PREMIUM: Abedian: Don’t swallow KPMG, McKinsey spin – global businesses now fighting for their lives

LONDON — If there is one interview you must listen to today, this is it. Iraj Abedian, respected and principled CEO of Pan African, isn't buying spin doctoring from corrupted and deeply implicated KPMG and McKinsey. Abedian says with overwhelming evidence now in the public domain, it's high time all South African businesses "man up" and follow the lead of Telkom, AVI, TFG, Wesgro and others which have very publicly cut their ties with KPMG. Because the longer they drag their heels, he says, the more society will regard the business sector as having been complicit when the inevitable happens. He praises the belated but unprecedented action by Munich Re but rejects appeasing arguments made by the likes of Old Mutual chairman Trevor Manuel – pointing to obfuscating actions which show KPMG, like McKinsey, will do what it takes to secure its very existence, not just in SA but globally. Brilliant analysis. – Alec Hogg 

It's a warm welcome to Iraj Abedian, who is the CEO of Pan African Investment and Research in Johannesburg. Iraj, we are seeing the momentum gathering now for SA companies that are dispensing of the services of KPMG. Yesterday the R30bn TFG, which used to be known as Foschini, they've dropped them. AVI, who are an even bigger company, dropped them on Friday. It seems to have taken a while but the momentum is growing.

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