During the early 1980’s a need was perceived by the country’s four main Professional Accounting and Secretarial Institutes for a relevant course of study, examinations and membership body for persons who carry out an accounting function at a level below that of a fully qualified accountant.  It had been ascertained that many hundreds of workers in the country were engaged in financial/accounting duties but that for many of them there existed no formal qualification which would indicate their accounting abilities, special skills or general business and administrative knowledge.

 

In response to this need ZAAT was formally established in 1984, along the lines of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), as a company limited by guarantee and having no share capital under the sponsorship of the Consultative Committee of Accountants &

 

Secretarial Bodies (CCASB) whose membership is the Institute of Chartered Accounts of Zimbabwe (ICAZ), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (ZIPFA) and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe (ICSAZ) and commenced formal operations on 1 January 1984.

 

ZAAT is an examining body whose main object is to provide a qualification that will be recognized in both the private and public sectors as a clear indication of the individual’s knowledge of accountancy and related subjects, as well as confirmation that a minimum period of time has been spent in applying that knowledge in the working environment.

 

Students intending to obtain the ZAAT qualification have followed various study routes. The majority is studying by correspondence and private colleges while a substantial proportion is attending block release courses at the Government Technical Colleges.

 

While admission to membership confers on the individual member a recognized professional qualification, it has been fully realized that some members would wish to use their ZAAT qualification as a “stepping stone” to the higher echelons of the profession.

 

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants have notified the Association that its members will be eligible for enrolment as students and that some exemptions would be also be granted.

 

It was never to remain a Zimbabwean affair alone. ZAAT has taken a brave decision to go regional. The Association has decided to open offices in Mozambique and Botswana. ZAAT has a strong desire to spread its wings into regional countries where it can win hearts of different generations in the region.

 

It is therefore imperative that The Association changes its name, to suit the regional perspective both in terms of its name and its curricular.