Cape Town - The Robben Island Museum (RIM) council’s announcement, that it has discontinued the disciplinary process and withdrawn all the charges against two executives – who were investigated for alleged mismanagement – has been condemned as lacking in transparency.
Standing committee on cultural affairs and sport chairperson Reagen Allen (DA) queried the process followed, leading to the halting of the process.
Earlier this month. following an investigation and a written report of legal advice furnished to the RIM council, which sustained a prima facie case for disciplinary steps, charges of misconduct were brought against two – as yet unnamed – RIM officials, and, according to council chairperson Khensani Maluleke, it was contemplated that a disciplinary inquiry would ensue on June 21.
On Wednesday, Maluleke said: “Pursuant to the receipt of certain documentation submitted to the investigators by the employees’ representatives and the assessment of those documents against the evidence expected from witnesses to testify on the council’s behalf, the council took further legal advice.
“On the basis of that advice, the council took the decision to discontinue the disciplinary process and issue the employees with notices, in terms of which they were advised of the withdrawal of the charges,” said Maluleke.
He said the decision was a victory and a huge relief for the council, and they had put the matter behind them and were looking forward to a new chapter. He also said the council would make an executive summary of the report of legal advice available “in the coming days”.
In his reaction Allen said: “It is rather shocking that the RIM council came to this conclusion following no transparency around the report. To this day we have no idea what the contents of the report are, the exact allegations, as well as the detailed process that was followed to get to this point.
“The lack of transparency has been prevalent since day one. We hope that the executive summary will provide some form of clarity on what has transpired.
“Whilst it is important to look forward, we still need answers from the RIM council, only then can we be taken into confidence that the Museum will be run competently in future.”
Meanwhile Ex-Political Prisoners Association (EPPA) secretary Mpho Masemola said the organisation wass surprised by the statement exonerating the two staffers.
Masemola said: “It is our view that Council usurped the role of the disciplinary hearing by seeking further legal advice and made such legal advice a ruling of a process they themselves had initiated, thus undermining its own authority, and bypassing our courts.
“Among other things we will be asking the council what precisely the new evidence it received was and where was it all along? Is it of such a nature that it was all-encompassing to have impacted every single charge?”