Parliament demands answers over NAC's R302,000 spending spree

The National Arts Council (NAC) spent R302,000 on a three-day trip to Cape Town.

The staggering expenditure was revealed on Tuesday during a meeting of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, where MPs demanded an itemised breakdown of the bill.

The meeting, held on 10 November, was called to hear concerns raised by Nehawu about governance at the NAC, alongside responses from the council and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC).

Nehawu presented a petition signed by 412 people calling for an independent investigation into the council.

Although the meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, the NAC delegation had begun arriving in Cape Town on Sunday, 8 November, raising questions about the cost of the extended trip.

Acting chief financial officer Reshma Bhoola disclosed that the total expenditure had reached R302,000.

The revelation came after EFF MP Eugene Mthethwa demanded to know how much public money had been spent bringing the delegation to a meeting at which its council members were ultimately prevented from participating.

"Minister, the NAC is here. You've spent money, staff spent money. Wasteful, fruitless expenditure. How much was spent to come to this meeting? Can somebody tell us how much you spent?"

Bhoola responded:

"Honourable member, as of yesterday, in totality there was R302,000 expenditure. I just need to check what portion would be the council portion. You can allow me maybe two minutes," Bhoola said.

The figure prompted an incredulous response from Mthethwa.

"R300,000. For this meeting? Did you come by private jet? When did you arrive in Cape Town?" he asked.

Acting committee chairperson Inathi Mbiyo subsequently ordered the NAC to provide a full breakdown of the expenditure.

"The itemised breakdown, as the minister said, will also help us to see the expenditure," Mbiyo said.

The spending disclosure was particularly embarrassing given that the committee had earlier ruled that NAC council members could not answer questions.

"I will be breaching the decision that was taken by the committee if I allow members of the board to speak," Mbiyo said.

The decision followed an admission by DSAC's acting head of legal services, Advocate Benedict Mukubedi, that the council was not legally constituted.

"Yes, they do form a quorum. However, they are not legally constituted," he said.

DSAC director-general Dr Cynthia Khumalo confirmed that the department knew about the resignations by 15 October.

Asked when the department became aware of the departures, she said: "Some of them on the 14th, but the total on 15 October."

Six council members resigned on 14 and 15 October, leaving seven ministerial appointees. The National Arts Council Act requires a minimum of nine members.

Despite the governance crisis, the delegation travelled to Cape Town, with acting CEO Lebogang Magoera offering several explanations for the early arrivals.

"First, we were to go to Robben Island and take the honourable members, and there's a rationale for that. Subsequent to that, there was to be a special sitting of the council in preparation for this meeting.

"Other council members, I think, arrived on Sunday because there was an invitation extended by Artscape for an event that was happening on Sunday," Magoera said.

ANC MP Gift Motaung also questioned the remuneration paid to council members, suggesting that their earnings could help explain the resignations.

"These council members, 90% of them, it pains them if they have to leave. How much is their salary? Maybe we need to disclose how much they earn. If you're doing something for free, I don't think you wouldn't want to leave a stressful job like the NAC, with artists calling you day and night and fighting. So we just need to know how much they earn," Motaung said.

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie defended the remuneration, describing it as exceptionally low.

"All I can say is that, because I come from the corporate world, I've never seen such low amounts for board members. It's really ridiculously low. I was shocked when I saw it for the first time, that a board member can get so little," McKenzie said.

The committee is now awaiting the itemised R302,000 expenditure breakdown, which should establish how much was spent on travel, accommodation and other costs associated with the trip.

The disclosure raises further questions about the NAC's financial management at a time when its governance crisis has left it without a legally constituted council.