DURBAN – The National Arts Centre (NAC) is expected to appear before Parliament’s portfolio committee on Sports, Arts and Culture on Friday to explain the golden handshake it gave to its embattled CEO Rosemary Mangope.
The golden handshake was given to Mangope despite her facing disciplinary action related to Covid-19 Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) irregularities.
Last year, Mangope was the subject of an NAC probe looking into whether there had been any irregularities or inconsistencies in the management, adjudication and approval of PESP applications.
The investigation also set out to determine whether there had been any gross negligence, misconduct and dereliction of duties on Mangope’s part in relation to the financial affairs of the NAC.
The NAC had been allocated a budget of R285 million. However, it is alleged that under Mangope’s watch this was stretched to around R637.7m.
However, despite the September 2021 final report from the NAC probe leading to a disciplinary hearing being instituted against Mangope on allegations of misconduct, the NAC and Mangope on April 14, 2022, agreed to part ways amicably and the charges against her were dropped.
In a statement, the NAC said the terms of the mutual separation agreement signed by both parties would remain confidential.
When quizzed by the Sunday Tribune on why Mangope had been allowed to leave and the charges against her dropped, chairperson of Parliament’s portfolio committee on Sports, Arts and Culture, Beauty Dlulane, referred us to the meeting of the portfolio committee and the NAC on Friday.
Parties such as the DA and the National Freedom Party have called for a probe into Mangope and to bring her to account.
Veronica van Dyk, DA MP and spokesperson on Sports, Arts and Culture, said that this being allowed to happen was shocking, but not surprising.
“No doubt, Rosemary Mangope will soon resurface in another position of power at a public entity where she will once again be allowed to irregularly and inconsistently manage to the detriment of beneficiaries.
“It was under Mangope’s management that the NAC bungled Covid relief and allowed artists to starve. The fact that the terms of the agreement between Mangope and the NAC, a public entity, is confidential just reeks of further possible malfeasance.
“South Africans, especially our long-suffering arts community, deserve to know the intimate details of Mangope’s pardon. The DA will not rest until all is in the open,” Van Dyk said.
The NFP’s secretary-general, Canaan Mdletshe, called President Cyril Ramaphosa to institute a probe over what the party believes was a golden handshake given to Mangope.
"We suspect a rat here. That is why we call for a thorough investigation into the said agreement. We want to know why they instituted an investigation knowing exactly that before it is concluded, you will let a prime suspect go freely.
"This cannot be a matter that is concluded and finalised privately when it's the public's money involved. We want transparency and accountability from NAC and Minister Nathi Mthethwa. Was Minister Mthethwa really not aware of the shenanigans within the NAC?
"We want details of the agreement to ‘part ways’ to be made public. We also want to know the role played by the minister in the whole matter,” Mdletshe said.
Mdletshe also called on Mangope to pay back every cent that she might have received or that mysteriously disappeared under her watch, adding that she must be held accountable, irrespective that she is no longer there.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE