AFTER ActionSA questioned the R28 million funding for the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) by the KZN government, the matter has now been escalated to the president.
KZN ActionSA leader Zwakele Mncwango has written a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene and stop KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) from funding SAMAs with R28 million.
The 29th SAMAs are set to take place at ICC in Durban on 17 and 18 November.
According to Mncwango, the KZN government plans to contribute R28 million, and the eThekwini Municipality has committed to sponsoring it with an additional R25 million, totalling R53 million to be billed by the province.
ALSO READ: The Wife actor is a ladies man!
ActionSA recently questioned the R28 million funding, saying it was not planned and it will be taken in other departments, however, the department denied the R28 million funding and stated they would sponsor the SAMAs with R20 million.
In the letter to the president, ActionSA said they are deeply concerned about EDTEA’s planned splurge of R28 million on the SAMAs.
ALSO READ: Maskandi star dominates the charts
The letter further highlighted ActionSA's primary objection to EDTEA's plan stems from the diversion of funds from critical programmes without fiscal justification and without adhering to the necessary approval process required by the Provincial Legislature.
The letter added that despite facing significant financial constraints, both the KZN provincial government and eThekwini Municipality have chosen to allocate a staggering R53 million towards a vanity project rather than prioritizing invest in the recovery efforts of a province still reeling from the devastating aftermath of July 2021 riots and the April 22 floods.
Mncwango told Daily Sun that they are not against the SAMAs, but the possible corruption.
Daily Sun contacted Ramaphosa's spokesman Vincent Magwenya, and his phone rang unanswered and WhatsApp messages were sent with no response.
