The Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (Pacofs) is accused of failing to implement consequence management due to what the DA has called lack of leadership.
DA’s Veronica van Dyk has written to Beauty Dlulane, chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport, arts and culture, to request that Pacofs appear before the committee.
“We also requested an oversight visit to Pacofs, as the committee has been inundated with letters from whistleblowers indicating that an investigation should be prioritised,” said Van Dyk.
“It is extremely concerning that nothing seems to have come of the council’s promises during a previous oversight in April 2021 to implement the recommendations in the Bonakude and Morar forensic reports.
“It is shocking that despite the forensic reports clearly exposing the corruption and malpractices at the entity, some of the implicated individuals were rewarded with a golden handshake and promoted to senior positions.”
Van Dyk added that the auditor-general previously pointed out that consequence management in entities under the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture is lacking, saying this is the case at Pacofs.
He said: “The DA also requested the monitoring and evaluation report from the department on the implementation of both the Bonakude and Morar reports.
“It is becoming clearer every day that investigations into corruption and maladministration are mere diversionary tactics of empty gestures to appease the public [and] to distract [the nation] from the continued looting and lack of consequence management.”
In December 2021, Sunday Word reported on how the former CEO of Pacofs was given a free pass to leave his job without facing serious charges including fraud.
Peter Arthur Pedlar, who was placed on precautionary suspension on November 2 2020 pending an investigation after a whistleblower reported allegations of recruitment irregularities and abuse of power, entered into a mutual separation agreement with Pacofs.
Pedlar was supposed to have faced internal disciplinary hearing on December 18 2020 to answer to 23 charges including fraud, prejudicial conduct, gross negligence and making a false statement.
The disciplinary hearing did not take place despite a damning forensic report by Bonakude accountants and auditors, which was submitted to Pacofs in October 2020. Bonakude was roped in to investigate Pedlar on how he had abused power.
In the report, Bonakude made a number of recommendations including that appropriate action be taken against Pedlar by Pacofs for interfering with the recruitment process of several employees, including a senior manager.
The report also recommended that appropriate action be taken against Pedlar for irregular expenditure incurred for rental accommodation without requesting approval from the Pacofs’ council.
In light of Pedlar’s investigation, Bonakude also recommended that Pacofs should review its policies regularly and further ensure that they were duly approved by council after they were reviewed.
Pacofs spokesperson Maseeta Makgabane said: “Mr Pedlar’s precautionary suspension was effective from November 2 2020 to enable an unhindered, fair and transparent investigation process.
“He ceased his duties on November 30 2021 by way of a mutual separation agreement. The referred-to agreement is a legal and binding undertaking on both parties, and a waiver of rights by [both] parties to enable an amicable and pragmatic exiting of the institution in terms of his employ.
“Due to the confidential nature of the aforementioned agreement and related forensic investigation report, Pacofs is not at liberty to disclose the particulars thereof.”
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