Forensic report fingers National Arts Council members, senior management and staff in improprieties

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor 

The National Arts Council from some Council members including senior Management and some staff members, have been fingered by an independent forensic report for a number of in improprieties such as maladministration and breaking the law in disbursing the Presidential Economic Stimulus package funds for artists.

For example former Council members got involved in operational matters, an illegal act as this is against the prescriptions of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and some applicants were paid irregularly, among other improprieties bedeviling the PESP.

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa in a media briefing held this morning, September 27, 2021, in Pretoria, confirmed that former Council members two of whom are still with the new NAC Council and three who have already left, senior management and some staff members are implicated in the debacle and are now facing disciplinary action.

“There will be consequence management and we will leave no stone unturned to pursue those that were found in the wrong. In relation to the two council members that are implicated, I have written them a letter and have given them a week to give their side of the story.  With regards to the three former Council members who are no longer with the Council, we are seeking legal advice as to what we should do as we no longer have jurisdiction over them. The council will institute disciplinary hearings with regards to the senior management and staff who are mentioned in the report,” Mthethwa said.

However the minister said that there is no evidence of fraud as all the money is accounted for.

“There is no money that has disappeared as all moneys have been accounted for. However the issue is that there are certain Council members in the previous council who got involved in operational matters, such as adjudicating when their duty is to exercise oversight, such as policy making. In the process they got paid as adjudicators in addition to payment they got as Council members. They were not supposed to do that in accordance with NAC Act. That is where the problem is,” he said. 

Mthethwa however made it clear that the current Council members who were inaugurated in January 2021, have been vindicated as those that benefited from the PESP had applied before they became Council members.

However neither the Minister nor Council Chairperson Princess Celinhle Dlamini divulged the names of the members of Council, senior management and staff who are implicated in the report and are now facing disciplinary hearings with regards to the debacle.

However currently, Chief Executive Officer Rosemary Mangope and Chief Financial  Officer Clifton Changfoot are on suspension. It was however not made explicitly clear at the briefing what Mangope and Changfoot’s fate is with regards to the impending disciplinary hearings. But it was made explicitly clear that those facing such action range from the five council members the two that are still part of the council and the three that have since left, senior management to staff of the NAC.

Council chairperson, Princes Celinhle Dlamini said that the NAC has to date paid R272 million of the R285 million to artists that applied and qualified.

“The NAC in other words, has paid 96 % of the allocated money. We will soon finalise the payment of the 4 percent to artists soon as these still have to provide documentation.

Deputy NAC Chairperson Advocate Mankosini Nkosi made it clear though that because there is no evidence fraud that was committed, at this stage the NAC was not involving police. “But If later we find out that there is evidence of a criminal nature, we will not hesitate from involving the police,” said Nkosi.

However not everybody is happy with the findings of the forensic investigations.

“This is another cover up to protect thieves and blatant corruption. It has happened twice before with the BIG and Gobodo forensic reports. This is why Sara (South African Roadies Association) has taken this matter to the Hawks,” reacted Freddie Nyathela, Sara President to the findings of the latest forensic report involving the NAC.

Mthethwa and DSAC have faced criticism and pressure from artists with regards to government assistance extended to artists  during the difficulties faced by the creative sector as a result of not being able to work due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The government packages for artists became therefore essential in sustaining livelihoods and to prevent starvation and hunger within the creative sector in the absence of opportunities to earn a living during the several lockdowns that have chracterised a feature of South African life throughout this year and last year.