Honourable Speaker, “urgently intervene over false and dishonest” statements by Sport, Arts and Culture Acting Director-General, SARA pleads with Parliament
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
The South Africa Roadies Association (SARA), the Newtown Johannesburg, based Non-Profit Organisation, which a few months ago laid a complaint with the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture against the Acting Director-General at the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Dr. Cynthia Khumalo, has escalated the case to the Speaker of Parliament Thoko Didiza.
The organisation that trains the youth from formerly disadvantaged backgrounds, mainly from the townships in live events technical production skills, yesterday, Thursday, December 12, 2024, through its lawyers, sent a letter to the Speaker asking her to “urgently intervene” regarding its complaint against Khumalo for what it says are “false and dishonest statements” Khumalo is said to have made to the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture regarding SARA.
“We refer to the above matter and confirm that we act on behalf of the South African Roadies Association (“SARA) (“our client”).For ease of reference and completeness, we attach a special power of attorney marked annexure “A”.
We further make reference to our client’s letter sent to you on 15 November 2024.
Our client is a unique and dynamic non-profit training organization dedicated to the advancement and development of skills and knowledge amongst the youth in the technical and production as well as the media production sector in and around South Africa.
Our client has spent years enabling young people and empowering them with skills and capacities in the lighting, sound, staging, power, rigging and AV sectors through both the SAQA accredited Skills Education and Training Authority (SETA) training courses it has ran and facilitated through On-The Job Training Program.
On or about 29 October 2024, the Acting Director General – Dr Cynthia Khumalo presented false and dishonest statements to the Portfolio Committee meeting of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.
The Acting Director General stated that, she noted the “Backstage Academy’s lack of compliance and accounting for the monies given to it”.
Our client’s project called Backstage Academy South Africais funded by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
Our client lodged a complaint with the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture on the 29th of July 2024, but no response was offered to our client to date. For purposes of transparency, the Chairperson of the Committee is copied to this letter.
Due to non-responsive approach of the Chairperson of the Committee, our client addressed a letter to your office on 15 November 2024 with an intent to solicit your intervention, but to date no response has been received.
Considering the fact that the statements made by the Acting Director-General of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture during the proceeding in the Portfolio Committee, it is our client’s view that the conduct stated in paragraph5.1 and 5.2 falls squarely on what is prohibited in (terms of Section 17 (2) (d) and (e) of Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act 4 of 2004.
In the circumstances, our client has instructed us to follow-up on the complaint, as we hereby do make a follow-up in on the complaint lodged in respect of paragraph 5.1 and 5.2.
We request that the Honourable Speaker revert to us within 30 days after receipt of this letter. Our client’s rights are strictly reserved at this stage,” the letter seen by CITYLIFE/ARTS reads.
The publication understands that this latest development is taking place against the backdrop of a stand-off between DSAC and the organization over the disbursement of further funds by DSAC to enable the organisation to expedite and complete the work it has started to establish Backstage Academy South Africa.
The academy, a collaboration between internationally reputed UK based Academy of Live Technology, once fully established, will offer sought after live events technical production skills to the local youth, with its wide course offering ranging from short courses up to masters degree level.
However the stand-off between DSAC and SARA over further disbandment of funding threatens to delay the establishment of the academy. The standoff centres on one contentious issue between the two parties, CITYLIFE/ARTS can reveal. On one hand DSAC claims that Backstage Academy South Africa’s books are not in order regarding the money that has been advanced to it so far, while SARA argues that everything with regards to its books is very much in order, with every cent that has been advanced to it accounted for.
CITYLIFE/ARTS also understands that in May this year the Auditor-General’s audit team visited SARA House in Newtown to audit Backstage South Africa’s books, having been requested to do so by DASC. The audit opinion of the Auditor-General on the academy’s books has not been made public, and neither has it been given to SARA.
The orgnisation this week confirmed to CITYLIFE/ARTS that it has made a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to both the Auditor-General and DSAC to get hold of the Auditor-General’s audit opinion document on the Backstage Academy South Africa.
The Auditor-General has referred SARA’s PAIA request to DSAC as the department is the custodian of the document. DASC is yet to accede to SARA’s request, CITYLIFE/ARTS understands.
CITYLIFE/ARTS reached out to DSAC’s spokesperson Zimasa Velaphi, Head of Communication and Marketing: Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. However at the time of publication we had not yet received her response, and if and when we receive the comment we will update the story by including the comment.