ATC180213: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture on the visit to the Enyokeni Cultural Precinct and the KwaZulu Natal museum, Dated 13 February 2018

Arts and Culture

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture on the visit to the Enyokeni Cultural Precinct and the KwaZulu Natal museum, Dated 13 February 2018

 

The Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture (the Committee) having conducted an oversight visit to the Enyokeni Cultural Precinct and the Kwa Zulu Natal Museum, reports as follows:

 

1. INTRODUCTION

The Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture visited the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province on 14 and 15 September 2017. The Committee visited two sites, namely the Enyokeni Cultural Precinct in Nongoma and the KwaZulu-Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg.

 

The trip chiefly stems from a Committee resolution to pay an official visit to Enyokeni Palace to conduct an in loco inspection because of recurring matters that emerged during the Committee’s engagements with the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC).

 

This report outlines a summary of issues that emerged during the recent oversight visit and it further provides recommendations by the Committee.

 

1. COMPOSITION OF THE DELEGATION

 

1. Members of the Portfolio Committee

The delegation consisted of the following members:

Hon Mr. JL Mahlangu (ANC); NC); Hon Ms. SP Tsoleli (ANC); Hon Ms. XS Tom (Chairperson and leader of delegation); Hon Dr. A Grootboom (DA); Hon Mr. Rabotapi (DA) and Dr. PWA Mulder (FF+).

 

1. Parliamentary support staff

Ms. A Mtiya (Committee Secretary); Ms. V Makhubalo (Committee Assistant) and Mr. L Komle (Content Advisor)

 

1. Department of Arts and Culture

Mr. V Ndima (Deputy Director General); M Khumalo (Deputy Director General); Mr. S Nkanunu (Parliamentary Liaison Officer); Dr. S Tyiso (Chief Director); Ms. P Njuzo Deputy Director)

 

1. Enyokeni Cultural Precinct

Mr. X Buthelezi (Deputy Director: Zululand District Municipality); Mr. J Wick (Sunday Times); Mr. C Nxumalo (Chief Director: Office of the Premier); Prince MZ Zulu (Royal Household); Dr. DB Khumalo (Chairperson: Usuthu Traditional Council); Prince SW Zulu (Royal Household); Prince KE Zulu (Royal Household); Mr. M Mthembu (Director: Office of the Premier)       

 

1. KwaZulu Natal Museum

Ms. N Mazibuko (Chairperson); Dr. S Malapane (Council Member); Mr. K Randel (Council Member); Mr. L Mapasa (Director); Mr. F Dantile (Deputy Chairperson); Ms. N Makunga (Council Member); Mr. M Mazibuko (Finance); Mr. S Dlamini (Manager); Ms. S Ntombela (Assistant Directro); Ms. V Dlomo (Chief Librarian); Mr. W Flanagan (Assistant Director);  Ms. N Gumede (Council Secretary); Mr. N Vilakazi (Regional Manager: Public Works); Ms. T Mbhele (Director: Public Works); Ms. J Rinder (Chief Project Manager: Public Works); Mr. P Singh (Deputy Director: Public Works); Mr. R.E. Nel (Public Works) 

 

1. BACKGROUND

ENYOKENI CULTURAL PRECINCT PROJECT

In 1984, the reigning Zulu King His Majesty, Goodwill Zwelithini revived the annual Reed Dance Ceremony (uMkhosi woMhlanga). The Enyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma is the site for this annual one-day event that takes place in either August or September. The year 2014 thus marked the 30th anniversary of the Ceremony. This was one of the main impetuses for the King and the Royal House requesting financial assistance in 2013 from the Department in the form of capital funding for the Enyokeni Royal Palace’s Isibhubhu Cultural Arena and Interpretive Centre.

 

In the 2014/15 financial year, according to its annual report, the Department made a commitment of R131 million in support of this project[1] even though the project did not appear in the Department’s 2014/15 Annual Performance Plan (APP).

 

According to the Department, “Enyokeni Cultural Precinct project is a multi-cultural activities and heritage precinct intended for the promotion and preservation of arts, culture and heritage through hosting various cultural heritage festivities and ceremonies that of great significance to the nation.”[2]

 

In its engagements with the Department in 2016 and 2017, the Committee noted the Enyokeni Cultural Precinct Project had been implemented without proper planning, and additional phases were added without due consideration or approval. This together with the misspent funds made the Committee to visit the Project.

 

 

KWAZULU MUSEUM

KwaZulu-Natal Museum has eight natural history galleries and around ten cultural history galleries that include an array of mammals (together with the last wild elephant in KwaZulu-Natal), birds, amphibians, insects, an extensive mollusc collection and a life-size T-Rex model. There is also a room dedicated to KwaZulu-Natal history, geological and Paleontological material, and a reconstruction of a Victorian street set in the late 1800's, complete with shops, stable and period homes. The Museum officially opened an exciting exhibition on the Soccer World Cup, in May 2010. The 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indian people to South Africa was celebrated in November 2010, with the launch of a new permanent exhibition showcasing the Indian community of Pietermaritzburg. The KwaZulu-Natal Museum is also very popular with the schools and family visitors alike.

 

1. FINDINGS

 

1. Enyokeni cultural precinct

The Committee observed the following:

 

1. Implementation of an unplanned project

The Committee observed that Enyokeni Cultural Precinct Project was not planned and was not part of any previous Annual Performance Plans of the Department of Arts and Culture. The Committee found that the project was not costed and budgeted for and there was no business plan to guide the implementation of the project. This resulted in additional work being added to the original master plan. The Master plan was open ended, which meant that additions could be made as and when a need arise. 

 

1. Relationship between the Department of Arts and Culture and the     Independent Development Trust  

The Committee observed that there was a breakdown of relations between Department and IDT resulting in the contract with the IDT cancelled for non-performance. The IDT did not ensure that contactors charged the Department market related tariffs resulting in R28.6million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure on the Enyokeni Cultural Precinct Project.      

 

1. Lack of monitoring by the Department of Arts and Culture

The Committee observed that there was no monitoring by the Department of Arts and Culture on allocated funds. The Committee also observed that the Department of Arts and Culture did not understand the scope of work i.e. the escalation of the cost of the installation of the water tank resulting from an unclear scope of work, which led to the variation orders of R4.2million.        

 

1. Handover of the project  

The Committee observed that there was no official hand over of the project resulting in lack of clarity on who is responsible for maintenance of completed works. The was no handover because of the challenges during construction.

  

1. Maintenance Plan

There was no maintenance plan, such that the 2.5 Megalitre tank is already leaking.

 

1. Outstanding facilities

The project is not complete, as it still needs a roof covering and ablution facilities. The roof covering was in the initial plan but it could not be done because of inadequate funds.

 

1. Quality of work

The Amphitheatre area costed R37.9 million, however there were visible cracks on the walls which might be indicative of shoddy workmanship.

 

1. RECOMMENDATIONS

The Committee recommends the following:

 

• The Department should plan all its projects appropriately. As the Enyokeni Projects was not in the APP, that makes its funding irregular. Thus, the DAC should regularise the project.
• The Department should ensure that the contracts that it enters into with other entities/ and or departments should be watertight and not be open for contestation.   
• Whenever the Department is involved in projects with other government entities, it should always closely monitor those projects, to get return on investments.
• All projects that are outsourced by the Department should be handed over to the Department appropriately to curb any misunderstanding in the end.
• The Department should put together a plan and the financial breakdown of the funding of the roof and ablution facilities.
• Work that is outsourced should be properly monitored to minimise shoddy workmanship and to maximise return on investment.

 

1. Courtesy Visit to the KwaZulu Natal Museum    

The Committee paid the KwaZulu Natal Museum a courtesy visit and conducted a walk about to understand the challenges relating to GRAP 103 and other issues. During the walkabout, the Committee noted that the Museum Building was not compliant in terms of the security of the collections. The Museum indicated that they would improve security, which included controlled access to the storerooms.  The Department of Arts and Culture indicated that it had identified a building to house the Museum in future.  

1. KwaZulu Natal Museum

The Committee observed the following:

1.  Status of the building

The Committee observed that the institution is in desperate need for bigger and more appropriate storage facilities, as the current spaces cannot safely and securely house the museum’s collection. The Museum is in an old facility, which is 113 years old and it houses very delicate material.

 

1.  New Building

Owing to the deficit in the building occupied by the museum, the DAC identified and purchased the Old St Anne’s Hospital at 96 Jabu Ndlovu Street as the site for a new purpose built KwaZulu-Natal Museum.

 

1. Health and Safety

There are challenges on health and safety such that temperature regulation is a challenge. The species need to be at a certain temperature for preservation.

 

1. Human Resource Matters

There are staff challenges in terms of staff retention. The entity is doing job grading with the assistance of the DAC.

1. GRAP 103

The museum is working on the GRAP 103 such that it has appointed staff top capture the heritage assets. The GRAP 103 made the museum to get a qualified audit.

1. Research

The museum has a very strong research team in-house. They are also engaging with NRF and DST for research. One of their employees has just received a Masters Degree in Science with Cum Laude from University of KwaZulu Natal. She is now pursuing a Doctoral Degree studying earthworms.

1. Diversity

The entity is divided into three galleries, namely: OR Tambo Freedom Gallery, Natural Sciences and Anthropology (under humanities).

 

1.    Recommendation

• The Department should put an operational plan in place on how it will embark on making the building habitable and user friendly for the museum staff and all the species in the museum.
•  The space where scientists conduct their work must be separated from the space where fossils are kept because fossils require a certain temperature.  
• The Department and the entity should expedite the job grading so that they do not lose more employees.
• The capture and evaluation of GRAP 103 should be expedited so that by the time of next auditing, they should be in order.
• The entity should provide room for more employees to study further and to do research in their niche areas.

 

 

Report to be considered.

 

 

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[1] Department of Arts and Culture (2015).

[2] Department of Arts and Culture (2017x).