THE cast of Pienaars Theatre Group from Limpopo spent their Monday night outside the South African State Theatre, where their show was being held.
One of the cast members posted on Facebook that they didn’t have accommodation after their rehearsal.
“We approached the Limpopo Department of Sport Arts and Culture after MEC Nakedi Kekana adopted us after witnessing our show in Polokwane at Piet Joubert School of Special Skills. The department then promised to assist and accommodate our cast of 35 artists.
"To our surprise, we finished our rehearsals late tonight and found out there's no accommodation. The team is sleeping on the corridors of the State Theatre on a cold Pretoria night,” the post read.
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The SunTeam went to the State Theatre on Tuesday and found the cast rehearsing for the show.
Some of them were sleeping on the chairs inside the theatre looking exhausted.
Speaking to Daily Sun, founder and CEO of The Best Art Centre Precious Manaka, said the department had promised to assist them with accommodation.
“They didn’t promise to accommodate us from Monday to Sunday, but to at least assist for three days,” she said.
She said she was frustrated because the department claimed they didn't remember that they were moving in on that day. Manaka said they did the first proposal in May.
“They told us that we should talk to State Theatre to give us a signed agreement to show that we are really partnering with them. We sent that (agreement) with the proposal. They called us and were happy with everything and said they would assist,” she said.
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She said after seeing the post, people assisted them with food and accommodation for two days.
However, the department denied the group's claims, stating they had no prior agreement and couldn't be held responsible for their accommodation.
“The Limpopo Department of Sport Arts and Culture has noted the actions of a theatre team that allegedly slept on the corridors of the State Theatre in Pretoria because of an alleged failure by the very department in procuring accommodation for the team,” they said.
They said although the department sympathises with the Pienaars Theatre Group, it can't be held at ransom to get accommodation for a team that left the province without having had prior agreement with the department.
“The department would like to categorically respond to the malice of the group to tarnish the image of the department, and that of the MEC,” the department said.
When Daily Sun called the State Theatre, they said they couldn't comment on the matter.
