The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) welcomes the decision of the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture to initiate an investigation on the alleged abuse of power by the Acting Chief Executive Officer and the Board.
The Board would like to state that as far as it is concerned there is no abuse of power in the organisation. This and some other allegations emanate from employees who do not want to be held accountable for their transgressions and believe that they are beyond reproach.
“We cannot allow the values and principles of the organisation to be eroded by employees who fail to follow rules and regulations and when the organisation acts against them, allege abuse of power. Even the report of the Auditor-General of South Africa attested to this culture and had asked the organisation to act,” said Dr Malete, Chairperson of the Board.
It must be noted that the organisation has not suspended nor charged these employees except in terms of the provisions of Section 38 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).
At the moment PanSALB is still involved in a legal battle with its former senior legal adviser who was charged with gross misconduct and dismissed based on a guilty finding of an independent chairperson in a disciplinary hearing. The said person had continued to make serious allegations against the Board and its Acting CEO despite forensic investigations, which the former employee had demanded, proving otherwise. It is a concern to the Board that this individual continues to spread false statements. At its meeting on 26 August the Board therefore requested its legal team to look into the matter.
At the same meeting it was emphasised that the Acting CEO should continue executing the mandate of the Board and defending all litigation against the organisation as he was not doing so in his individual capacity.
“The investigation initiated by the committee is greatly welcomed. We trust that it will put to rest all the allegations against the Board and its Acting CEO. The Board also expresses its confidence in the Acting CEO and the management for ensuring that the organisation achieves its third successive unqualified audit report.
“We hope the investigation will focus on the causes of the problems. It is our view that there is also a need to reconsider the founding legislation of the organisation which makes Board members non-executive directors who are not fulltime in the organisation, and to cover the issue of insufficient funding which we have been registering for a couple of years now.
“Now, more than ever, with South Africa proving to be a country of potential, a country in the forefront of growth on the African continent and an example of the greatness locked up in diversity, we as PanSALB want to play our critical part in developing our nation. We have in the past done much to further the development and increase the use of languages as well as enhance enforcement of language rights in South Africa. What we do at PanSALB is key to unlocking the potential of all South Africans and providing through language the vehicle for economic and social growth in our country and continent.
“We will continue to build a better organisation to fulfil our mandate to the nation and to ensure that the provision of language parity as enshrined in our Constitution is observed. We welcome constructive criticism from every sector of society as we undertake this mammoth task,” Malete concluded.
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