Forensic investigation to get to the root of ‘corrupt’ Mapungubwe festival
The aftermath of prodding into the non-showing of Anthony Hamilton at the Mapungubwe Arts and Culture Festival has unravelled a quagmire of information.
POLOKWANE – This information came to light during the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s Standing Committee of Public Accounts (Scopa) hearing last Thursday.
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A resolution has been taken by Scopa that Treasury will be asked to institute a forensic investigation into aspects surrounding the Mapungubwe Festival and the alleged utilisation of NGO’s to obtain money from the National Lottery to sponsor artists at the festival.
Hamilton would have appeared at the festival, but did not after, according to the department, he allegedly asked for more money for accommodation and travelling. It was alleged that money was already paid over to him for coming to South Africa. The department at the time said this was a sponsored performance, and they were not able to contribute extra money to get him to perform at the festival.
While the MEC, Onicca Moloi, maintained the artist was invited by an agency paid by an NGO, but that he was never paid according to information to the department’s avail, she said the money used was not that of the department, but of the NGO, who obtained it from the Lottery.
She admitted that R700 000 of the initial R1,2 million obtained by the NGO from the Lottery, was used to pay two other artists. The other money was apparently paid over by the NGO to an agency who was to secure Hamilton, and it is the responsibility of the NGO to retrieve their money, she said.
Scopa member, Rudolph Phala, asked what benefit NGOs received for getting millions of rands from the lottery to get artists to perform at the festival.
Sport, Arts and Culture Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Shahidabibi Shaikh, said it was an anomaly that an NGO would apply for money on behalf of government. Scopa wanted to know if it was an entrenched practise and how many NGOs followed this practice. They also wanted to know what this particular NGO does that secured the money to get Hamilton in South Africa and who the directors were. A letter from the NGO stated their aim was to fight for the ‘promotion and development of local artists’ and Scopa maintained that Hamilton was not a local artist.
Phala said he could not see why provincial government should give more money for the Mapungubwe festival, calling it a “festival of corruption”.
More than R10 million irregular expenditure was incurred on appointing a service provider who did not comply with the specifications for rendering services for Mapungubwe 2016/17. An earlier (2014) festival is still subject to a pending forensic investigation into the awarding of a tender for the organising, marketing, managing and execution of the festival. Moloi said she would cooperate with the forensic investigation to put the matter to rest.
