Minister Nathi Mthethwa has released a statement confirming that his department has launched a forensic investigation into the reported mismanagement of R300 million by the NAC.
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthwethwa took to Twitter on Monday, 29 March 2021, to confirm that he has launched a forensic investigation into the reported mismanagement of R300 million. This follows the outrage that has been directed at the department and the National Arts Council (NAC) for the inexplicable disappearance of the funds, which were meant to be relief funds for artists during the pandemic.
Some artists have been holding peaceful protests outside the NAC offices, in light of the news that the funds’ disappearance and allocation remains a mystery. In the statement, Mthethwa was quoted as saying, “I want to clarify that we heard in the media there is R300 million that is missing, money is not missing. People overcommitted the funds that were given to them… Part of the R300 million is still there, part of it has been disbursed and part of it is being disbursed so there’s no money that disappeared.”
No timeline or turnaround time for the matter to be resolved was noted in the statement, therefore, the forensic investigation could go on indefinitely. However, the investigation will not quell the frustrations and continued calls for immediate responses to the needs of artists that have not earned a salary since the beginning of the pandemic.
See the post below.
[Read] @SportArtsCultur Minister, @NathiMthethwaSA has ordered a forensic investigation into the mismanagement of R300 million by the National Arts Council (NAC) #PresidentialStimulus https://t.co/TpUwM5DIoB pic.twitter.com/PWtIUBM2h0
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) March 29, 2021
Sabelo Makhubo
s.makhubo@politicalanalysis.co.za