The Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa wishes to advise members of the press that the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) has appointed a service provider to conduct a forensic investigation into the embattled administration of the Market Theatre.
The forensic investigating team – an external entity- has begun its work and is presently at the Market Theatre administration offices- conduction interviews with staff and collecting information i.e. data amongst other methods it is expected to employ to ascertain the veracity of a host of allegations made against individuals in the institution’s administration in media reports.
These allegations were also repeated wholly or in part in two meeting convened by senior officials of the DAC including Director-General Vusumuzi Mkhize and Deputy Director-General: Institutional Governance Ms Kelebogile Sethibelo in June and July respectively with: 1) the Market Theatre Council and 2) the Market Theatre Management.
The latter was instructed by the DAC to inform the staff of the Market Theatre of the DAC’s intervention in the form of the imminent arrival of forensic investigators to carry out their work as guided by the “Terms of Reference” of the Forensic Investigation. The “Terms of Reference” provide the service provider with the order to look at allegations of various improprieties pertaining to not only the Council but also Senior Management.
The Ministry further wishes to advise members of the press that due to the broad scope of the “Terms of Reference” it is not possible at this time to estimate the duration of the forensic investigation. What the Ministry is at liberty to state however is that the service provider will be providing the DAC with an Investigation Report for consideration and implementation of the investigation recommendations. The Investigation Report may be used in the internal/external hearings which may include civil and criminal proceedings. The preliminary findings will be made available once completed.
Minister Mthethwa’s decision to solicit the services of external and expert forensic investigators for this definitive and conclusive probe is informed by and is also in line with the DAC’s commitment to adherence to sound, transparent and accountable governance and transparency – not only within the DAC but by extension, in all the entities that fall under its curatorship - the Market Theatre being one of them.
For further information, and interview requests please contact: Asanda Magaqa, Spokesperson for the Minister of Arts and Culture – 072 372 6807 and asandam@dac.gov.za
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