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The Northern Cape Theatre in Kimberley has yet become a milking cow of exorbitant expenditure and money going down the drain. The Northern Cape department of Sport, Arts and Culture pumped money into this much needed expression of art in the Northern Cape. Work in fact did start way back in 2010. Cost were estimated to be around R5 – 7 million. Since then work has grinded to a halt. Expenditure has already escalated to a massive R16. 832 million.

In 2014, the national department of Arts and Culture has allocated yet another R12 million to the project, bringing the total cost to more than R28 million. Work was supposed to have started again in October 2014. I have visited the site myself and during my visits, there was not a single contractor on site and no work was being done! I’m shocked at the fact that construction has not yet started.

The absence of a theatre in the Northern Cape stifles artistic expression.

The Provincial department must give full account in the legislature and give a full explanation on how the public’s money was spent.

I will also put a question to the National Minister of Arts and Culture to do a full forensic audit of expenditure and whether the public received value for money.

Issued by the DA