Nathi Mthethwa ‘not ready to address our issues’
Opera singer Sibongile Mngoma, one of the artists who were part of the
sit-in at the National Arts Council (NAC), says the Minister of Arts and
Culture Nathi Mthethwa was not ready to address their issues.
“He wasn’t ready to address the issue fully because firstly they did not release the report that itself. They just released a media statement and that was selective reporting on a very sensitive issue.”
This follows Mthethwa holding a media briefing on Monday stating that all relief funds meant for the arts industry has been accounted for.
The minister also said that a total of 1 309 applicants have benefitted from the Presidential Economic Stimulus Programme (PESP) program so far.
“This is a problem, they talk of a thousand people having received payment and they say they created 20 000 jobs that’s inaccurate. Because what they have done they took what was supposed to be an employment stimulus funding package and they turned into relief funding.
“Meaning that over a period of 3 months people got R6 000 that’s R2 000 a month that is money for groceries, it’s not a salary out of a job,” says Mngoma.
She adds that Mthethwa cannot prove they paid the applicants.
“Saying that they paid over a thousand people is inaccurate because they cannot prove that they paid a thousand people. We’ve asked them for a list numerous of times, they have failed to provide that list .“
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