The funds are meant to support artists and athletes who were unable to earn a living when the government imposed a nationwide lock down in late March to try and contain transmissions of the coronavirus.
JOHANNESBURG, October 20 (ANA) – None of the athletes and artists in South Africa’s Gauteng province who applied for Covid-19 financial assistance from the department of sports, arts, culture and recreation have received any money, the opposition Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday.
A phone text message sent out to applicants acknowledged the delay and said the Gauteng Relief Fund was currently in the audit phase, DA provincial legislator and spokesperson for the sector Kingsol Chabalala said in a statement.
Applications for relief funding were opened on June 14 and the payment process should have begun in July.
The funds are meant to support artists and athletes who were unable to earn a living when the government imposed a nationwide lock down in late March to try and contain transmissions of the coronavirus.
“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,” Chabalala said.
“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 said it would continue putting pressure on Gauteng member of the executive counci for sports, arts, culture and recreation Mbali Hlophe to speed up the process.
– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa