Abasa wants president to be axed

The Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants in SA (Abasa) has recommended that its president Mbusiswa Ngcobo be expelled after he allegedly manhandled a woman facilitator during a team-building session.

According to a letter written by the organisation’s secretary, Luyanda Gidini, sent to the national board of directors and copied to past presidents, Ngcobo manhandled a non-member Standard Bank staffer, who was facilitating the session at the Standard Bank Global Leadership Centre (GLC) in Morningside, Johannesburg, on Saturday last week.

“During one of the exercises where he was requested to present, Mr Ngcobo did not want to follow her [the facilitator’s] instructions and respond to her questions. In an attempt to bring the session to where it should be, Mr Ngcobo physically manhandled her on three separate occasions [by forcefully grabbing her arm preventing her from keeping the allocated time allowed for each member to present],” reads the letter, which was sent on the same day of the incident.

Disrepute

“It is the opinion of the Exco [executive committee] that Mr Ngcobo is bringing the organisation into disrepute and his behaviour is inconsistent with the manner in which the Exco expects any member of Abasa to conduct themselves. Therefore, we seek to inform you of our recommendation to the board for the formal removal of Mr Mbusiswa Ngcobo as an ordinary member, board member and the president of Abasa. Furthermore, as the Exco, we neither recognise him as the president nor as a member of the organisation pending the outcome of the board’s resolution,” reads the letter, seen by City Press.

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Ngcobo denied any such thing took place and said, if there was criminality, a criminal case should be opened.

“I did not manhandle anyone at the Standard Bank GLC – this is tantamount to a malicious attack on my character and as a person. What makes this worse is the inferred lie or suggestion that this happened three times. I humbly request evidence of this by those making the allegation and would suggest we consider it as criminal action. I have asked those with evidence to come forward with such proof so that this inferred criminal behaviour can be dealt with, so that I can consider defamation elements made herein for legal action against any harm against my public image, as well as dignity as a person and a professional.”

“I can confirm that there is an internal process under way that involves serious allegations being levelled at our president. In the interest of fair process and due to the sensitivity of the allegations, we plead your indulgence in allowing the organisation’s internal processes to conclude before commenting any further,” said Gidini in response to a list of questions on the issue.

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