwork, efficiency, and mutual respect, which all contribute towards ensuring corporate citizenship. Decisions, actions and deliberations were conducted with sensitivity to the legitimate interests and expectations of all shareholders. Council fully understands the triple context in which the University operates – economy, society and environment. Council’s responsibility towards ethical and effective leadership and corporate citizenship is based on ethical foundations, as recognised in the Charter of Council and the different Codes of Conduct. These codes relate to staff, students and Council. Monitoring mechanisms are in place to ensure full compliance with the codes. Codes are published on the University’s website and form the basis for inductions.The Institution subscribes to protected disclosure and whistle-blowing mechanisms that are in place to detect breaches of ethical standards. Disciplinary processes and grievance procedures are well established to deal swiftly with breaches.
Council continues to monitor employment equity targets, fair remuneration and skills development of employees and ensures compliance to health and safety standards. Council continues with its zero-tolerance toward fraud and corruption.
The Strategic Plan, together with the operational planning of the Institution, is aimed at ensuring that UNIZULU remains sustainable for future generations. The University exercises leadership within a governance system to ensure that its mission is carried out within a framework that promotes transformation, benefits society, protects the environment and ensures sustainability. The sustainability report provides an overview of how UNIZULU has both positively and negatively impacted the economic life of the community in which it operated during the year under review. Sustainability is interlinked with the University’s governance, strategy, risks and opportunities and key performance indicators, and addresses the inclusivity of UNIZULU stakeholders, innovation, fairness, collaboration and social transformation, student numbers and throughput as well as the generation of alternative funding streams. UNIZULU’s renewal trajectory aimed at providing programmes in Engineering, Maritime Studies, Tourism and Veterinary Studies, which contributes to its comprehensive drive. These new programmes are in line with the Strategic Plan, which aims to provide high-
quality academic and career-focused programmes, relevant and responsive to the needs of students and society. The University seeks, through its planned new programmes, to address skills shortages and provide ample opportunities to its students. Graduates of these programmes will contribute to the continued growth of the regional and local economy of the uMhlathuze Municipality and uThungulu District Municipality, as well as the larger economy of South Africa and the southern African region, thereby making UNIZULU a leading comprehensive university that provides quality education that is aligned to its vision. Community engagement is now an integrated part of the academic agenda for the benefit of the society in which it operates.
GOVERNANCE OF RISK
The Council and management of UNIZULU are committed to the implementation and maintenance of a formal enterprise risk management strategy, including the integration of risk management throughout all levels of the University as fundamental to achieving the University’s strategic and operational objectives. The commitment for sound risk management practices is aligned to the requirements of the Guidelines for Good Governance Practice and Governance Indicators for Councils of South African Public Higher Education Institutions (hereinafter referred to as DHET Governance Guidelines), which are regarded as the best practice to which the Council has committed to adhere as a responsible corporate institution. The University applies an enterprise-wide approach to risk management, which aims to ensure that each function, department, process and project is included in a structured and systematic process of risk management. This is evidenced in the Risk Report as well as the Vice-Chancellor’s report on management/ administration in this Annual Report. UNIZULU considers that health, safety and well-being management, business continuity and incident management, IT disaster recovery, as well as fraud management are crucial components of its Enterprise Risk Management Framework (ERMF). All staff members are accountable for identifying and managing risk, in so far as is reasonably practicable within their area of responsibility. Sound risk management principles have become part of the normal management strategy for all organisational units within UNIZULU. Risk management is one of the most important factors guiding the implementation of strategic goals and general operations. The University’s Risk Management Committee and Management Committee (MANCO) is functioning optimally, and the Institution consolidated and identified its strategic risks and compiled risk registers for the respected risk owners in line with the
5
UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND ANNUAL REPORT 2020