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Corporate Governance
Invicta endorses the Code of Corporate
Practices and Conduct, as well as the King Code of Governance
for South Africa 2009 (King III) and its Code of Governance
Principles that were launched on 1 September 2009 and came into
effect and replaced King II on 1 March 2010. The new Companies
Act, also contains governance requirements. King III has adopted
an “apply or explain” approach. The Audit Committee continuously
reviews and amends its corporate
governance practices with a view to
complying with the requirements of the new Companies Act and the
King III recommendations. Invicta will continue to adopt, as
appropriate, existing and new principles, which advance good
practical corporate governance and add value to the Group’s
business activities.
The Board is of the opinion that the Group
has, in all material respects and where relevant, complied with
the King Code during the year under review.
INTRODUCTION
The Group’s
policy is to conduct its business with
honesty and integrity and with the highest
standard of personal and corporate ethics. This includes the
promotion, enhancement, development and protection of the
business interests, reputation and goodwill of the Group.
CODE OF
ETHICS
The Board adopted a formal code of ethics
during 2004,
which seeks to ensure that a relationship of trust and shared
values is built up with both employees and external
stakeholders. The key pillars of the code include adherence to
the legal framework of the country and ensuring that the Group
is not brought into disrepute, against the overriding background
of transparency in all transactions.
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Composition
The names and brief
résumés of the directors appear on pages 4 and 5 of this 2011
Annual Report. |
The Board
currently comprises of nine directors and one alternate
director. Five directors qualify as nonexecutive
directors, of whom two also qualify as
independent directors in terms of the King III Code.
The Company’s Articles
of Association provide for the retirement of not less than one
third of the directors based on longest service. This year Dr CH
Wiese, Mr JS Mthimunye, Mr DI Samuels and Mr CE Walters retire
in terms thereof. Messrs Wiese, Mthimunye, Samuels and Walters,
being eligible, offer themselves for re-election.
The directors have
considerable business experience and an excellent understanding
of the Group’s business.
Board effectiveness reviews were conducted
during the year under review, and further reviews will be
conducted at appropriate intervals.
Humulani Investments
(Pty) Limited, the operational holding company of the Invicta
Group has further appointed Diatile Lily Zondo as an independent
non-executive director with effect from 31 March 2011. Mrs Zondo
previously held an executive position at the Auditor General of
South Africa and currently holds an executive position at MTN
South Africa.
Chairman and CEO
The roles of
chairman and CEO are separate. The managing directors and CEOs
of the operating subsidiaries and divisions report to the Group
CEO of Invicta, who in turn reports to the Board.
The Board is satisfied
that no one individual director or block of directors has undue
power over decision-making.
Professional advice
All directors
have access to the company secretary and management and are
entitled to obtain independent professional advice at the
Company’s expense if required.
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Meetings
The Board meets regularly
on a scheduled basis and at such other times as circumstances may
require. The table of meetings and attendance is as follows:
Board papers are issued to all
directors prior to each meeting and contain relevant
detail to inform
members of the financial and trading
position of the company and each of its operating
subsidiaries, as well as covering material issues
pertaining to the Group.
Non-executive directors also
maintain regular contact with executive directors to
ensure that they
are kept abreast of material matters
that may require their input and guidance.
INTERNAL
CONTROL
The directors have responsibility for the Group’s
systems of internal controls. These are designed to
provide reasonable assurance of effective and efficient
operations, internal financial control and compliance
with laws and regulations.
The Group’s system of internal
controls is designed to provide reasonable, but not
absolute, assurance
against the risk of material errors,
fraud or losses
occurring. |
Furthermore, because of changing internal and
external factors, the
effectiveness of an internal
control system may vary over time and must be
continually reviewed and adapted. The system of internal
controls is monitored throughout the Group by the
audit committee, the Group internal audit department,
management and employees as an
integrated approach. The
Board reports that:
• to the best of its knowledge and
belief, no material malfunction of the Group’s internal
control system occurred during the period under review;
• it is satisfied with the effectiveness of the Group’s
internal controls and risk management;
• it has no reason
to believe that the Group’s code of ethics has been
transgressed in any material respect; and
• to the
best of its knowledge and belief, no material breaches
have occurred during the period under review, of
compliance with any laws and regulations applicable to
the Group. |
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INFORMATION SECURITY
Compliance with legislative
requirements contributes
towards the protection of corporate
information, but
in itself only addresses a small part
of the total number of threats posed to the business arising
from its dependencies on information technology and the
internet. Security policies and procedures for employees and
the use of technologies such as enterprise and personal
firewalls, antivirus systems, intrusion monitoring and
detection are applied, as well as frequent application of
software security “patches” issued by vendors as and when
vulnerabilities are discovered. An overhaul and upgrade of
the systems applicable to the Capital Equipment Group is
planned for the new year. RESTRICTION ON TRADING
IN SECURITIES
A formal
policy, implemented some years ago, prohibits directors,
officers and employees with access to
financial information from dealing in the Company’s
securities, from the end of an interim reporting period
until after the interim results have been published and
similarly from the end of the financial year until after the
audited annual results have been published. Directors and
employees are reminded of this policy prior to the
commencement of any restricted period.
In addition, no dealing in the Company’s
securities is permitted by any director,
officer or employee whilst in possession
of information which could affect the
price of the Company’s securities and which is not in
the public domain. Directors of the
Company and of its subsidiaries are
required to obtain clearance from Invicta’s chairman
(and in the case of the chairman, or in the absence of
the chairman, from the chairman of the Audit
Committee), or his nominee, prior to dealing in the
Company’s securities, and to timeously disclose to the
Company full details of any transaction for
notification to and publication by the JSE.
All participants in the long-term equity-settled bonus
share incentive scheme may not exercise these rights
during a closed period.
STAKEHOLDER
COMMUNICATION
Members of the
Board meet on an ad hoc basis with
institutional investors, investment analysts, individuals
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and members of the financial
media. Discussions at
such meetings are restricted to
matters that are in the
public domain.
Shareholders are
informed, by means of press announcements and releases in
South Africa and/or
printed matter sent to such
shareholders, and/or announcements on SENS, of all
relevant corporate matters and financial reporting as
required in terms of prevailing legislation. In addition,
such announcements are communicated via a broad range of
channels in both the electronic and print media. The Group
has also embarked on a more formal approach to providing
feedback in respect of the year-end results with interviews
scheduled for both radio and television after the relevant
media and SENS announcements have been made. The company
maintains a corporate website
http://www.invictaholdings.co.za containing financial and
other information, including interim and annual results. The
site has links to the websites of each major operating
subsidiary company.
The Group will look at ways of
allowing electronic
shareholder participation with its
transfer secretaries
in the upcoming year as provided for
in the new
Companies Act.
EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
Invicta
Holdings is committed to providing a working
culture that is inclusive to all. It
is Group policy to
acknowledge and support South Africa’s
Employment
Equity drive in ensuring that equal opportunities are
directed at our staff, regardless of
race, colour, sexual
orientation, sex, religion, creed or
national origin. The
Group remains compliant with all
aspects of the Employment Equity Act by adhering to the
basic requirements of the timeous submission of an online
report and plan, consultation with
employees and communication of the report and progress is
monitored on an ongoing basis. Areas of strategic focus
include recruitment as well as the development of in-house
talent through coaching, mentoring and succession planning.
Included in this drive is a bursary programme directed a
young black students who could potentially be groomed for
future senior positions once they join us after graduation,
where potential Employment Equity Barriers are identified.
HR implements processes to eliminate these barriers, where
possible. The Group remains fully committed to
providing equal opportunities to its 3
279 employees
(2010: 2 240 employees). |
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TRAINING EDUCATION AND
DEVELOPMENT OF STAFF
In-house training and development:
The Group’s
philosophy on training the right employee, at the right time
provides returns for the employer in increased productivity,
knowledge, loyalty, and contribution to the Group. Ongoing
training and skills development also forms the basis of
transformation; therefore it is an
imperative for any company aiming to develop a competitive
edge. In order to create this passion within the Group’s
staff, Invicta needs to help its people reach their full
potential through ongoing training and development.
After the successful external
re-branding by BMG, it
has embarked on a Brand Ambassador
training initiative that essentially transforms BMG
employees to BMG Brand Ambassadors with a renewed heart and
mind. The Group provides a broad range of initiatives,
including technical, management and
sales training, as
well as softer skills programmes, with
technical courses being delivered via e-learning. E-learning
provides the major benefit being convenience and
flexibility. Staff can log in when convenient whilst
learning can be applied immediately and shared with
colleagues. Training via e-learning
also enhances the
much needed computer skills. All
theoretical training
is finished off with practical
training sessions delivered
by the Group’s technical resource
division.
Education and career
development
As part of the Group’s holistic
approach to employee
development, it also offers
educational assistance to
employees who are keen to further
their own qualifications on a part-time basis by completing
work related
courses.
Student bursaries
The Group
also currently has eight bursars participating in a bursary
scheme as well as one engineering graduate who is completing
her practical
year within the Group.
The Group is
committed to partnering projects that are focused on
developing the technical skills base of the country as a
requirement for its business, as well as
the economy as a whole. |
Over the past three years BMG has
funded CASME –
Centre for the Advancement for Science
and Maths
Education. This project is training 50 educators from 25
rural, under-resourced schools in and around Umgungundlovu
in KwaZulu-Natal, and providing learning and teaching
resources through a Teachers’
Resource Centre based at the FET
College. The project
includes ongoing school-based support
for teachers, as
well as a learner support programme,
which addresses
further education opportunities, with
a focus on technical and engineering programmes offered by
the FET
College.
BMG also has a long-standing
relationship with the PROTEC branches in Tongaat and Inanda/
Kwa Mashu in
KwaZulu-Natal. Protec’s aim is to increase the country’s
technologically skilled human resource base
through the provision of
educator-based training and
a Learner Excellence Programme
(learner-based education) to under-resourced schools in
South Africa.
This holistic programme is aimed at
Grade 10 learners
who participate until they reach Grade
12 and they are
supported through their tertiary
education studies and beyond. Research results clearly
indicate that the Protec branches are having a positive
impact on the academic performance of beneficiaries from
historically disadvantaged communities. At least 50% of
learners from Protec passed with University passes between
2002 and 2010, significantly more than the provincial
averages.
Protec has a long and consistent track
record of helping learners improve their results and go on
to successful technological careers. They have expert staff
and experienced leadership who show great passion in
implementing every project. BMG will be extending the
Group’s commitment to Protec by partnering them in the
development of two new branches in key trading areas of
Steelpoort and Carletonville in the year ahead.
BLACK
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (“BEE”)
Invicta has
requested Bravura Consultancy to act as its
consultants in terms of Broad-Based
Black Economic Empowerment (“B-BBEE”) as well as the
BEESCORE to
re-certify the BEE status of its various operations. The
Group envisages improving its BEE
status from its current Level Five contributor to a Level
Four contributor in terms of the Broad-Based Rating
Scorecard. |
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CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT (“CSI”)
As a responsible
South African citizen, the Group has
made commendable contributions towards
enhancing
basic services at community level. The Group carefully
selects initiatives that will have the maximum impact on
basic needs of South African’s and, where an immediate need
arises, it also undertakes more ad hoc projects to address
specific issues.
Some examples of initiatives the Group
undertook are as follows:
• Supporting a feeding scheme where
the Group’s
financial as well as time contributions enabled the
foundation to distribute food parcels
to needy school children and their families.
• Funding for the
education of scholars in the critical areas of mathematics
and science during Saturday schooling initiatives.
• The Group
supports a foundation that provides
the poor, who have sound
micro-enterprise ideas,
with capital and guidance to help them
get themselves out of poverty.
• Scholarships to
underprivileged and financially
disadvantaged children.
• The Group is
also supporting various homes, such
as a centre for abused and neglected
children, a home for young pregnant girls as well as a
crèche in
Khayelitsha.
• The Group also provide significant
funding to an
institution who supports people in
providing a loving and stable home for orphans and
vulnerable children, whether on a temporary basis, a foster
parent or by adopting.
Education and career
development
As well as the extensive staff
training which is dealt
with elsewhere in this report, the
Group sees education as a primary area of focus for the
future
growth of the country.
Funding is provided to centres
providing education
to educators, which are based in 25
rural under-resourced schools.
A further major
funding project is in respect of a nonprofit technological
career development programme, focusing on quality of
mathematics and science. The Group acknowledges that a
holistic approach is necessary, of which academic support is
but one element. |
Sport development
Within the Group, sponsorship as well as dedicated time is
allocated to form a local soccer championship league
consisting of players from the community as well as from the
Company. By investing time and energy into this initiative,
the Group strongly believes that people prefer to rather
invest their energy in community-related events where they
can create a sense of belonging rather than spending time on
the streets.
General
All the Group
operations, no matter how small, have contributed to
supporting the destitute and underprivileged in the
communities in which they exist
and function.
QUALITY
MANAGEMENT AND
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
AND SAFETY
The consistent supply of both quality
products and service to customers is key to the Group’s
successes. To
this end, the Group continues to focus
on the ISO quality system to assist in achieving this.
CEG has
maintained their ISO certification with TUV Rheinland in all
its divisions, including the Criterion Equipment Division.
The Autobax
Division has maintained its ISO certification with Lloyds.
BMG’s
Quality Management Systems (QMS) certified in 2003, is now
well established, with their current ISO 9001:2008 standard
only due for re-certification in December 2012. BMG’s
commitment to a safe and healthy working environment for
customers and employees is demonstrated by the
implementation of the OHSAS 18001:2007 standard.
The Group continues to progress the
development and implementation of the
OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System
in its major operations, with CEG aiming to achieve
certification of this standard in the 2011 calendar year.
ACCESS TO INFORMATION
The Company and all its subsidiaries are
compliant with the provisions of the Promotion of Access to
Information Act. The manual in terms of this legislation is
available from the registered office of the Company and on
the Company’s website. |
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SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
The Board is
committed to creating long-term value
for all its stakeholders by providing
sustainable businesses in an integrated approach to the
communities in which it operates.
The
sustainability objectives of the Group are:
• Act in
the best interests of Group shareholders and
Group principals, by representing them
in a manner which brings credit to their products and
brands.
• Ensuring that customers receive an integrated and
environmentally sound solution that
meets their specific needs.
• Providing employees with a working
environment
and encouraging a culture which allows them to achieve as
much as possible and to have a fulfilled
working career.
• Delivering
sustainable returns to shareholders
which are not at the expense of the
Group’s ethical standards.
• The Group continues to measure its
expenditure
on non-renewable resources and to eliminate any unnecessary
or inefficient processes. The primary areas of consumption
in the Group continue to be
transport, fuel and electricity. The
Group continually looks at optimising its warehouse
locations and inventory holdings in a bid to minimise
transport cost and fuel consumption, with consolidation of
certain locations planned for the new year.
• As customers
continue to search for more efficient
and productive products, the Group,
through its various operations, continues to develop these
with its various principals around the world and to offer
solutions to the market.
The Board wishes to take this
opportunity to thank all
the stakeholders in the Group for
their ongoing commitment and loyalty to the development of a
sustainable business and relationships.

Arnold
Goldstone
Chief Executive Officer
Invicta Holdings Limited
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REMUNERATION REPORT
Role of the Remuneration
Committee and terms of
reference
The Remuneration Committee is a committee of the
Board of Directors and is responsible
for:
•
making recommendations to the Board on the
general policy on executive
remuneration, benefits, conditions of service and staff
retention;
• determining the specific
remuneration packages of executive directors and senior
management of the Group including, but not limited to, basic
salary, performance-based short- and long-term incentives,
pensions and other benefits; and
• the design and
operation of the Group’s share incentive schemes.
The full terms of
reference of the Committee have been agreed by the Board.
Members of the Remuneration Committee during 2011
•
CH Wiese (Chairman)
• DI Samuels
• A Goldstone – Attendance ex Officio
All members of the Committee are
non-executive directors.
The Committee met five times during
2011. The chief executive officer attends the Committee
meetings by invitation and assists the Committee in its
deliberations, except when issues relating to his own
compensation are discussed. No director is involved in
deciding his or her own remuneration. In 2010 the Committee
was advised by the Group’s finance and human resources
divisions on the implementation of the executive incentive
schemes.
The Company’s auditors, Deloitte &
Touche, have not
provided advice to the Committee.
However, in their
capacity as Group auditors, they
perform normal audit
procedures on the remuneration of
directors.
The Remuneration Committee meets at
least annually
and the attendance at meetings held
was as follows:
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Remuneration policy and executive remuneration
Principles of
executive remuneration
The Group’s
remuneration policy aims to attract and
retain high-calibre executives and to
motivate them to
develop and implement the Group’s
business strategy
in order to optimise long-term
shareholder value creation. The policy conforms with King
III and is based on the following principles:
• Total rewards
are set at levels that are competitive
within the relevant market.
• Incentive-based
rewards are earned through the achievement of demanding
performance conditions consistent with shareholder interests
over the short-, medium- and long-term.
• Incentive plans,
performance measures and targets
are structured to operate effectively
throughout the business cycle.
• The design of
long-term incentives is prudent and
does not expose shareholders to
unreasonable financial risk.
Elements of
executive remuneration
The four elements
of executive remuneration consist
of a base salary, benefits, an annual
incentive and long-term incentives. The Committee seeks to
ensure an
appropriate balance between the fixed and
performance-related elements of executive remuneration, and
between those aspects of the package linked to short-term
financial performance and those aspects linked to
longer-term shareholder value creation. A further
consideration has been the need to retain critical skills in
the Group. The Committee considers each element of
remuneration relative to the market and takes into account
the performance of the Group and the individual executive in
determining both quantum and design.
The policy relating to each
component of remuneration is summarised below:
Base
salary
The base salary of the executives is
subject to annual
review. It is set to be competitive at
the median level,
with reference to market practice in
companies comparable in terms of size, market sector and
business complexity. Group and Company performance,
individual performance and changes in
responsibilities are also taken into
consideration when
determining annual base salaries. |
Benefits
Benefits
for executives include membership of a
retirement fund and a medical aid, to
which contributions are made by the executives and the
Group.
Short-term incentive
All
executives are eligible to participate in a short-term
incentive with payment levels based on
either corporate or individual performance or both. Key
performance indicators are set on an individual basis each
year. The incentive plan is contractual but not pensionable.
The Committee retains the discretion to make positive
adjustments to bonuses earned at the end of the year on an
exceptional basis, taking into account both Group
performance and the overall and specific contribution of
individual executives to meeting the Group’s objectives.
The
Committee reviews measures annually, to ensure
that the targets set are appropriate,
given the economic context and the performance expectations
for the Group.
Long-term incentive
Invicta Holdings long-term bonus and share incentive scheme
In
order to attract and retain key staff, the Group requires
appropriate long-term incentive schemes. Many of the Group’s
operations require key technical skills which are often
difficult to replace. In trying to address the critical
factor, the Committee, in consultation with industry
professionals, has designed a long-term bonus incentive
scheme for key executives. In terms of the scheme,
executives will be rewarded on their performance, with
reference to the growth in the Invicta share price over a
period of three to five years. The bonus, as determined by
the formula, will be settled with equity in Invicta by the
relevant operational entity or on terms of the existing
Invicta Holdings Limited Share Trust. The bonus scheme will
constantly be reviewed by the Committee for its
effectiveness and will be amended from time to time, if
necessary. Divisional senior executives and management are
on a cash-based bonus system, which ensures they are
rewarded for performance in those areas over which they have
direct influence. Details of the Invicta Holdings Long-Term
Bonus and Share Incentive Scheme are detailed on page 32. |
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Equity-settled bonus share
incentive right scheme
The Group employed a long-term bonus
equity-settled share incentive right scheme (“LBSIR scheme”)
for key
executives in 2006. In terms of the LBSIR scheme executives
are granted a bonus share incentive right (“the bonus
right”) calculated with reference to a specified number of
shares at a price equal to the weighted average
five-day closing market price on the
date of grant. The bonus right vests after a period of one
year, (subject to the achievement of the performance
conditions set for the executive), and the bonus right
becomes exercisable after a further two-year period, after
which the executive has a further two-year period in which
to take up the bonus right before it lapses.
The bonus right is
determined based on the difference between the grant price
and the weighted average
five-day closing share price on the
exercise date. The bonus, as determined by the formula, will
be settled with
Invicta shares.
The bonus right
expense has been calculated using a Black Scholes valuation
model and is expensed over a
three-year period from the grant date
and is recorded in the Share Appreciation Reserve.
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Executive directors’ interests in
the LBSIR scheme are set out in note 36 on page 80 of the
2011 Annual Report.
A long-term loan scheme
for executives on the board of directors of Invicta Holdings
Limited (“Invicta”)
The purpose of the loan is to
incentivise Invicta executives over the long term by
providing them with a
mechanism to acquire a meaningful
stake in Invicta, thereby aligning them with the interests
of Invicta
shareholders.
A subsidiary of Invicta, Humulani
Marketing (Pty) Limited (“Humulani”) will make a seven-year
loan to the
executives to acquire shares in Invicta within 90 days of
the loan being granted.
Interest on the loan will be charged
at the Income Tax Official Rate for low interest loans to
employees as
published by SARS from time to time
(currently 6,5% per annum), calculated daily and capitalised
annually.
Capital shall be repayable at the end of the loan
period. |
Servicing of
the loan will be by interest being paid
annually using dividends received on
the Invicta shares which have been acquired with the loan.
If the dividends received are less than the interest
payable, the shortfall shall be capitalised. The executive
may, at his election, pay off all or part of the accumulated
interest at any time, but shall not be obliged to do so.
The loan
will be secured by a cession and pledge of the Invicta
shares acquired with the loan, plus a cession and pledge of
additional Invicta shares which may be provided by the
executive, plus any additional security that the Invicta
Remuneration Committee may require from time to time, such
that the value of the security:loan ratio will be at least
1,5:1.
The loan will be limited to a multiple of each executive’s
cost to company. The multiple will vary
depending on the executive’s position
and responsibility, as well as the security he is able to
provide for the loan. The limit will
be determined by the Remuneration Committee.
The total capital
value of the loans to the Invicta
executives shall not exceed R85
million and the
maximum loan to any one individual
shall not exceed R40 million.
Humulani will grant the executive a
put of the shares (acquired with the loan) at 75% of the
price paid by him for the shares, which shall be used to
offset any loan balance at the time. The put shall only be
exercisable when the loan falls due for repayment at the end
of the loan period or if his employment with the Group is
terminated due to no fault of his, eg death or disability.
By the time
this report reaches shareholders, details of the proposed
loans will have been announced. We refer shareholders to
this announcement.
In line with the principles stated
above, the Remuneration Committee has authorised the
implementation of a bonus bank scheme at senior and middle
management level which entails management earning a
performance-based bonus, which is effectively paid out over
the subsequent three years.
External
appointments
Executive directors are not permitted
to hold external directorships or offices without the
approval of the Board. If such approval is granted,
directors may retain the fees payable from such
appointments.
Directors’ fees
Directors’
payments for services as directors and other emoluments are
set out in note 36 on pages 79 and 80 |
of the 2011 Annual Report. Members
will be requested to consider an ordinary resolution
approving these emoluments at the annual general meeting.
Non-executive directors’ fees
The annual fees
payable to non-executive directors of the Company are based
on a fee for attendance per meeting of the Board and, where
applicable, per meeting of sub-committees. An additional fee
is paid to the Chairman of both the Board and the Audit
Committee.
Non-executive directors do not
participate in the Company’s annual bonus plan, or in any of
its share incentive schemes.
Directors’ and executive
management’s service
contracts
None of the directors are bound by service contracts. All
executive directors, who are also directors of subsidiary
companies, have an engagement letter which provides for a
notice period of between one and three months to be given by
either party.
The Group chief executive officer has
no service contract.
None of the non-executive directors
have a contract of employment with the Group.
In terms of the
Articles of Association, not less than one-third of the
directors are required to retire by rotation at each annual
general meeting of the Company and may offer themselves for
re-election. The appointment of new directors during the
year is required to be confirmed at the next annual general
meeting and such new directors are required to retire at
such annual general meeting, but may offer themselves for
re-election.
Approval
This remuneration
report has been approved by the
Board of Directors of Invicta.
Signed on behalf of the Remuneration
Committee
 Dr CH
Wiese Chairman of the Remuneration Committee
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