IT'S still not clear whether the 29th annual South African Music Awards (Samas) will be held this year or not.
This after the KZN government cancelled hosting it at the last minute on Wednesday, 25 October following ActionSA questioning its R28 million unplanned funding of the awards.
The two-day award ceremony was expected to take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre Complex in Durban from 17 to 18 November.
Samas spokesman Lesley Mofokeng told Daily Sun that at this stage there was no development about the awarding ceremony.
“We're still going to have a meeting with all relevant stakeholders and decide about it and after that we'll make an announcement,” he said.
Meanwhile, the South African Industry Council (Samic) said they were shattered at the debilitating news that the KZN government had pulled the plug on the Samas due to skewed and irrational pressure from opportunists who didn't have the best interest of the performing art sector.
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President of Samic Vusi Leeuw called on the government to resolve the matter.
“The Samas are an unrivalled legacy of projects at the epi-centre of the Mzansi golden economy and have an indelible legacy and positive impact on the music industry and host city.
“We urgently call on the government to resolve the impasse and mitigate the risk of reversing a well-established property that has delivered for the sector over the past two decades,” he said.
He said a harsh and rash decision was taken to pull out much-need funding in support of the event.
“As Samic, we believe that the starting point is to salvage the Samas and ensure that they're mounted as planned by engaging meaningfully with stakeholders and with those affected or potentially affected on how this shocking precedent is an affront to the performing arts and the creative industries in general.
“We wish to strongly remind the ANC-led government that from Miriam Makeba to Johnny Dyani, Dorothy Masuka, and Jonas Gwangwa to Mzwakhe Mbuli, and Johannes Kerkorrel, musicians have been at the forefront of the liberation of this country,” he said.
Late rapper Kiernan "AKA" Forbes leads the nomination pack at Samas with a total of seven nods for his posthumous album, Mass Country.
