With the uproar over the millions to be spent by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) to fund the South African Music Awards (Samas), President Cyril Ramaphosa is not happy with the bill.

The president has since advised the MEC for the department, Siboniso Duma, to reconsider his decision.

Although the actual figure for the awards differs according to different political parties, the department has claimed it will spend R20 million and have a return on investment of around R350 million.

However, there is no explanation of how that figure was arrived at.

The ActionSA leader in KwaZulu-Natal claims that Duma’s department will pump an unexplained R28 million while the embattled eThekwini Municipality has committed R25 million, thus pushing the bill to R53 million.

Mncwango, who is also a councillor in the eThekwini Municipality, has since written to Ramaphosa to intervene and stop the gravy train.

In his letter, Mncwango said Duma's department intended to divert funds from other projects to fund the awards.

“Our objection to the EDTEA’s plan to splurge R28 million on the Samas is rooted in the fact that the Department’s intention to divert funds from other programmes lacks fiscal justification and is not in compliance with the necessary approval process from the Provincial Legislature.

“As further evidence of the inflated expenses to be borne by the residents of KZN, eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, unilaterally committed an additional R25 million for hosting the Samas without seeking prior council approval,” he claimed in his letter.

He said it was even worse for eThekwini since it was still battling the aftermath of the July 2021 riots and April 2022 floods.

“ActionSA is deeply concerned that the cash-strapped KZN Provincial Government and eThekwini Municipality would deem it appropriate to fund a R53 million vanity project rather than prioritise investment in the recovery efforts of a Province still grappling with the devastating aftermath of the July 2021 Riots and the April 2022 Floods,” Mncwango wrote to Ramaphosa.

On Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said that while President Cyril Ramaphosa does not interfere in provincial government affairs.

"In MEC's report to premiers, the president does not get involved in the day-to-day running of provincial departments. However, the president did advise MEC Duma against such spending in the interest of maintaining fiscal discipline,” Magwenya said.

Duma will brief the media on Wednesday about the matter.

sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za

IOL Politics

ActionSA urges President Ramaphosa to halt KZN’s R28 million ‘vanity splurge’ on SA Music Awards