/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal has called for the now completed KZN Music House forensic audit to be released in its entirety to the public.

The call comes as the R1.1 million probe, funded by the provincial Treasury, is set to only be partially released on 6 December. This while senior officials within both the Music House and KZN’s Department of Arts and Culture (DoAC) face charges following allegations of fraud and corruption which led to the ruin of the multi-million Rand facility.

Regrettably, KZN’s Treasury had ordered that the release of the audit be split, with only the criminal allegations being mentioned while internal matters are withheld.

The DA strongly disapproves of this and demands that the full audit be made public and for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to criminally charge all individuals involved without delay. We will not tolerate only part of the audit being released and the rest being covered up by the DoAC.

The DA has raised concern over the mismanagement of funds at the KZN Music House for many years. With the audit now finalised, it is imperative that the appropriate charges be laid against those that have been implicated.

The KZN Music House has now been closed for several years due to ongoing mismanagement. Millions of Rands were pumped into the facility which originally opened its doors 2009. Its purpose was to offer assistance to emerging KZN musicians and artists in the form of state-of-the-art recording studios.

The DA regards it as shocking that the very people who were meant to help struggling artists and who were supposed to look after this valuable facility are the same people behind its downfall – purely as a result of greed.

These individuals have failed dismally in their duty to assist musicians and other artists to flourish. The full audit must be made public so that artists can identify those responsible for robbing them of valuable opportunities to grow their careers.

Regrettably, KZN Premier, Sihle Zikalala, appears unfazed by what is going on within this Department and has dragged his feet for months when it comes to firing MEC Hlengiwe Mavimbela, along with her Head of Department (HOD), NP Chonco.

The DA urges the Premier – yet again – to fire them both so that the DoAC can start delivering on its mandate to the people of KZN and start receiving clean audits in the future.

Issued by DA KZN Spokesperson on Arts and Culture Bradley Singh