The National Library of South Africa’s chief financial officer, Seeiso Tlali, has admitted that the institution spends more on running itself than on delivering services to the public.
“Most definitely, Chair. I wouldn’t disagree. I mean the figures speak for themselves that if you look at it in that manner, most definitely,” Tlali told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture.
The admission came as the National Library’s leadership, including board chairperson Bernado Maralack and chief executive officer Dr Ralph Links, presented the institution’s financial position and performance.
Tlali’s response was a direct acknowledgement of the concern that the institution’s administrative costs may be outweighing its spending on services for the public.
However, the figures presented during the discussion need to be examined against the expenditure of the library’s different programmes to establish the scale of the imbalance.
Tlali told the committee that the institution’s first programme covers administration and a range of operational expenses, including legal and professional services, facilities, water and electricity, cleaning, security, finance, external audits, information technology and communications.
The programme also covers board-related expenses and communications.
Among the costs discussed was approximately R21 million for leased storage space used to house documentary heritage collections, with the expenditure handled through arrangements involving the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
The library must maintain suitable storage facilities to protect its collections, but the amount highlights the financial demands associated with preserving documentary heritage.
Facilities and infrastructure were identified during the discussion as significant cost drivers.
The question for the institution is how it balances these operational requirements against its responsibility to provide access to its collections and services.
The committee discussion, however, did not establish the precise proportion of the library’s budget spent on administration compared with public-facing programmes.
The National Library reported generating approximately R5.2 million in revenue against a target of R3 million.
Its revenue-generating activities include venue hire, office-space rentals, auditorium use and parking.
Management also indicated that it was considering introducing a coffee shop as another potential source of income.
The revenue performance offers some relief amid financial pressures, but it does not, on its own, establish whether the institution is spending its available resources efficiently.
The library has identified budget constraints, rising preservation and information technology costs, infrastructure renewal and digital transformation among its continuing challenges.
The central issue emerging from the committee hearing is whether the National Library can sustain the cost of running its operations while improving the delivery of its core public services.
Tlali’s admission that the institution spends more on itself than on public service delivery puts that question squarely before the library’s leadership.
