2005/2006 - SANParks

2005South African National ParksCORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENTfor the year ended 31 March 2006Chairperson’s and Human Resources CommitteeThe committee operates at the discretion of the chairperson and handlesexecutive matters including any urgent or sensitive issues that need tobe dealt with between scheduled Board meetings.The committee also reviews all staff matters and provides an importantdeliberative forum for the Board and Executive Directors on humanresource policies and issues. This committee also monitors the progressof human resource-related policies approved by the Board.Finance CommitteeThe fi nance committee is an advisory committee of the Board. In additionto providing an important deliberative forum for the Board and ExecutiveDirectors, it advises the Board on all fi nancial matters put forward by theExecutive Directors, either as directed by the Board or on the ExecutiveDirectors’ initiative.Conservation CommitteeThe primary function of this committee is to identify, acquire, developand advise on the management of a system of national parks for SouthAfrica. This committee also monitors the application of both scienceand the ethics of conservation in the South African National Parks andensures that the Board is aware of international trends in conservationscience and environmental management. The committee assists theBoard in the formulation of policy especially with regard to reconcilingconservation with human development needs by assessing and interpretingthe signifi cance of scientifi c and technological considerations.The committee is also responsible for formulating the land claims policyfor the South African National Parks. Resolution of valid land claims seeksto redress the injustices of the past without compromising the primarymandate of the South African National Parks which is the protection ofbiodiversity.The committee consists of four Board members elected triennially atthe Board’s last meeting of the year. The committee elects one of itsmembers as Chairperson.Audit CommitteeIn keeping with Treasury Regulation 27 of the Public Finance ManagementAct No. 1 of 1999 the Board has instituted an audit committee whichadvises the Board directly - not through the offi ce of the Chief Executive- on audit matters, and which assumes on the Board’s behalf certainfunctions, such as the detailed study of the fi nancial statements, theformulation of audit policy and its submission to the Board, and suchlike.The audit committee is an independent standing committee of curatorswhich is appointed by the Board and which assists the Board bycritical, objective evaluation of the Board’s fi nancial control measures,accounting practices, information systems and audit procedures, andwhich performs this function continuously by way of close liaison withthe Executive Management and with the Board’s internal and externalauditors.The audit committee consists of two Board members appointed bythe fi nance committee (preferably also serving as members of thefi nance committee), with the Chief Executive as well as the nominatedrepresentative of the Auditor-General attending ex offi cio. The ChiefExecutive may involve other persons in meetings for specifi c purposes.The authority and mandate of the audit committee, its duties andfunctions, its composition and its modus operandi have been approvedby the Board in the form of a detailed charter.Transfrontier CommitteeA transfrontier committee has been established by the Board. Currentlyall issues pertaining to transfrontier conservation areas are handled bythe conservation committee of the Board.Tourism CommitteeThe primary functions of this committee are to oversee all matters relatedto tourism, to assist South African National Parks management to raisethe level of tourism in the organisation and to educate all sectors of theorganisation as to the importance of the tourism function, which includesprofessional hospitality management, development of new products,marketing, sales and the identifi cation of target markets, amongstothers.The committee represents the tourism function at the Board and makesrecommendations for approval by the Board. The committee providesa monitoring mechanism on behalf of the Board on all tourism-relatedmatters.Remuneration CommitteeThis committee is responsible for the quarterly performance appraisalof the Chief Executive and together with the Chief Executive determinesthe annual salary increases and performance bonuses for the ExecutiveDirectors.Risk ManagementIn accordance with the requirements of the Public Finance ManagementAct, a risk assessment was performed by the Internal Auditors.100