Launch of the Wits Mervyn King Centre in Corporate Governance and Sustainability
30 june 2025
Honouring a Luminary of Corporate Governance: A Personal Reflection on Professor Mervyn King.
Having just returned from the launch of the Wits Mervyn King Centre in Corporate Governance and Sustainability I cannot resist paying tribute to this founder and leading exponent of a moral movement, a governance renaissance sparked by the intellect and integrity of Professor Mervyn King. Jurist, philosopher, pioneer - he has shaped the conscience of corporate governance in South Africa and, indeed, far beyond our borders.
I write not only as President of the Institute of Directors in South Africa, but as one who has journeyed alongside this remarkable mind for over two decades. Since 2002, I have worked closely with Mervyn - through challenging seasons and defining milestones - and I can attest: his contribution to governance is both profound and transformative.
When first I encountered Professor King, I found not only legal brilliance, but moral clarity. He spoke not just of rules, but of rightness - not only of compliance, but of conscience. In a world increasingly tempted by expedience, he insisted on ethics. In boardrooms seduced by short-term gains, he called for stewardship rooted in principle.
The King Reports, under his steady hand, did not merely codify conduct - they crystallised a vision. From King I to King IV, a philosophy emerged: that corporations are not insular actors, but interdependent citizens. That governance must reflect the spirit of Ubuntu - that I am because you are, you are because we are; that prosperity finds its meaning only when it is shared.
Mervyn's voice echoed not only within our institutions, but across the globe. Through his leadership with the International Integrated Reporting Council and the Global Reporting Initiative, he advanced the cause of integrated thinking - reminding the world that the balance sheet must include not only financial capital, but human, social, and natural capital too.
He gave us a model not just for governance, but for generational sustainability - a model that recognises business as part of a broader moral ecosystem.
Yet, beyond the accolades and influence, I write also of the man: a colleague of uncommon rigour, a companion in thought, and a friend. In our work through the Institute of Directors, I witnessed his commitment to dialogue over dogma, to inquiry over inertia. We did not always agree - but we always moved forward, sharpened by honest engagement, anchored by shared purpose.
Mervyn King has not simply authored codes - he has offered a compass. He has reminded us that corporate governance is not merely a technical discipline, but a moral undertaking; not just a framework, but a calling.
Let us honour him not in commendation alone, but in the integrity of our actions - in the boards we shape, the enterprises we steward, and the society we serve.
Let us, as leaders, embody the wisdom he imparted: that profit without purpose is perilous; that governance without ethics is governance without soul.
Thank you.
About Dr. Reuel Khoza
Dr. Reuel Khoza is a distinguished business leader, author, and academic. He has served as the chair of several leading South African companies, including Eskom and Nedbank, and is known for his contributions to the discourse on ethical leadership and corporate governance. The best-selling Attuned Leadership, Let Africa Lead and The Power of Governance are amongst Dr Khoza’s previously published books. The Spirit of Leadership is his latest exploration of the intersection between business and spirituality, following his widely acclaimed works on leadership and governance.