Note to Editors: Kindly find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by DA North West Spokesperson on Arts and Culture, Gavin Edwards.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West was not surprised by the Auditor-General’s (AG) finding that payments in the amount of R100 057 917 were made by the Mmabana Arts, Culture and Sports Foundation during the 2018/2019 financial year without an approved budget.
This came to light during the embattled entity’s appearance before the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture in the North West Provincial Legislature on Tuesday.
The newly elected Board, of which the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and three other members have been absent, were unable to present an annual report or account for any of the findings by the AG.
The Mmabana Foundation has been riddled with financial woes due to years of mismanagement of funds, which is a clear indication of their inability to fulfil their mandate of educating and identifying talent among the youth in the North West.
By allowing this entity to further sap public funds is an injustice to our youth and therefore we call upon the MEC for Department of Arts and Culture, Virginia Tlhapi, to deal decisively with Mmabana by dissolving the Board and incorporating the entity’s functions into the Department.
For years on end, the DA has been asking the ANC-led government to table the forensic report from Nexus Forensics on their investigations into Mmabana Arts, but to no avail. During an oral question session with Premier Mokgoro during a plenary sitting in September, he confirmed that the investigations have not been finalised.
The ANC government has shown no interest on nurturing talent in the province and instead chose to play politics with an institution which is supposed to deliver an important mandate such as Mmabana, due to the placing of their unqualified cadres on the Board.
The DA will not stand by while institutions meant to uplift the youth are turned into cesspools of corruption. We will ensure that those responsible for the disarray at Mmabana Foundation are held accountable.