The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted a series of parliamentary questions to the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, related to the situation in the Free State where the MEC of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Limakatso Mahasa, has appointed a new provincial Sports, Arts and Culture Council, seemingly without following due process, a day after the previous council’s term lapsed.
The MEC put out a media statement on Saturday, 4 July 2020, after she faced strong backlash from the sports and art sectors in the province to her purported intentions to use Sports, Arts and Culture Covid-19 relief funding for food parcels.
MEC Mahasa backtracked on her intentions of redirecting relief funding away from athletes and artists. Her appointment of the new council, which is responsible for overseeing and administering the relief funds, so quickly after the previous council lapsed, has however raised suspicions.
Questions have been raised on whether the new council members have been put in place in order to facilitate the MEC’s alleged plans to redirect sports and artists relief funds elsewhere.
It is unclear to many what role the MEC for Arts and Sports play in food relief, and why she would want to redirect monies specifically earmarked for the relief of desperate athletes and artists.
The DA has submitted parliamentary questions to Minister Mthethwa to ascertain answers to these questions as well as to get clarity on the following concerns:
- How was the council that lapsed on Friday replaced by Saturday;
- If the nomination process for the new council was gazetted as per legislation;
- Whether candidates were shortlisted; and
- If the new members were adequately vetted.
We need to have these questions answered in order to ensure that this is not an attempt by corrupt officials to get their greedy hands on relief funding. During these times of crisis we have already witnessed several incidents of politicians and officials abusing money meant to assist and support communities and it is critical that we are extra vigilant to ensure that the looting is stopped in its tracks.
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