The Lottery has stopped a grant for the lavishly funded yearly SATMA awards. Illustration: Lisa Nelson (SATMA brand superimposed around primary illustration)
From 2019 to 2022 the South African Traditional Music Awards been given about R16-million with the Lottery.
Though the Lottery has withheld payment on the 2023 grant subsequent an investigation.
The NLC has questioned the Particular Investigating Device to probe alleged “double dipping” in many years wherever funders apart from the NLC also chipped in that can help fund the awards.
The dimensions of funding for your yearly two evening celebration is astonishing.
The Mpumalanga authorities has funded the awards with above R41-million immediately after it “was awarded the right” to host the SATMA awards for 3 years, commencing in the 2020/21 financial calendar year.
This has long been in addition to Lottery funding.
The Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) is refusing to pay a R1.two-million grant it at first authorized for an once-a-year standard music awards ceremony. A similar function also received tens of a lot of rand in the Mpumalanga provincial governing administration.
From 2019 to 2022 the NLC awarded numerous grants totalling Just about R16.four-million towards the Mageza Heritage Foundation, the organisers on the yearly South African Common Music Awards (SATMA).
Nevertheless it halted the payment of a 2023 grant right after an inner investigation.
GroundUp has exposed huge corruption inside the NLC that occurred until finally the prior board and administration was changed in 2022. The new NLC Management is trying to clean up the corruption of your previous.
The NLC’s investigation centered on equally the 2023 funding and earlier grants awarded to Mageza to stage the awards. The investigation also probed a payment of over R718,000, allegedly paid out from Lottery resources to G4 Brothers, of which Dumisani Gobe, the founder of the SATMA awards, is often a director.
Asked if Mageza paid out G4 a licencing or another fees to stage the awards, Goba explained: “G4 was commissioned to do a creation of the celebration and got paid out for people companies, like to control and produce the key function, roadshows, and so forth. I am the founder of the SATMA Awards; I am the one who have to be compensated for developing the principle dependant on affordability and what Mageza decides.”
The NLC has handed a dossier of its investigation towards the Particular Investigating Unit (SIU). It's got requested the SIU to investigate 4 diverse lottery-funded projects that received grants among Oct 2020 and will 2023, along with the payment to G4 Brothers.
The NLC has also questioned the SIU to probe alleged “double dipping” in many years the place funders in addition to the NLC also chipped in to aid fund the awards.
This includes a grant of R400,000 through the Nationwide Heritage Council and just about R62,000 from “SABC Cell” in 2020 - the same monetary year through which the function obtained Virtually R2.6-million in lottery funding and R13.five-million through the Mpumalanga Division of Culture, Athletics and Recreation (MDCSR).
MDCSR funded the awards on the tune of more than R41-million after it “was awarded the ideal” to host the SATMA awards for 3 a long time, commencing from the 2020/21 financial yr.
The Mpumalanga authorities’s funding for SATMA about that period was considerably better than grants to every other organisation for cultural assignments and situations.
The MDSCR gave R3.five-million to SATMA within the 2019/20 monetary yr ahead of ramping up its contribution immediately after signing the settlement to host the awards about the subsequent three years.
The total spending plan submitted into the NLC when Mageza utilized for the disputed 2023 SATMA funding was R1.two-million. But of this, only R500,000 was allotted for the particular staging with the function. Other line things in the finances provided R400,000 for “staff salaries and Rewards”, R200,000 for “stipends” and R100,000 for “vacation.”
The awards were held on 15 December with the Durban Intercontinental หวย หุ้น ช่อง 9 Conference Centre. Mageza says it urgently desires the blocked grant to pay the celebration’s services suppliers.
The SATMA awards, which were being very first held in 2006, are staged around two evenings and it really is unclear how the tens of thousands and thousands in grants from the NLC, MDCSR and also other funders ended up used.
Desmond Msomi, the chairman of Mageza, didn't reply to distinct issues from GroundUp, including the cost of staging a SATMA awards ceremony.
As an alternative, he mentioned: “Your queries are noted. Nevertheless, we have been encouraged because of the NLC that this make any difference is staying investigated through the SIU. Consequently, we cannot respond to your questions until eventually we are suggested the investigation continues to be accomplished and the quantity owed has long been paid to Mageza.”
Right after Mpumalanga “gained the appropriate” to host the awards for 3 decades, the then provincial Society, Activity and Recreation MEC, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, explained it as “a boon” for that province.
“Internet hosting the SATMA Awards has beneficial financial spinoffs to the Mpumalanga coffers and Furthermore, it talks on the Department’s mandate of advertising social cohesion.”