Arts funding council is squeaky clean

JOBURG – The National Arts Council is squeaky clean for two years in a row.

September 14, 2016

Racine Edwardes 2 minutes read

The National Arts Council (Nac) based in Newtown is a funding body mandated by the Department of Arts and Culture to disseminate grants to deserving members of the arts community in order to develop the arts in South Africa and those within the industry.

As a funding body, it is imperative for the council to be accountable for all monies and resources that it deals with – and achieving their second clean audit, for the second year running, they’re showing their efficiency as a company.

“A clean audit relates to three aspects – financial statements free from material misstatements; no material findings on the annual performance report; and lastly, no material findings on non-compliance with key legislation,” Dumisani Dlamini, CFO of Nac, explained.

He attributed the company’s ability to keep track of all finances, act in accordance with legislation and properly govern the company.

“The staff morale is indeed positive with employees showing commitment to their financial management and, therefore, being the driving force behind the clean audit,” he said.

The company is not the only winner this year, as Dlamini walked away with two coveted awards at the 2016 CFO Awards South Africa ceremony held earlier this year. “Winning the two awards at the CFO Awards was a true honour,” he said.

“I remember being a little boy from the dusty areas of KwaZulu-Natal, then moving to Johannesburg, then into this space. I dedicated my awards to every young person to say that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.

“My awards were also dedicated to all CFOs in government who are under political pressure or are in a difficult environment.”

With the financial head of the Nac structure as well managed as the rest of the organisation, there’s no doubt that the council will continue to thrive and make the dreams of the country’s creatives come true.

“Receiving a second clean audit showcases that, as an organisation, we are capable of the proper management of public funds entrusted to us. Furthermore, the clean audit means that we are contributing to the development of arts and culture in South Africa. This, in turn, serves to create a richer, more sustainable South African heritage, an aspect embedded in the Nac’s overall mission and core mandate.”