Johannesburg – The Gauteng Department Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (DSAC) has responded to a statement by the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday.
In the statement, the DA alleges that the Department spent over R7 million on the Gauteng Sports Awards last year and did not spare the funds on Covid relief for artists and athletes.
“Many Gauteng artists and athletes have lost their livelihoods and have been forced into unemployment because of the Covid-19 lockdown, yet the Gauteng MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR), Mbali Hlophe spent R7 million on a three-hour Gauteng Sports Awards event.
“The DA has been reliably informed that the department has spent R7 million on the 2021 Gauteng Sports Awards despite the DA cautioning the department on excessive spending on this annual event. There was nothing spectacular about this event as guests were served a three-course meal with a soft drink or juice and only three renowned artists performed at the event,” the statement read.
The DA added that DSAC overspent on hiring venues for the awards thereby implying that the department has spent over R61 million on this annual event from 2012/2013 to the 2020/2021 financial year.
In its defence, the DSAC has denied these allegations saying it has, to date, spent R19,6 million on Covid relief of which almost 3000 artists and athletes have benefited.
“Gauteng was further congratulated by Minister Mthethwa for being the number one province in providing the largest amount for relief, accounting for 44% of the National count. Followed by the Western Cape where the DA governs, which account for only 11%. It’s therefore laughable that the DA claims to care about artists and athletes yet where it governs it does not place its spend on the very artists and athletes.
“The DA mischievously does not indicate that the Department had budgeted R9million for the Sports Awards this financial year, but spent R6,9mil instead. Due to the MEC indicating at the beginning of her tenure that the Department would cut its expenditure on events, so more funds are allocated to our School Sports and Arts Wednesday Leagues development program. Geared at entrenching sports and arts in previously disadvantaged schools so kids can be productively engaged, so they may be steered away from engaging in dangerous substances such as drugs and alcohol and teenage pregnancy,” DCS affirmed.
Although, the DA claims that DSAC neglects artists, the Department says the big cost drivers for the annual event is usually the creative industry.
“This includes all technical expertise to host the event: these are individuals who work behind the scenes to make the event a success. As well as mainstream and development artists such as Oskido, Kabza de Small, Kamo Mphela, AKA, Costa Tich, Brenda Mtambo, Young Stunna, Lulo Cafe, Benny Chill, African Chill, Smangori Dancers, City Boyz, Bayeza Marimba, and Tembisa Red Devil’s our pantsula dancers from Tembisa now flying our flag high internationally.
“Additionally, costs also went to the price money for the winning athletes, the car given away as part of the competition and towards the live production by SABC1,” the Department explained.
Accoridng to DSAC, the DA does not fully comprehend the logistics of the event.
“The DA exposes its minuscule comprehension of the gig economy; as it assumes that hosting an event is only about the venue.”
Furthermore, the Department wonders where the DA has received its numbers that tally to this amount.
“For example, the Department did not spend R9,5mil on the Awards in 2019/2020 as alleged in the statement.
“Even if this had been the case the DA is making a mountain over what would have been a less than 1% investment over 10years. If the R61mil is to be calculated against the Department’s just over R8 billion allocation over 10years. As the lion’s share of our budget goes towards developmental sports and arts activities in the province,” DSAC elaborated.
“We reiterate that whilst appreciating the existence of opposition parties as born out of the hard fought for democracy by the current governing party. We advise the DA in the province to at least do its due diligence and verify information before sending out statements based on gossip. The Department remains committed to delivering to its sectors even in the face of unsuccessful gossip peddled,” DSAC concluded.
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