The organisers of the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) are outraged by claims that their contract with the KwaZulu-Natal government was a channel for looting taxpayers’ funds.
Recording Industry of South Africa (Risa) CEO Nhlanhla Sibisi, who organises the SAMAs, stated that they still want answers from KZN’s Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs for their eleventh-hour withdrawal.
Their reaction comes after the announcement by MEC Sboniso Duma on Wednesday that they are cancelling their funding as the host province of the awards ceremony.
“Having consulted widely with the executive council and other stakeholders I have advised the department to stop the hosting of the South African Music Awards this year,” he said.
Duma denies the claim that the awards were going to be given R28 million. He said the budget was around R20 million before VAT.
ActionSA KZN leader Zwakele Mncwango was the first to blow the whistle about the exorbitant funding for awards. He wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa, who then advised the KZN government to cancel the funding.