Music boss Arthur Mafokate’s company Roadshow Marketing received over R1.8-million in tenders from the Gauteng department of sport, arts, culture and recreation a year after he controversially received R2-million in funding from the National Arts Council (NAC).
Mafokate’s daughter Owami also walked away with just over half a million rands in a tender from the same department through her company Queendom Media in 2022.
This is contained in a written reply to parliament by the department explaining its expenditure of more than R28-million in social events over the past two years.
In the reply, the department revealed that public relations company Khanya PR and Media received a bulk of the budget through tenders amounting to more than R3.1-million in the 2021/2022 financial year.
In the reply, which is dated April 17, MEC Morakane Mosupyoe indicated that the department spent over R14-million in the 2021/2022 financial year and more than R13-million in the 2022/2023 financial year on social events.
The events included beach parties, live music shows, comedy tours, food markets, gala dinners and sports awards shows.
It is understood that Mafokate’s company was contracted to organise sound and technical supplies for the Altitude Beach Festival in Fourways, Johannesburg.
He was paid R1 048 685 for the festival and other payments made to him included amounts of R172 760, R345 000, R138 000 and R134 837, respectively.
DA spokesperson on sport, arts, culture and recreation in Gauteng, Kingsol Chabalala, told Sunday World that this was wasteful expenditure that benefitted a select few.
“This money could have been used to fund artists’ programmes and assist them to get back on their feet after the Covid-19 pandemic,” Chabalala said.
“For far too long, the DA has been calling on this department to prioritise and review its spending model to ensure they deliver on its core mandate.
“The department is constantly neglecting artists and focusing on spending its budget on social events that do not benefit the communities they serve.”
Mafokate received a backlash in 2021 after it emerged that companies owned by him and people close to him received more than R10-million in funding from the NAC for the Covid-19 presidential stimulus packages.
At the time, Mafokate’s record label, 999 Music, was reportedly approved for more than R1-million while Roadshow Marketing, which is solely owned by Mafokate, was approved for R2-million.
Queendom Media was approved for R719 070 while Black Technical Production Association, which is owned by Mafokate and his son Lesego, was approved for R849 810.
Mafokate was not immediately available to comment.
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