End the Acronym - Response from GFOA's Partners in South Africa

For many years GFOA has maintained a strong relationship with the Chartered Institute of Government Finance Audit and Risk Officers (CIGFARO) in South Africa. Much of the research, best practices, and programs that GFOA produces are relevant to and recognized by government finance officers around the world. Through the years, GFOA has been a leading industry partner helping to build financial best practices in South Africa’s emerging democracy.

“This acronym is totally unacceptable in the South African context. I can’t agree more that if it were to be pronounced to a South African audience it would cause a lot of dismay. It would be very embarrassing for the organization. It is highly derogatory and demeaning to a majority of the constituency in South Africa. The connotation is that someone is a lesser being and you don’t recognize the person as an equal. We weren't aware of this acronym before GFOA brought it to our attention, but if we had been introduced to it earlier, we would have said something because it would not be tolerated. Over the years we have developed a strong partnership and we see that as growing in the coming years.

 With any issue of this sort, you will have people for it, and you will have people against it. The important thing is to do the right thing. This is a feather in the cap of GFOA recognizing this issue and doing something about it preemptively.”

  - Krish Kumar, former president of CIGFARO, South Africa