Our AGMs are always a fantastic platform for sharing information, gaining new understanding about industry developments, and catching up with industry peers.
This year’s events are even more important, though, because it is an election year, and so we are looking to our member base to elect new committee members for the respective regions. This is key because although the RMI is a registered employers’ organisation, it is bound to represent members’ interests both from a labour and business perspective. As one of RMI’s constituent trade associations, tasked with looking after the business interests of the independent aftermarket industry, MIWA also has to abide by this mandate.
Above: Free State and Northern Cape AGMs
Above: Western Cape AGM
Above: KwaZulu-Natal AGM
With this in mind, we requested as many MIWA members to attend our AGMs taking part in the election of the Regional Executive Committee for their specific region and we thank you for the encouraging turnout in all of our regions. Each committee elected a regional chairperson and vice chairperson, who will be responsible for overseeing the strategic associational business issues within their region. The chairperson usually also serves as the associational representative on the RMI Regional Executive Committee, while the regional associational chairperson is also the region’s representative on the National Executive Committee. Committee members serve a two-year term.
With our Free State and Northern Cape AGMs having taken place on 2 August, the process is already well underway in these regions, with Dewald Ranft re-elected Chairman. The Chair of the Cape Town region has also been named: Congratulations to Deon Goch, who was appointed at the AGM which took place at the Belville Golf Club on 15 August. Finally, the Eastern Cape members met at the Walmer Golf Club on 17 August, re-electing Jack Finn as Chairman, while at the KZN AGM (hosted at Jaipur Place on 22 August), Dhaya Naidoo was re-elected Chairman.
We are pleased to report that all meetings were well attended, and members made the most of our social events to network and develop industry contacts. Making this year’s events even more exciting was the introduction of our ‘Stash the cash’ drive: we hid R500 virtually in each meeting room and invited members to guess the money’s whereabouts. The person with the most correct answer won a R500 cash spot prize.
Winners of these cash prizes were:
Western Cape
Name of Winner: Kirten Bezuidenhout (pictured above)
Name of Workshop: Golden Arrow Bus Services Pty Ltd
KZN
Name of Winner: M Haichonder (pictured above)
Name of Workshop: GTC
Free State/Northern Cape
Name of Winner: Angela Rothner (pictured above)
Name of Workshop: Brezane Engineering
Eastern Cape
Name of Winner: Bridget Finn
Name of Workshop: Finn Auto Repairs & Diagnostics
Next up is our Central Region AGM, which takes place at the Nasrec Convention Centre on 6 September as part of the larger AutoMechanika Trade Show programme.