Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa
Johannesburg - Council members of the National Film and Video Foundation have splashed out more than R5 million on unauthorised international trips, while managers duped the foundation to foot the bill for their families and friends attending local film festivals.
This and other serious cases of abuse of power, nepotism and greed were contained in a damning report compiled by Comperio Forensic Services commissioned by Nathi Mthethwa, Minister of Arts and Culture, in June last year.
The report showed former chief executive Zama Mkosi aided in the overspending on a R782 297 trip to the Toronto International Film Festival with three members of the foundation council in September 2016.
About R414 000 was budgeted for the trip, which resulted in a R367 339 overspending. A further R2.2m was incurred when another delegation, which included two other council members, went on two trips to Cannes last year.
The two trips cost R5.4m, way above the R3.1m that was budgeted for international trips by Mthethwa.
Mkosi did not respond to repeated calls and a text message sent to her yesterday.
Mthethwa is the only person who approves or declines a request by council members to attend an international trip. But requests for these trips did not reach his office.
“It was established through computer imaging and analysis that Mkosi approved the Cannes trip on the same day (April 27, last year) that (name withheld) instructed Ms Karen Son (chief financial officer) via email to make travel and accommodation arrangements for his trip to London stating that he had a discussion with Mkosi relating to the trip.
“No documentary evidence could be obtained to substantiate the communication between (name withheld) and Mkosi regarding the London trip,” the document says.
Another official is said to have flown first class instead of business class from Dubai to Joburg, costing the foundation R8 230.
“Management allowed and approved travel costs for three council members knowingly that they were conducting their personal business under the pretext of official trips,” the report said.
Mkosi was again fingered for taking her husband, children and friends and their partners to the SA Film and Television Awards (Saftas) held at SunCity last year and the foundation paid the bill.
Acting chief executive Shadrack Bokaba said when he replaced Mkosi, most of the executive resigned, and he had to go the legal route to recover some of the money from implicated individuals.
Lebone Maema of the Independent Black Filmmakers Collective said the foundation had not met some of its mandates, such as setting up the Film Fund.
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