SOCIAL FUNDING RELIEF DELAYS
TO ALL MEDIA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE 19 January 2021
The Portfolio Committee is concerned with the delay in the payment of the Relief Fund to Sports, Arts and Culture Beneficiaries by the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation.
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, led by the Chairperson Honourable William Matsheke is concerned that after months when the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation led by MEC Mbali Hlophe made Relief Funding available to qualifying sectors within the department that have been affected by COVID19 pandemic, some beneficiaries have not been paid the much needed relief.
It is concerning and shocking that after funds were made available our Beneficiaries in Gauteng have not received this much-needed financial relief. As the Portfolio Committee, we will be convening an urgent Roundtable discussion with the Department and stakeholders to understand what could have led to this delay. We have subsequently requested both MEC Hlophe and HOD Masisi to urgently attend to this issue so that those Beneficiaries who are qualifying should be paid the Relief without any delays, added the Portfolio Committee Chairperson William Matsheke.
The citizens of Gauteng province will be informed of the outcome of the Roundtable Discussion. We want to commit to the citizens of Gauteng province that as part of our responsibility of doing oversight over the Department we will not rest until the matter is being resolved. Our people have suffered enough during the pandemic and continues to do so. We urge the Department to immediately resolve this matter without delays.
The Portfolio Committee will release the date, time and venue of the Roundtable Discussion on the Relief Funding soonest though this might be virtual as the current lockdown regulations prohibits any gatherings. We are hopeful that both MEC Hlophe and HOD Masisi would have resolved the matter before then.
ISSUED BY GPL’S MEDIA SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SPORT, RECREATION, ARTS AND CULTURE HON. MEMBER WILLIAM MATHAFENG MATSHEKE.
For enquiries please contact Mr. Aubrey Dikola 011 498 6321 or 079 500 9256; e-mail: Adikola@gpl.gov.za
