Stopping the robbing on Robben Island

Education

Robben Island is supposed to be a symbol of South Africa’s struggle for freedom.

It’s also a cash cow drawing thousands of tourists who want to see where former president Nelson Mandela spent 18 years incarcerated.

But the World Heritage Site has become a national disgrace.

In recent years it has been plagued by allegations of gross financial mismanagement, leadership battles, corruption, theft and environmental incompetence.

Desiree van der Walt, DA shadow deputy minister of arts and culture, said she went as an ordinary tourist earlier in July and was shocked at the state of the island. She said there was rubbish everywhere and the signage at Robert Sobukwe’s house was broken.

“Our tour guide was exceptionally good but the individual who took us through the prison only spoke about himself and was very one-sided.”

Van der Walt said the video kept blurring on the ferry on the way over, irritating tourists who couldn’t make out what was being said.

She added that in the curio shop on the island, the music was blaring so loudly she couldn’t hear the person at the cash register.

Van der Walt said she was also concerned about Arts and Culture Minister Lulu Xingwana’s reluctance to release the 2008 forensic audit into the Robben Island Museum.

She said the DA had asked for its disclosure on two occasions using the Promotion of Access to Information Act but had not even received acknowledgement of receipt of its request.

Van der Walt put Robben Island’s shambolic management down to political cadres being appointed instead of people “fit to do the job”.

Robben Island Museum’s drama-laden past goes back more than seven years.

A few of the more high-profile incidents include:

Director of the RIM Andre Odendaal resigning in 2002 after allegations of mismanagement and corruption which led to former inmates locking themselves in cells and embarking on a hunger strike.

The suspension of the museum’s chief executive officer, Paul Langa, chief operations officer Denmark Tungwana and chief financial officer Lesetja Masekwameng after a forensic report in 2008.

Theft of cash from the curio shop by employees.

According to the auditor-general, in its 2007/08 financial statements, the RIM could not account for ticket sales amounting to R28.3 million.

Thousands of tourists having their trips cancelled because of mechanical problems with Robben Island Museum’s “historic” ferries, which were brought back into use during delays in the building of the new ferry.

Robben Island’s new R26m ferry Sikhululekile, meaning “We are Free”, being attached under a court order until the museum paid an outstanding amount of R2 million to boat builder Farocean.

Large amounts of fuel for the ferry siphoned off by staff.

Mass resignations of the former council and acting chief executive Seelan Naidoo in May.

Pamphlets distributed on Robben Island saying that Naidoo was not welcome on the island because he was an Indian.

Animals including bontebok, springbok, fallow deer and rabbits starving to death because of neglect and a lack of vegetation.

When asked via his assistant, Zelda la Grange, whether Mandela was aware of what was going on at the island he made famous, we received this response from Sello Hatang of the Nelson Mandela Foundation: “Mr Mandela is now retired and no longer giving comments/interviews.”

Professor Henry Bredekamp, the recently appointed interim CEO of Robben Island Museum, said his brief from Xingwana was to stabilise the situation “as soon as possible”.

Bredekamp said Xingwana wanted him to introduce management measures which would reassure the public that the Robben Island Museum would be a “prime destination in 2010″.

He said the main challenges would be balancing the needs of visitors wanting to come to Robben Island versus the conservation of the space and continuing the implementation of the integrated conservation management plan.

Another was the filling of vacancies with skilled and competent staff.

Bredekamp said that several priorities had been identified.

These included finalising an agreement with Robben Island’s ex-political prisoners with regard to the use of their memories in the island narrative and launching the database and portal for the UWC-Robben Island Museum Mayibuye Archive portal.

There are also plans to create a facility to house the Robben Island moveable collection.

Bredekamp said there had been a 24 percent increase in visitor numbers between January and June 2009, compared to the same period in 2008.

There was no response to e-mailed questions sent to Xingwana.

Source: IOL

admin @ July 20, 2009