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2020-10-20
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown restrictions which made it impossible to hold the Annual General Meeting ("AGM") by traditional means, Bonitas Medical Fund ("Bonitas" or "the Scheme") applied to the Council for Medical Schemes ("CMS") for an exemption in respect of:
The CMS duly granted the Scheme with an exemption as requested. Accordingly, the AGM in respect of the 2019 financial year of the Scheme was being convened in terms of this Notice. The Board of Trustees ("Board") encouraged members ("Members") to attend this AGM as their participation was important in ensuring a successful event
The AGM of Bonitas Medical Fund was held as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Time: The AGM Live Webcast Streaming platform opened from 07h00 and the meeting commenced at 09h00
The AGM was conducted via the digital platform, and only Principal Members of the Scheme who were in good standing could attend the AGM. The AGM Procedures set out the processes that Members had to follow to virtually attend the AGM. The links to join the Live Webcast Streaming of the AGM were sent to Members ahead of time.
The online voting was conducted via a digital platform, and only Principal Members of the Scheme who were in good standing could participate and vote. Voting took place by electronic means only. Members were able to cast their votes via the digital voting platform for a period that commenced on Wednesday, 4 November 2020 at 09h00, and closed on Wednesday, 11 November 2020, on the day of the AGM, 10 minutes after the last agenda item was discussed. The AGM Procedures set out the processes that Members had to follow to cast their online votes for the Resolutions. The link and details to access the digital platforms were sent to Members in accordance with the processes set out in the AGM Procedures document.
Principal Members who did not have valid email addresses and mobile numbers, received their AGM packs via the postal service. Notwithstanding this, they were still required to participate via these digital platforms. Members were therefore encouraged to contact the Bonitas Call Centre to update their contact details.
In terms of Scheme Rule 27.6.3 where voting is to occur by electronic means at a general meeting, "the Scheme shall not allow proxies to be lodged as all Members shall have the opportunity to participate individually." Accordingly, for purposes of this AGM, no proxies were allowed, and all Members who sought to participate had to access the digital platforms and cast their votes by means of the electronic methods provided.