The Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture invited the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) today, to obtain a briefing on the complaints that were received from employees of PanSALB regarding allegations of abuse of power by the Acting Chief Executive Officer and the Board, abuse of public funds by PanSALB and to obtain clarity on the failure of PanSALB to follow through with a court instruction to re-instate officials of PanSALB that were unfairly dismissed.
Today’s meeting was a follow-up to a number of meetings the Committee has held with PanSALB and the Department of Arts and Culture. As a result of these challenges in the organisation, PanSALB has not been focusing on its mandate as stipulated in the Constitution. Further to this, the Human Resources Manager of PanSALB was chased out of today’s meeting after misleading the Committee on some of the allegations.
The meeting ended with the Committee referring the matter to the Minister of Arts and Culture for intervention. It is against this background that the Committee believes it has exhausted discussions with PanSALB and recommends the following cause of action to the Minister of Arts and Culture.
- The Minister to intervene and restore the dignity of PanSALB.
- The Minister to measure and review the performance of the current Board.
- The Committee is also concerned about the use of public funds for legal fees of individuals to the detriment of the mandate of PanSALB.
- The Minister to look into the matter of the abuse of power by the Acting CEO of PanSALB.
- To ensure that PanSALB is functioning according to its mandate.
The Committee further agreed that the Minister should report back to the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture on the implementation of these recommendations by 21 September 2011.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, contact:
Faith Kwaza
Cell: 072 122 0371
Tel: 021 403 8062
E-mail: fkwaza@parliament.gov.za
Source: Parliament of South Africa
