SAHRA Presentation: Arts and Culture Parliamentary Portfolio Committee

1. SAHRA Presentation: Arts and Culture Parliamentary Portfolio Committee By Somadoda Fikeni (SAHRA Chairperson) 31 October 2012 Parliament in Cape Town

2. Prelude • SAHRA Mandate as articulated in the National Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999 is arguably the most important piece of legislation in South Africa’s promotion, protection and preservation of heritage. • SAHRA has regulatory powers of protecting national heritage estate including control of export of nationally significant heritage objects, protection of built environment which has heritage significance as well as setting national standards and norms in integrated heritage resources management • This makes SAHRA to be potentially the most important heritage national asset or body that ought to operate at full capacity or risk endangering national heritage estate or resources. • Such a vast mandate also require appropriate resources, both human and financial. Something that is currently seriously lacking and in need of urgent intervention.

3. Purpose and outline • Presentation of SAHRA Annual Report 2011/2012. • Report-back on interventions to turnaround SAHRA • Primary focus on 3 areas: • Outline of SAHRA challenges • Intervention plan and turnaround strategy • CEO Contract • Key core business projects and achievements

4. Nature of SAHRA challenges • SAHRA’s broad and compelling mandate and serious shortage of financial and human resources. • Non-adherence to policies especially in the area of financial controls and procurements. • Non-remuneration of council members • Poor institutional work culture/ethos. • Poorly managed devolution of functions to provinces.

5. Audit findings-Interventions • Budgetary control & management of expenditure • Tight control over expenditure • Budgets reworked, compiled on a sounder footing • Principles of necessity, austerity and relevance i.t.o. SAHRA’s core statutory mandate • Special focus on DAC “Capital Projects” and donor-funded projects • Finance & Supply Chain Management • Financial management resources strengthened, with DAC support • Forensic enquiry to be conducted with combination of internal resources & independent assistance

6. Audit-findings: Interventions… • Internal Audit • Internal audit service provider being replaced • Have obtained internal audit reports from 2010/2011 • Audit Committee being strengthened • Additional Council representative appointed • Strong response to advertisement for 2 independent candidates • Audit Committee will meet 9/11, also 30/11 • Organisational Review • Positive shift in staff morale, also in organisational culture and behaviour • Principle of collaboration and support for PHRA’s, seeking to build capacity • Striving for a national balance in heritage conservation activities

7. Intervention and turnaround • Setting up of a Turn-Around Task Team involving DAC, sister institutions that have good record of performance in identified areas. • Appointment of Staff in all key vacancies • Appointment of an acting CEO who will also operationally lead implementation of turn-around and normalization strategy. • Development of a comprehensive Audit Plan working closely with the AG. • DAC has commissioned work to cost SAHRA constitutive Act/Mandate in order to determine proper levels of resourcing SAHRA.

8. Intervention & Turnaround continues… • Process of appointing an audit firm to assist with internal audit. • Prioritization of asset registration including involvement of specialist service provider for a quicker turn-around. • Revamping of performance management system for greater effectiveness. • Development of an effective business model for greater effectiveness and agility of SAHRA in partnership with provinces and other heritage practioners. • Forensic investigation and investigation of possible misconduct will soon take place. If any fraud or financial or other misconduct took place then responsible persons will be held accountable. • DAC Minister, Mr Paul Mashatile, has written to treasury to expedite the issue of council remuneration. An interim measure is being considered within the framework provided by the treasury regulations on council/board remuneration.

9. CEO Contract and council decision • Council, having applied its mind, taking into account all available documents resolved that there was never a valid decision extending Ms Sibongile van Damme’s contract from three years to five years. Council therefore has sent a letter to Ms van Damme communicating its decision that there was no longer an employment contract with SAHRA as her three year contract has expired.

10. HR Issues

11. Core Business programmes: current programmes and past achievements • Launch of Centre for Training, Research and Education in Grahamstown and currently partnering with Rhodes University. First cohort of 39 trainees from across the country graduated on 19 October 2012. Plans to upscale the programme. • First ever Afrikaner heritage icon, Voortrekker Monument, declared a national heritage site with more such declaration in the pipeline. • SAHRA assessed provincial PHRAs granting the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Free State were given the right to conduct some functions heritage resources management as informed by their predetermined competencies. • SAHRA succesfully prevented the sale of “The Arab Priest” painting by Irma Stern and entered a temporary export permit with Qatar Museum. • The South African Heritage Resources Information System has just been established and will be populated with most comprehensive data of South African resources and made available to government, public and researchers. • An unprecedented number of graves graded and some declared: These include those of John LangalibaleleDube, Rev. Mahabane, J.T Gumede, AB Xuma, Nkosi Albert Luthuli, PixleykaSeme, S.M. Makgatho, Steve biko, Robert Sobukweand RahimaMoosa. Burger’s Concentration Camp burial sites and prisoners of war being graded. • Underwater and maritime heritage activities took place in partnership with Netherlands-based Centre for International Heritage Activities.

12. Summary & conclusion • SAHRA has serious challenges as reflected in the Auditor General’s report and Council identified problems. • Bold intervention methods are in place to reverse this situation and aim for an unqualified audit and ultimately clean audit. SAHRA is working closely with the AG and DAC in resolving these challenges. • SAHRA historical structural and resource weaknesses finally being attended to. • Protracted CEO contract impasse now resolved to allow normal functioning of organization. • SAHRA at this juncture has the best possible chance of turning-around and rising to the challenge of fulfilling its nationally significant mandate of promoting, preserving and protecting our national heritage estate. • SAHRA will always subject itself to publicly account for public funds it utilize and appreciate interaction and guidance it continue to receive from the Parliamentary portfolio committee.

13. Thank You Siyabonga Dankie