Motlanthe to head Nelson Mandela Foundation after probe into management

CAPE TOWN - This week the Board of the Nelson Mandela Foundation held two board meetings to discuss allegations by some staff against members of the management of the foundation.

After the situation was assessed by the board and in the light of the significance of the allegations and their potential impact on the Foundation’s reputation, the following action steps have now been taken:

• An interim leadership structure is being put in place with immediate effect. It is led by former President Kgalema Motlanthe, assisted by two other trustees. The two trustees are attorney and social justice activist Alice Brown as well as Maya Makanjee, who serves on the board of several South African corporates.
• The interim leadership structure will oversee the day-to-day activities of the Foundation and ensure its smooth running until the investigative process has been completed and the board has considered its findings.

The board said that it is committed to ensuring good governance as well as ethical leadership in all the Foundation’s activities and it is confident that the current investigative process will be beneficial.

An internal investigation into allegations made in an anonymous email was instituted and details of this investigation were made available in a media statement issued on January 20.

In the same statement, the Foundation committed to making public the findings of the investigation.

Insinuations that Bowman Gilfillan Inc, the legal firm employed to conduct the investigation, may be conflicted because of its previous involvement in disciplinary process were also discussed by the board.

The board received assurances from the firm and is satisfied that there is no conflict, and that a fair and proper investigation is being conducted.

The board said that it remains committed to protecting the legacy of Nelson Mandela and the name of the Foundation and will continue to ensure that it acts in the best interest of all stakeholders.

It will also be engaging directly with a number of key stakeholders to ensure there is a full understanding of the process, to explain the steps that are being taken to address the situation and to emphasise its ongoing commitment to good governance, transparency and accountability.

IOL

Sat, 23 Jan 2021 13:40:55 GMTIOL Reporter

Share this post