South African Music Awards due to rake in over R350 million: EDTEA
Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) has accused the DA of fabricating and peddling lies about the South African Music Awards (Samas) funding, instead saying that it expected the awards to bolster the economy of the province.
This comes after the DA accused EDTEA of corruption, stating that the department was spending a staggering R28 million to promote the Samas, yet the unemployment rate within the province was at an all-time high.
EDTEA spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said through the KZN Convention Bureau under Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN) that the department had generated R5 billion through the hosting of national and international events.
Sibiya added that the department expected that the Samas would generate more than R350m for the local economy and create much-needed jobs.
“In addition, the DA indirectly admitted that the R28m which they peddled in the media was just part of a campaign of disinformation aimed at sowing confusion.
“Despite today’s disappointment, our position has not changed. We will continue to work with elected public representatives as they represent the aspirations of the people,” Sibiya stated.
He reiterated that as the country was headed to the elections, theatrics were going to be commonplace.
Sibiya accused the writers of the DA statement of being hired amateurs who lived in an imaginary world. Sibiya added that in August, the auditor-general presented the department with a clean audit outcome report for the financial year 2022/23. He further said that about nine of their entities also received clean audits.
“This report is a source of encouragement as we work harder to convert the province’s undoubted economic development potential for the benefit of the people. By and large, the latest AG report was a tribute to all categories of staff in the department and its entities for their unwavering efforts to use public funds wisely – create jobs and lift people out of abject poverty.
“We value the support from MEC for EDTEA, Siboniso Duma, and senior management from the department and all entities.”
The DA member of the economic portfolio committee, Heinz de Boer, said he had spent four-and-a-half years with EDTEA and found it to be one of the most frustrating departments to work for in KZN.
De Boer and DA KZN leader Francois Rodgers held a media briefing to elaborate on the corruption allegations levelled against KZN EDTEA and its entities.
De Boer accused the department of having hosted “meet and greet” functions that benefited only the suppliers.
“The department has hosted a golf day, in which it spent R225 000 in just one day. Between EDTEA and the premier’s office, they hired expensive suites at soccer matches, just for their ‘meet and greet’ sessions,” De Boer stated.
“In the DA we believe in the rule of law. MEC Duma should account to the KZN people about all this wasteful expenditure,” De Boer said.
He added that as the DA, they had no qualms about the Sama awards, but insisted that the department should not use such a massive budget to fund the event.
“To reduce the cost, the department should get all those companies that would have liked to market their products to sponsor the artists,” De Boer added.
Rodgers said: “Just imagine a rural boy or girl – someone who has never seen or had a gala dinner in their life before.
“How do you justify using so much money for just one event to a person who does not know where his or her next meal is going to come from – that you are spending R3m on a goody bag promenade event? Imagine how many artists can be empowered with R28m? Bring us receipts/invoices, show us what the money is being used for.
“Even if the department had used that R3m to repair the damaged fences at the Hluhluwe Game Reserve. They should cut their funny dinners, cut out their lavish goody bags at the stadiums. The stats do not add up with the money being spent on all these lavish parties,” Rodgers stressed.
Rodgers stated that the R28m was not budgeted for. He added that the money should have been spent on feeding the poor, instead of feeding the rich.
“Like the broken Msunduzi Municipality that spends R20-odd million on sponsoring a soccer club, EDTEA spends millions on hosting lavish parties and sponsoring music events. We are sitting with the unemployment rate of the highest proportions, yet EDTEA finds it easy to spend millions on events that will not benefit the millions who, on a daily basis, do not know where their next meal is going to come from,” Rodgers said.
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