EFF MP Eugene Mthethwa has accused the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC), Gayton Mckenzie, of prioritising the protection of his government position over the interests of artists.
This follows Mckenzie’s failure to provide updates on several promised forensic investigations.
Last year, Mckenzie had repeatedly pledged to tackle corruption in the sector. He singled out the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of SA (CCIFSA) in particular.
Pledged to clean up sector
Speaking in Parliament in December, he said: “CCIFSA has been receiving funding from the department for years but never reported on how the money was used. This is the first time they will not receive a cent from the department. Tomorrow morning, I will launch a forensic investigation to determine what happened with these funds, which were meant for artists.”
In March this year, DSAC Director-General Cynthia Khumalo told Parliament that a forensic investigation has been initiated. She said the investigation would cover the period from 2015 onward.
In that meeting, Chief Audit Executive Sunita Ramanand indicated that the investigation would take 60 days. She said: “A preliminary investigation was done in January this year. And right now the department is busy with the process of getting a service provider to do the investigation.
“The investigation will focus on the funding of CCIFSA, how the money was used, and whether any officials within the department are implicated, among other things. We want to finish this as quickly as possible, noting the interest in this matter.”
However, Mthethwa’s request for a full list of forensic investigations revealed that Mckenzie’s earlier assurances were misleading.
Active investigations
In his parliamentary reply, Mckenzie listed 19 active investigations, 12 within DSAC and seven involving entities reporting to the department.
Internal DSAC investigations include:
- Alleged self-enrichment through school sports funding by DSAC officials
- Irregularities at Moshito
- Unpaid services for a poem used at the G20 Summit without permission
- Maladministration in DSAC’s security tender
- Inflated invoices for the BIG Walk Fund security services
- Tender irregularities at Ditsong Museum
- Forensic audit request at Downtown Studios
- Abuse of authority regarding international travel to Colombia
- Failure to pay Afrobasket Basketball stipends
- Outstanding invoices for G20 Cultural Working Group Meeting
- Festival funding audits during COVID-19 (Ministerial Directive)
- Legal claims for unpaid DSAC expenses
Entities under investigation
Investigations of DSAC entities include:
- National Arts Council (NAC): case against HR Manager
- National Film and Video Foundation: theft, conflict of interest, HR irregularities, maladministration, and misuse of credit card
- South African State Theatre: investigations into executive management
- Robben Island Museum: ticketing sales system and network security issues
- Mandela Bay Theatre Complex
- Boxing SA: finances from 2020 to date
- National Library of South Africa: completed investigation covering procurement irregularities, HR misconduct, bullying, misuse of presidential employment stimulus funds, and provision of digital forensic services
Mthethwa expressed his frustrations with Mckenzie.
“It is quite surprising that the very CCIFSA that the minister called an entity of thugs, very corrupt and that people must wait for the second forensic investigation’s outcomes, is not listed as currently investigated or completed.
About-turn
“This can deductively conclude that there are those the minister fears or [is] protecting because of fear of losing his GNU job. CCIFSA members must take him to court for defamation of character for calling them thugs and corrupt individuals.”
He also noted other cases which were notably absent from the forensic lists.
“SAMIC defrauded the public purse by registering another SAMIC in order to access funds through DSAC. Knowing that DTI had blocklisted it. In other words, the SAMIC that went to an elective conference to remove a legit leadership of SAMIC, was a different SAMIC.
“This is fraud that can be equated to a blocklisted person acquiring a different ID in order to access financial services from the very banks he could not pay back their money. It is fraud that deserves to be investigated. Unless certain individuals are immune from such,” he said.
He said that the minister must explain “why including the SILAPHA WELLNESS project that he has also stopped but not forthcoming with the reasons why he stopped it.”
