The KwaZulu-Natal Museum (KZN Museum) Management would like to clarify that it is not responsible for the payment of property rates. This is the responsibility of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and the Msunduzi Municipality is aware of this. The KZN Museum pays the Msunduzi Municipality for electricity, water and refuse removal. These payments are up to date.

 Notwithstanding this, the KZN Museum would have appreciated to be notified that the rates account was in arrears. This was done when the electricity account was still the responsibility of the DPWI, and was resolved by the Museum without any issues. We only became aware of the rates issue when the Municipality arrived to disconnect the electricity and water supply. This did not take into account the effect such disconnection could have to the natural and historical collections at the Museum, nor the impact it could have on the learners, mostly from disadvantaged areas who had used their limited money to travel to the Museum driven by their desire to learn.

It was due to such reasons that the KZN Museum resolved to pay the requested funds while trying to resolve the matter with the DPWI.  The Municipal staff did not have the courtesy to inform the KZN Museum that they had members of the media in their entourage, and the media did not seek any comment from the Museum.

The whole issue was used as a publicity stunt for the Municipality. This has tarnished the image of the KZN Museum. While we support the Municipality’s efforts to collect outstanding revenue in order to start attending to basic service delivery, however this should have been done in a proper and professional manner.