The national Department of Arts and Culture and the Robben Island Museum Council is expected to hold a joint press conference next week to address allegations of corruption and maladministration at the island.
”The final report has been tabled with the Ministry of Arts and Culture. A joint meeting will take place next week to make pronouncements on the report, but I have no firm date,” said Ben Martins, the deputy chairperson of the Robben Island Museum Council on Friday.
Martins said that according to his information, the Minister of Arts and Culture Ben Ngubane had viewed the independent report by auditors PricewaterhouseCooper on allegations of corruption and ancillary matters at the island.
”I assume that the report was also sent to the department’s legal division, but am not sure who else has seen it,” he said.
Martins indicated earlier that two unqualified reports of the auditor general had given the museum a clean bill of health. He said the audited reports of August 2002 and February 2003 found no evidence of corruption and was ”optimistic and confident” that the independent report would draw the same conclusion.
”I haven’t seen the report myself and there might be some areas that need tightening up, but don’t think there would be any material substance to the allegations,” he said.
PricewaterhouseCooper director Peter Cromhout refused to comment on the report on Friday and referred all matters to the department.
The ministerial spokesperson, Andile Xaba said in an e-mail on Friday: ”I can confirm that the department has received an audited report of Robben Island Museum. The report is still on its way to departmental officials and the minister, after that it will be discussed with the Robben Island Council and sufficient time will be allowed for the council to respond to the report.
”At this stage timelines are not clear as to the movement of the report between all the entities I have outlined above.”
Xaba did not want to confirm or deny whether the legal division was studying the report, only saying that ”they haven’t interpreted its meaning”.
Responding to questions in March when the allegations of corruption reached a zenith, Xaba said corruption and maladministration could in no way be regarded as good.
”If not nipped in the bud quite quickly such messages can impact negatively on the dignity and international standing of Robben Island Museum.”
He said the museum was a premier heritage institution of the government and remained popular with international and South African visitors because of its unique history and symbolism. ‒ Sapa