The DA is set to take Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie to task after he allegedly failed to provide DA spokesperson Leah Potgieter with documents related to the appointment of the Robben Island Museum board.
In a statement, she claimed that the newly appointed board members of the Robben Island Museum Board have close ties to McKenzie’s political party, the Patriotic Alliance (PA). She further alleged that McKenzie’s close adviser, Charles Cilliers, played a role on the selection panel.
“The Robben Island Museum is being turned into a playground for cadre deployment. This makes a mockery of the legacy of Robben Island and shows that minister McKenzie has learned all the wrong lessons from state capture.
“South Africa cannot allow small party cadre deployments to replace the destructive cadre deployment policies of the ANC. Cadre deployment has eroded state capacity, opportunity, and service delivery.
“McKenzie preaches opportunity but practices cronyism, and the pattern is becoming hard to ignore. In Parliament, McKenzie refused to answer questions about his close associates taking up board roles in his department.
“He must now show every single appointment and all supporting paperwork,” Potgieter said in a statement.
Close links to the PA
In an interview with Sunday World, Potgieter said that “a simple search of some of the public profiles of the newly appointed Robben Island Museum Council clearly shows active and close involvement with PA and with structures directly linked to minister McKenzie,” adding that McKenzie has turned the legacy of Robben Island into a mockery.
“Robben Island is a site of national memory and a body entrusted with preserving a difficult but precious democratic legacy.
“Appointing board members on the basis of political patronage, rather than transparent merit-based selection, impartial governance experience, and conflict-of-interest vetting, risks turning the council into a vehicle for partisan interests rather than a guardian of heritage.
“That is what I mean by ‘making a mockery’ of the legacy; placing politically connected actors on a board charged with disbursing public funds and protecting national heritage undermines the museum’s institutional independence and public trust. Appointing ‘PA pals’ who aren’t necessarily the best qualified candidates will result in Robben Island sinking into disarray.
“Our statement calling for full disclosure of vetting records and selection criteria spells these concerns out in detail,” she said.
High-profile board changes
The minister has made several high-profile board changes since taking office, the most notable being the reconstitution of the National Film and Video Foundation council and other public-entity appointments where questions have been raised about process and transparency.
“The NFVF appointments and the speed and manner of some reconstitutions have attracted scrutiny.
“Taken together with the Robben Island appointments and the Mzansi Golden Economy Fund controversy (allegations that funding decisions favoured PA-linked projects), these actions form an overall pattern of questionable patronage that requires parliamentary oversight,” Potgierter told Sunday World.
She said that these political appointments diminish the independence of these institutions.
“Politically aligned trustees are more likely to prioritise party or patronage interests over institutional mandate. Secondly, there is a procurement and financial risk involved in these appointments.
“When boards lack rigorous conflict-of-interest vetting and independent oversight, irregular expenditure and mismanagement become more likely.
“Robben Island has a documented history of governance and expenditure problems that make robust safeguards especially important.
“Thirdly, there is a risk of reputational harm. Public confidence in the museum’s stewardship of national memory can be damaged if the council is seen as politicised,” said Potgieter.
DA wants minister to account
She said that, for transparency purposes, parliament should require the minister to produce the full shortlists, CVs, declarations, and proof of interest of all nominees; minutes of the selection panel; the panel’s scoring/evaluation metrics and the selection criteria; and any internal memos or legal advice relied upon.
“In addition, parliament should hold the minister to account in the portfolio committee and, where necessary, refer irregularities to the PSC, auditor-general, or other oversight bodies for independent inquiry.
“These are standard governance safeguards recommended by practice codes and public service rules.
“We have asked for the CVs of all appointees, the complete list of nominations received, the shortlist and reasons for shortlisting, the selection panel membership and minutes of its meetings, the evaluation/score sheets, completed conflict-of-interest declarations and any follow-up actions, vetting records (where vetting is required), and any procurement or appointment-related correspondence that influenced the selection to be tabled with the portfolio committee and published.
“Our DA statement sets out that Parliament should receive vetting records, selection criteria, and conflict of interest checks.”
She said that McKenzie has been defensive and refused to furnish these documents: “The minister has been questioned in the portfolio committee and has made public remarks defending certain aspects of the department’s work at Robben Island; to date, he has not produced the full paperwork I have demanded.
“Our next step includes pursuing those documents more formally,” she said.
