The Lottery has stopped a grant on the lavishly funded annual SATMA awards. Illustration: Lisa Nelson (SATMA brand superimposed above authentic illustration)
From 2019 to 2022 the South African Common Audio Awards received above R16-million within the Lottery.
Even so the Lottery has withheld payment of your 2023 grant pursuing an investigation.
The NLC has questioned the Particular Investigating Device to probe alleged “double dipping” in decades where by funders other than the NLC also chipped in to assist fund the awards.
The dimensions of funding to the once-a-year two evening occasion is astonishing.
The Mpumalanga authorities has funded the awards with more than R41-million following it “was awarded the right” to host the SATMA awards for three many years, commencing while in the 2020/21 financial 12 months.
This has been In combination with Lottery funding.
The Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) is refusing to pay a R1.2-million grant it initially authorized for an annual common songs awards ceremony. The identical function also been given tens of millions of rand from your Mpumalanga provincial authorities.
From 2019 to 2022 the NLC awarded a number of grants totalling Nearly R16.four-million to your Mageza Heritage Foundation, the organisers with the yearly South African Classic Songs Awards (SATMA).
However it halted the payment of the 2023 grant soon after an internal investigation.
GroundUp has exposed significant corruption from the NLC that took place until eventually the earlier board and management was replaced in 2022. The brand new NLC Management is attempting to clear up the corruption with the previous.
The NLC’s investigation focused on both the 2023 funding and earlier grants awarded to Mageza to phase the awards. The investigation also probed a payment of around R718,000, allegedly compensated from Lottery money to G4 Brothers, of which Dumisani Gobe, the founder of the SATMA awards, is actually a director.
Asked if Mageza compensated G4 a licencing or another fees to phase the awards, Goba explained: “G4 was commissioned to perform a production of the celebration and acquired compensated for anyone solutions, like to control and create the leading event, roadshows, and many others. I am the founder of the SATMA Awards; I am the one particular who needs to be compensated for making the principle based upon affordability and what Mageza decides.”
The NLC has handed a dossier of its investigation on the Special Investigating Device (SIU). It has asked the SIU to analyze 4 unique lottery-funded jobs that gained grants among Oct 2020 and will 2023, together with the payment to G4 Brothers.
The NLC has also asked the SIU to probe alleged “double dipping” in years the place funders in addition to the NLC also chipped in to aid fund the awards.
This features a grant of R400,000 within the National Heritage Council and just in excess of R62,000 from “SABC Cellular” in 2020 - exactly the same money calendar year by which the function acquired Practically R2.6-million in lottery funding and R13.5-million within the Mpumalanga Section of Tradition, Sports and Recreation (MDCSR).
MDCSR funded the awards towards the tune of more than R41-million following it “was awarded the right” to host the SATMA awards for 3 several years, beginning from the 2020/21 fiscal year.
The Mpumalanga govt’s funding for SATMA more than that period of time was substantially increased than grants to another organisation for cultural projects and activities.
The MDSCR gave R3.5-million to SATMA from the 2019/twenty economical year prior to ramping up its contribution immediately after signing the agreement to host the awards over the next a few decades.
The full budget submitted to the NLC when Mageza used to the disputed 2023 SATMA funding was R1.2-million. But of the, only R500,000 was allocated for the particular staging of your function. Other line items from the price range included R400,000 for “personnel salaries and Gains”, R200,000 for “stipends” and R100,000 for “travel.”
The awards ended up held on fifteen December on the Durban Intercontinental ตรวจ ล้อ ต เต อ รี่ Conference Centre. Mageza claims it urgently wants the blocked grant to pay for the occasion’s company companies.
The SATMA awards, which were being initial held in 2006, are staged about two evenings and it really is unclear how the tens of tens of millions in grants from the NLC, MDCSR together with other funders were invested.
Desmond Msomi, the chairman of Mageza, did not respond to particular queries from GroundUp, including the cost of staging a SATMA awards ceremony.
Rather, he stated: “Your queries are mentioned. Nevertheless, we have already been suggested through the NLC this subject is getting investigated from the SIU. Hence, we are unable to respond to your thoughts until eventually we're recommended which the investigation has become completed and the quantity owed has been paid to Mageza.”
Just after Mpumalanga “won the correct” to host the awards for three several years, the then provincial Society, Activity and Recreation MEC, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, explained it as “a boon” for that province.
“Web hosting the SATMA Awards has favourable financial spinoffs for that Mpumalanga coffers and In addition it talks into the Office’s mandate of endorsing social cohesion.”