Question NW2146 to the Minister of Arts and Culture
15 June 2022 - NW2146
Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Arts and Culture
With reference to his announcement of the R7 million relief funding for Liliesleaf Trust, of which the staff are effectively in the dark as to whether the funds have been released, and since the announcement of the Trustees of the Liliesleaf Trust, neither he nor the Administrator who has been appointed by the Trustees has convened a meeting with the staff to discuss the relief funding and when they can expect to get paid, what are the reasons that there has been no action on the part of the Trustees to engage with the Liliesleaf staff; 2. whether the funds have been released; if not, (a) why not and (b) on what date is it envisaged that the funds will be released; if so, (i) on what date were the funds released and (ii) into which account were the funds paid. 3. whether it will be yet another month the Liliesleaf staff have gone without being paid, given the specified situation and the fact they have not been paid yet again while it can be reasonably assumed that he would have ensured that the funds would have been released as a matter of priority; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. The Liliesleaf staff have been kept abreast by the Trustees on measures that have been undertaken by the Trustees regarding the stabilisation and the re-organisation of the Liliesleaf Museum. The Liliesleaf Board met with the staff on 19 April 2022, where the staff was informed that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has been granted R7 million to re-establish the museum. The staff was also informed that they will be paid 3 months salaries from April 2022. The Department can confirm that staff has been paid their 3 months salaries as agreed with the staff on the 19th of April 2022.