Cape Town - The Robben Island Museum lost an estimated R500000 in ticket sales, which might have to be refunded, on Thursday, the first day of an indefinite strike that has paralysed the museum’s ferry service.
The figure is based on the fact that ordinarily there are five daily tours to the island ferrying approximately 1100 visitors back and forth at a rate of R550 per adult for overseas visitors and R380 for South African residents, and assuming half of the visitors would have been foreigners.
Members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union went on strike at the museum, demanding the release of a report from a forensic investigation into the museum’s management, and a 9% across-the-board salary increase.
According to the Robben Island Museum’s (RIM’s) website, “If a tour is cancelled you will be refunded.
“Refunds will only be issued against the return of your ticket and proof of identification.
“Robben Island Museum will only refund tickets due to adverse weather conditions or where the ferry is experiencing operational difficulties.”
The price of the ticket includes access to Robben Island, the museum, access to Jetty 1 and the Nelson Mandela Gateway exhibitions.
RIM’s last available annual report was for the 2016/2017 period.
In that report it said visitor numbers for the period were 370152, a 2% increase from the previous year’s 364021 visitors.
RIM spokesperson Morongoa Ramaboa said: “RIM has applied its strike response plan from the first day to ensure minimal impact on operations. On the fourth day (of protests by staff), we can confirm that it has become a full-blown strike.”
Ramaboa said the museum was investigating “the possible sabotage” of one of its ferries.
The “tampering” with one of RIM’s vessels had “prevented RIM outsourced vessels from docking”.
“Given the severity of the incident, the matter will be investigated. In the event that sabotage is substantiated, RIM will institute necessary human resources, legal and criminal charges,” said Ramaboa.
On Thursday former Justice and Correctional Services minister Michael Masutha was announced as the new chairperson of the RIM council.
According to a press release, Masutha was appointed on December 11.
Masutha, who is on a two-day visit to Cape Town to familiarise himself with RIM, said: “As I take up the role of RIM chairperson, I am aware of the various challenges that RIM is confronted with at this stage, and part of my visit is to ensure that the necessary arrangements are made for council, at its earliest opportunity, to consider and deal with some of these challenges.”
In December last year, former acting chairperson Sibusiso Buthelezi assured members of the public that a process was under way to address matters related to the report from the forensic investigation into the management of the museum, and that an update would be made public this year.The Ex-Political Prisoners Association (EPPA), meanwhile, welcomed Masutha’s appointment.
EPPA secretary-general Mpho Masemola said when they met him in December, “Masutha undertook to carry out all the matters affecting EPPA based on the contentious forensic report”.
Commenting on the strike, Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Anroux Marais said she would raise the issue as “a matter of urgency” with Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa, “as we cannot allow corruption, maladministration and nonchalance at national level to threaten job-creation, tourism and heritage promotion in the Western Cape”.
“It is long overdue that the national government relinquishes management authority of RIM to the Western Cape government as we have a proven track record of prioritising heritage development,” said Marais.