Probe into R300 million arts project under way

The arts and culture ministry said on Sunday an investigation into a now-halted R300 million project near Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini's Enyokeni Palace in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal is under way.

"We have no further comment to make on this matter as there is an investigation under way," said ministerial spokesman Sandile Memela.

"We cannot provide any details until the matter has been finalised."

The Sunday Independent reported that Minister Nathi Mthethwa had ordered construction on a cultural precinct near the palace to stop and a forensic investigation to take place.

The newspaper said issues around authorisation and budgeting of the project would be probed.

The focus of the project was apparently to build various facilities and tourist attractions around the site of the annual Reed Dance hosted by Zwelithini.

Mthethwa's orders came a month after Arts and Culture director-general Sibusiso Xaba was suspended at the beginning of October.

In a statement at the time, Mthethwa said Xaba was suspended pending an investigation into allegations including irregular expenditure and non-adherence to procedure.

He said he had taken the step following a qualified audit report presented in July this year.

Xaba told The Sunday Independent that the Enyokeni project was one of the reasons cited for his suspension.

"... But there were no details about what exactly was wrong about Enyokeni," he said.

"The auditor-general did not raise issues about Enyokeni and it was not part of the irregular expenditure that he mentioned," Xaba told the newspaper.