AMI through the eyes of a pipeliner
Below are my observations during my stay in Mauritius in May 2022 during a 2 week holiday while attending the Mauritian AGM and the AMI AGM, many of which are in contrast to what I have seen thus far in my limited experience in South Africa.
The Mauritian table culture places extra effort on including their ladies’ circle, they even attended their AGM. They celebrate their ladies’ involvement in a way that shows the respect they have for their women and that demonstrates the kind of example they want to set for others in their community.
Social meetings constitute 3-course meals, discussions, arguments and singing and are probably even more effective at driving results than their Business meetings.
AMI is a dumpster fire. The sergeant was useless, the AMI chair wore his gong on the inside of his jacket the entire meeting, numerous attendees spoke as they pleased without proper protocol with impunity, the RTI representative was answering all the questions because the AMI Chair looked like a deer in headlights the entire meeting, Madagascar arrived without even knowing they had to present a report, and the delegates had mixed beliefs about whether they should have voting mandates (Zambia) or being delegated to make the decision on the day (Mauritius), I do wish I could have interrogated this further to see what the other member nations beliefs were in this matter.
Despite the AMI AGM being less well run than Transnet, it is clearly not for any lack of good intentions, discussions with both the outgoing and incoming AMI chairs really gave me an idea of where their hearts are, and they do mean to do good. Ultimately, however, without the correct direction and the structural issues (such as no Vice-Chairman portfolio), all the good intentions will struggle to make AMI drive any real impact in Africa.
Although AMI is clearly without strategy & structure, which ARTSA knows all too well, ARTSA appears to be more of an occupation force in presentation rather than a brother in arms. The Lastminute.com (a new phrase I have learned in round table) is the reason why Louis Du Toit could not win at AMI even with the masterful presentation by President Werner Swanepoel to align the values of the member nations before voting.
ARTSA clearly has the right plans, but ARTSA clearly also does not understand the values of the different member nations well enough to make decisions on their behalf. Relationships are important in Africa, and there is no exception here, in order for an ARTSA member to win the AMI Chairman portfolio they will need to travel in order to learn the values, concerns and principles of the other nations and for them to understand our hearts and intentions, so that they may buy into the good reforms that we wish to bring to AMI to make it an institution we are proud to be a member of. (Hint Mauritius looks for commitment, which is beyond arriving only at AMI).
To end on a good note, President Werner Swanepoel’s presentation has already won the attention of many nations, some of which expressed such clearly and freely.
Hopefully, my words offer insight, and allow us to drive #impactfulchange in an area greater than our own.
YIT
Rijnhard Hessel
Sandown 150 Pipeliner