Professor Leon Kritzinger, a past Head of the Department of Accounting and a previous Dean of the Faculty of Commerce at UCT, sadly passed away on Monday, 12 December 2016. He leaves his wife, Pat, four children and several grandchildren to whom we extend our heartfelt condolences.  

Emeritus Professor Geoff Everingham reflected on Professor Kritzinger’s contribution to the accounting profession in South Africa: 

‘Leon qualified as a chartered accountant in 1951, and began his academic career at the University of the Witwatersrand; it was at Wits that he wrote The Principles and Practice of Auditing (initially with Ian Taylor and later with George Puttick), the first book on auditing in South Africa which became the definitive work on the topic. He was appointed as Professor of Accounting at the new University of Port Elizabeth in 1965 and in 1969 as Professor of Accounting at the University of Cape Town.

Leon Kritzinger’s contribution to accounting education in South Africa was monumental. He was instrumental in moving the accounting profession to the graduate profession that it is today, from part-time studies to full-time studies and in introducing Honours degrees in Taxation and Accounting. He served as Head of the Department of Accounting at UCT for 18 years, and thereafter as Dean of the Faculty of Commerce until his retirement. It was his intervention in the 1970’s that led to the first Black African chartered accountants qualifying in the country, through UCT.  Leon founded SASUTA (the SA Society of University Teachers of Accounting) which is now the SAAA. He was active on numerous committees within the accounting profession and at UCT; inter alia he served as Warden of Smuts Hall and managed the finances of Shawco – and, typically at the retirement village in Pinelands where he spent his latter years. Above all, Leon will be remembered for the man he was – larger than life, amazingly adept at achieving his objectives, often in the teeth of opposition, and with a delightful sense of humour, at his best over a glass of red wine. He mentored and encouraged countless chartered accountants. He will be greatly missed and long remembered.’ 

Story By : College of Accounting