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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is disappointed to learn that none of the Gauteng athletes and artists who applied for financial assistance from the Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR) as part of the relief fund have received these funds.

The DA is in possession of an SMS sent to all Gauteng Relief Fund applicants by the department. The department apologises to the applicants for the delays in processing their applications and states that the outcome of the Gauteng Relief Fund is currently in the audit phase.

The SMS also states that the outcomes were supposed to be released on 30 September 2020 and will now be released by no later than 30 October 2020.

The applications for relief funding were opened on 14 June 2020 and was closed on 26 June 2020 and the payment process was supposed to have begun in July 2020.

The fact that none of the applicants has received relief funding due to unnecessary delays is a clear indication that this department cares little about the challenges faced by our artists and athletes during this national lockdown period as a result of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

It is worrying that in eight months of the national lockdown the department has not yet provided any financial relief to our artists and athletes who are struggling financially and unable to make ends meet.

The DA calls on the Gauteng MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR), Mbali Hlophe to take full responsibility for her department’s poor showing. We will continue to monitor the process of providing financial assistance to our artists and athletes and will continue putting pressure on MEC Hlophe to speed up the process.

Issued by DA