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The entity must be cancelled. Only 31% of funding is spent on goods and services and 1% on buildings and machinery and equipment each. It consumes more in salaries than working towards supporting its mandate. – DA legislature member, Christiaan Steyl

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Sizwe sama Yende

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the North West province has called for the dissolution of the Mmabana Arts, Culture and Sport Foundation for underachieving and spending 67% of its budget on salaries.

The foundation is an entity of the North West North West Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation  department, which was, according to its mission statement, formed for “the development, fostering, enhancement and promotion of the total spectrum of the Arts, Artistic Sport and supporting skills, expertise, technology and excellence in the North West and South Africa.”

DA provincial legislature member, Christiaan Steyl, recently told the legislature that the foundation spent R71 million of its R122 million annual budget on salaries.

“The entity must be cancelled. Only 31% of funding is spent on goods and services and 1% on buildings and machinery and equipment each. It consumes more in salaries than working towards supporting its mandate,” Steyl said.

Steyl added that the foundation also came short on the academic programmes, accredited by SETA, that it supported. Only 16 students graduated in clothing and manufacturing processes in 2018.

Only 137 people were capacitated with sewing skills.

“Sadly,” Steyl said, “the entity does not know what became of these beneficiaries. It shows that there is no sustainable support to support these individuals into economic activity.”

North West North West Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation  spokesperson, Motheo Sebolaaneng, did not respond to written questions.

Steyn added: “We are concerned that 67% are being spent on salaries of staff, but when we look at the staff appointed, we find that mid-management, instructors, and other skilled positions have incumbents that do not hold the necessary qualifications.”

He said that the office manager only a Grade 11, but earned a salary at a scale of level 12, which is about R1.2 million per annum.

Steyl said that the human resources manager only had matric, and a unit manager with only matric and a black belt in karate was employed at level 10, which pays about R700 000 per annum.  

“An artistic manager holds a matric, while there is a tutor with a Grade 10 qualification. The list of unqualified staff is quite extensive, but I will stop here,” he added.

Steyl said that the Mmabane Arts Foundation, as it stood, was a money laundering scheme.

“The R122 million can go a long way towards real and tangible support towards advancing the arts and supporting artists and creatives in the province that will not only elevate exposure to our rich heritage, but also meaningfully support the development of talent.”

Steyl said that the DA was encouraged by MEC Collen Maine’s admission that there were serious problems within his department.