EMEX responds

Dear Paul,

We have noted, with interest, the comments you have posted on your blog with respect to the Emex NPO Sustainability Certificate.

Emex is in the process of compiling detailed information, for your benefit, on the history and development behind the NPO Sustainability Certificate as well as its relevance within the South African market. This information will be send to you during the course of next week.

We trust that after reviewing this information you will be in a position to render an informed opinion on this product.

Kindly note that our rights herein are reserved.

We trust you find the above-mentioned in order and look forward to constructive discussion herein.

Kind regards

 

Corne Bester

Legal & Compliance Manager

Emex Trust

Tel:  012 663 1188

Fax: 086 600 5520

Website: www.emex.co.za

 Physical Address:

117 Corner of Jean Avenue and Lenchen North 

Futurum Office Park, Block H 

Centurion

Fair enough.  However, just as your rights are reserved therein (whatever that means), I still reserve the right to claim that this is a baseless revenue stream (like EmpowerDex in the early days).  I do however applaud the chutzpah that EMEX is demonstrating in issuing this certificate.

I'll publish the justification when I receive it.

 

Comments

[Richard Ferrer]

I regret that I am quite confused, and I believe it important that EMEX make a full statement as a matter of NGO integrity.
First of all, I don't need convincing as regards the extreme importance of NGO sustainability. I wasn't aware of a sustainability index but will study the material presented. I am a dumb financial person who looks at audited income statements and balance sheets to decide if an organisation is sustainable and for how long.
The issue here if I am understanding the communication, is that EMEX presented certain sustainability information in the context of claiming verification for the granting Code 700 BEE points to a donor? If so that is a confusion which constitutes fraud.
At the very least a full statement of exactly what happened and what is claimed is our legitimate expectation from EMEX.
Richard

[Emex Trust]

5 August 2011
Paul Janisch -VIA E-MAIL: [email protected]

THE EMEX NPO SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATE -A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN EMEX TRUST AND VODACOM

Dear Paul, with reference to previous correspondence herein kindly herewith some more information to the Emex NPO Sustainability Certificate.

Background:

In 2009 the Vodacom Foundation embarked on a journey to develop a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) accreditation measurement. Eight accreditation weighted elements were identified and operationally defined. As there was no known precedence in South Africa or elsewhere in the world and Vodacom could not be seen as both a player and a referee, Emex Trust, as an independent role player and SANAS accredited B-BBEE Verification Agency, was brought on board in 2010 to help concretise the NPO assessment process. This led to what is now known as the NPO Sustainability Certificate. The NPO Sustainability Certificate may be issued to any NPO subject to the verification process which more fully explained hereunder.

Is it a B-BBEE Certificate?

The NPO Sustainability Certificate is not a B-BBEE certificate and is not marketed as such. It is a certificate aimed at showing the sustainability status in a particular NPO based on the criteria set out below.

Elements Measured:

The following 8 (eight) elements are measured in terms of the NPO Sustainability Certificate:

1. Sustainability - This element measures the NPO's operational capacity and whether the NPO would be able to continue its activities in the future;

2. Experience - This element looks at the number of years the NPO has been in existence and measures the field and extent of knowledge the NPO has acquired over its years in existence;

3. Governance - This element measures in which way the NPO is effectively governed by a board of directors and/or trustees and/or a management committee;

4. Expertise - This element measures in which way the NPO's staff acquired specialised skills or knowledge, whether through professional training or through practical experience;
5. Credibility - This element measures the NPO's image, reputation, truthfulness and reliability by engaging the community(s) within which the NPO operates and obtaining testimony from such community(s);

6. Staff Compliment - This element measures the number of staff associated with the NPO and looks to provide assurance that the NPO has enough resources to accomplish the objectives of the project(s) it is engaged in;

7. Reach - This element looks at the geographical area in which the NPO operates and looks at the extent of the NPO's project(s)/activities in the different provinces of South Africa;

8. NPO Registration - This element measures whether or not the NPO followed the formal requirements to be registered as an NPO.

Regulation of the Emex NPO Sustainability Certificate:

The NPO Sustainability Certificate is not regulated by statute. It is a privately developed product - developed jointly between Emex Trust and Vodacom. As such Emex Trust and Vodacom entered into a joint venture agreement which regulates their relationship with respect to this product. The intellectual property behind this product is also held jointly by Emex Trust and Vodacom.

Conclusion:

We trust that the above information will provide some clarity on the Emex NPO Sustainability Certificate. This product was developed to assist any person or entity wishing to make contributions towards an NPO as to the viability of such an NPO.

Should you have any further questions kindly feel free to contact us.

Yours faithfully

C. BESTER
LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE MANAGER
EMEX TRUST

[Francois]

So Mr Bester, what happens now to all your clients thats paid you since September 2011 but you cannot provide most if not all service after being suspended by Sanas. Most of your employees state they have been advised that emex will be liquidated. Even sanas confirmed that your business have ceased to exist.

Please advise

[Beverley Ann Chittenden]

How do we go about putting in a claim with the liquidators to obtain our R5000 deposit back, accepted from Emex when they knew they were going down. Surely that is fraud! We were assured by a staff member that there was insurance in place to cover this and we would be refunded? We are still wating!! Bev @ NAS