INLSA

Tim Smeeton, the managing director of the Production Management Institute of Southern Africa, receiving top honours in the 2011 Alec Rogoff Broad-Based BEE Awards, with, from left, Linda Ngcobo, CEO of AQRate KZN, Durban chamber president Thato Tsautse and Venilla Yoganathan, the assistant editor of The Mercury. PMI was the large-category award winner and also scooped the BEE Deal/Project of the Year Award for its James Smeeton Disability Incubator.

The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with AQRate KZN and media partners The Mercury have launched the 2012 Alec Rogoff Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Awards campaign.

Now in their fifth year, the awards profile and recognise transformation and innovative, home-grown solutions around broad-based BEE in KwaZulu-Natal.

They also aim to award successful and effective transformation projects and initiatives that have been achieved through the application of innovative approaches, methodologies and tools.

“This award is named after Alec Rogoff because of the important role he played in the transformation of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” said the Durban chamber.

Linda Ngcobo, the chief executive officer of AQRate KZN, said: “We are proud to be a part of the Alec Rogoff BBBEE Awards, which has become the top BEE recognition initiative in KZN.”

“The awards recognises creative initiatives and BEE deals that reflect ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking and individuals who have been prepared to take risks and go against the tide.”

Overall criteria for all organisations nominated include:

l Having a valid BBBEE certificate.

l Falling within the following categories: large corporations (above R35 million annual turnover) or medium-size business (between R5m and R35m turnover)

l Motivation for the title of BEE Project/Deal of the Year.

l Demonstrating tangible improvements in transformation.

l Being able to demonstrate high levels of inclusion of a broad base of citizens in their empowerment.

Entry to the 2012 Alec Rogoff Broad-Based BEE Awards closes at 4pm on Friday, March 9.

AQRate KZN is the official awards programme adjudicator.

Finalists will be contacted by telephone and via e-mail. The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

The finalists will be invited to the Durban chamber’s Gala Annual Dinner on April 12, when the winners will be announced.

The Production Management Institute of Southern Africa received top honours in the 2011 Alec Rogoff BBBEE Awards, winning the large category award as well as the BEE Deal/Project of the Year Award for its James Smeeton Disability Incubator.

Other previous winners include Tongaat Hulett, Bantu Batho Management Services, Emoyeni Air-conditioning, Adapt IT Holdings, the Acsa/Dube TradePort and the Ilembe Consortium, Briomhar Consulting, Unico Manufacturing, Grindrod SA and Megaphase Road Marking & Traffic Signs.

l For more information or to enter, call Sareeka Brijlal at the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry at 031 335 1000 or Vivesha Moodley at AQRate KZN at 031 563 7788 or e-mail kzn@aq rate.co.za or vivesha@aqrate.co.za