The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has called for a forensic probe into funding allocated for library books in the province. This after it was revealed that many facilities have not received any new reading material for as long as three years.
The DA’s call comes amid ongoing concern that funds allocated as part of KZN’s Department of Arts and Culture (DoAC) budget, during the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 financial years, have been misused.
This is the second time that the DA has been forced to enquire about the Department’s procurement of library books. While the DoAC’s alleged audited financials show that the budget allocation for library books has been used in full during this period, a very different picture has emerged on the ground.
This includes reports from regular book suppliers that they have been struggling to earn an income since 2018 after both the KZN Municipal Library and the KZN Provincial Library Services stopped purchasing books. To date, more than 180 book suppliers have been affected.
The DA is also aware that a previous tender for library services was cancelled by Arts and Culture Head of Department, Nontokozo Chonco, who turned away 184 suppliers who were meant to supply books to libraries across the province. The suppliers were simply told that the HOD had cancelled the tender, without any reason given. Two other submissions for October 2019 and February 2020 were also cancelled.
According to Departmental budget reports, it is alleged that Memorandums of Agreements were delayed during the Covid-19 lockdown, which impacted library services, including the securing of new books.
The reality though is that the lack of new books was an issue long before the onset of the virus. This also raises serious questions when it comes to the Department’s 2017/18 budget, during which it also claimed to have spent the full budget allocation for books.
Something does not add up and the DA expects KZN Arts and Culture MEC, Hlengiwe Mavimbela to provide answers. We need to know where those funds are and what they have been used for. If, as claimed by the DoAC, books were bought – then where are these invisible books?
In addition to this, we want to know how many suppliers were part of the procurement process by Supply Chain Management for the DoAC since 2018. Clarity is needed in this regard due to the large number of suppliers who are coming forward and seeking answers on why they have not been given orders since then.
Ironically, in its 2020/2021 budget allocation, the DoAC has stated that it will be purchasing 90 000 books, to be supplied to municipal libraries across the province. Whether these too will remain a figment of the imagination remains to be seen.
Libraries play a vital role within KZN’s communities. They need to be properly resourced and maintained if they are to continue to do so. The DA will continue to fight for answers when it comes to how and where this critical funding is spent.
