Chasing the Unqualified Audit while Preserving Mandela's Legacy

Dr Booi has more than 20 years of experience working in the heritage and cultural arena and is passionate about preserving and sharing the national liberation heritage. His appointment to the CEO post comes at a time when the Nelson Mandela Museum (NMM) is striving to maintain its record of unqualified and clean audit outcomes and augment the museum’s offerings.

Can you elaborate on your 100 days in office?

My focus during the first 100 days as CEO of the museum centred around several key strategic areas:

• Digitisating the Nelson Mandela Museum collection.

• Reviving and strengthening stakeholder relationships and assessing the needs and expectations of stakeholders.

• Building a formidable team capable of delivering on the museum’s strategic objectives.

• Re viewing and implementin g the council's critical decisions regarding improvement of the museum infrastructure.

• Building good relations with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure that resulted in the renovation of the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre in Qunu.

• Bu ilding relations bet ween King Dalindyebo Municipality and the communities of Mvezo, Nelson Mandela’s birthplace, and Qunu, where the great man grew up.

What key priority areas have you identified where the museum can improve?

From a management point of view, the museum needs to improve how it manages its collections and implement a sustainable conservation management plan. It also needs to focus on improving the management and maintenance of its infrastructure. Stakeholder engagement and the overall management strategy are also areas where improvement is needed.

Other priority areas are integrating all the places associated with Nelson Mandela into the museum’s broader development plans and narratives, developing compelling and educational exhibitions to attract new audiences, and implementing a strong marketing drive and strategy to ensure the museum becomes a popular tourist attraction in Mthatha.

Dr Vuyani Gweki Booi, CEO

The museum has received unqualified and clean audit outcomes for the past three to four years. What is your approach to ensuring that it continues to achieve these positive outcomes?

It is important that when responding to questions, the answers are technically correct. There are four regulated audit opinions –unqualified, qualified, disclaimer, and adverse. Clean audit outcome is a popular phrase used in the public sector. We are immensely proud that the museum has obtained an unqualified opinion for six consecutive years.

Obtaining such an achievement is not just an event, but a process involving plenty of hard work and dedication, not purely from the finance staff, but from the museum as a whole. The formula for reaching and sustaining improved audit outcomes is competent staff, effective internal controls, good information technology systems, reconciliation, and monitoring.

In your view, how important are collaborations with institutions of higher learning (nationally and internationally), civic organizations and NGOs for achieving the museum’s goals and preserving Nelson Mandela’s principles?

The museum currently has formidable partnerships with South African institutions of higher learning.

For instance, the Nelson Mandela Museum is working closely on various projects with the University of Johannesburg, the University of Fort Hare, the Walter Sisulu University and the Nelson Mandela University. It also collaborates with an international partner, Michigan State University in the United States. In addition, the museum partners with Anne Frank Haus Oldau, Arbeit und Leben Niedersachsen in Germany.

The museum has strong relations with the democratic structures of civil society, such as the traditional council, civic organizations, women and youth structures, sports and cultural organizations, and is working closely with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to implement a project promoting social cohesion and appreciation of Nelson Mandela`s values. The museum maintains strong ties with organizations that advocate social justice. And, the museum will soon be entering a partnership with the Public Service Commission.

Do you have partners in the private sector and what is their role in preserving Nelson Mandela’s legacy?

We currently do not have a streamlined relationship with the private sector, but it’s worth mentioning that NMM received a bus sponsored by Mercedes Benz South Africa to enable us to pursue our education programmes. The museum also received a limited amount of money from Investec to promote arts and culture. The NMM has embarked on a fundraising drive that will see it connecting with the private sector.

The role of the private sector partners is to assist the museum with its education programmes and support the social justice programmes whose objectives are to protect the vulnerable groups in society, such as women and children. We need the private sector to help the museum develop museum exhibitions and educational programmes that will help to spread and share the values of Mandela throughout the world.

This year marks the 10th commemoration of the passing of Nelson Mandela. What are Nelson Mandela Museum’s plans to celebrate this auspicious occasion? And how will the communities benefit from these celebrations?

The Nelson Mandela Museum plans to officially unveil two statues of Nelson Mandela on 18 July 2023 to mark the 10th commemoration of his passing.

The Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre (NMYHC) in Qunu will officially reopen after its closure in 2018 due to the major renovations it was undergoing. The Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre will house the Science Centre, the Robotics Centre and the Leadership Centre, as well as a restaurant, craft centre and exhibition rooms. The NMYHC also boasts an accommodation centre. All these facilities will be used by Nelson Mandela Museum to generate a third stream of income for the museum, while simultaneously creating employment opportunities for young people in and around Qunu.

What is the status of the renovations of the Nelson Mandela Museum Youth and Heritage Centre in Qunu?

Renovations to the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre in Qunu started early in 2018. Major infrastructure renovations were undertaken to modernise the centre and fit it with modern quality facilities. Thanks to the new infrastructure, the safety and security of visitors to Qunu have been improved, as have the services. The operation of the facilities is now effective and efficient.

Are there any new developments aligned with Nelson Mandela’s story and the freedom struggle?

Yes, the new developments are very much aligned with Nelson Mandela’s story. The construction of the Long Walk to Freedom Exhibition Complex in Qunu, at a cost of R58 million, is a strategic infrastructure development that will enhance the story of Nelson Mandela. We have identified research projects to

Considering the significance of these sites in the struggle for freedom, how will they or the towns be repositioned as tourist destinations?

The Nelson Mandela Museum is working with King Sabatha Dalindyebo Local Municipality, OR Tambo Municipality and the Eastern Cape Tourism and Parks Agency to package all the sites associated with the life of Nelson Mandela into tourism products and tourist destinations. For instance, some of these sites are referred to as National Liberation Heritage Sites and will be listed on the UNESCO list as international heritage sites.

Besides the positive role played by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, do you foresee a role for the Department of Tourism in promoting Nelson Mandela Museum Footprints, Ingquza Hill Massacre Museum, and OR Tambo Garden of Remembrance within the province?

The South African Department of Tourism is key and very strategic in promoting these sites or places as tourism products or tourism destinations. The department must help develop the infrastructure of these sites and work with the Nelson Mandela Museum’s research and marketing department to develop, profile and market these sites.

Can you elaborate on the museum’s state of readiness should the family and government decide to proclaim Nelson Mandela House as a pilgrimage site?

The Nelson Mandela Museum is more than ready should the Mandela family and government proclaim Nelson Mandela House as a pilgrimage site. For instance, the museum is hard at work with the family to reposition itself as the preferred partner should Mandela’s grave or house be declared a pilgrimage site. In addition, the museum is training local youths as tour guides, increasing safety and security and planning to develop infrastructure that will support the initiative.

Contact Details

Tel: 047 501 9500

Website: www.nelsonmandelamuseum.org.za

Address: Corner Nelson Mandela Drive & Owen Street, Bhuga Building, Mtatha, 5009