MINISTRY: SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
202 Madiba Street and Paul Kruger, Sechaba House, PRETORIA, 0001, Tel: (+27 12) 441 3000
Private Bag X9137, Cape town, 8000, South Africa. Tel: (+27 21) 469 5300. Fax: (+27 21) 461 4547
www.dac.gov.za – www.srsa.gov.za
MEDIA STATEMENT
Date: 1 May 2020
UPDATE ON COVID-19 RELIEF FUND ADJUDICATION PROCESS: DEPARTMENT OF SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE (DSAC)
On 25 March 2020 Minister Nathi Mthethwa announced a R150 Million relief fund for the sector, in response to the dire circumstances faced by athletes and artists due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
SPORT
Independent adjudicators were appointed and the adjudication process is currently under way.
The sport sector adjudication committee was the first to be appointed and to resume the process of adjudication. They were the first to complete the process due to the limited number of applications that were received from the sector, which was just over 300.
Over 90 athletes were approved by the adjudicators and have subsequently received their funding. The remaining applications are still being processed and upon completion, the Department will finalise the sporting sector relief funding process.
The athletes who have already benefited come from different sporting codes ranging from the South African Sport for the physically disabled, Netball, Gymnastics; to mention a few.
ARTS AND CULTURE
By the deadline of 6 April 23h59, the Department had received 6, 000 submissions. After processing the data, approximately 5, 000 were COVID-19 Relief Fund applications.
The adjudication process has overseen 1, 000 out of these 5, 000 applications.
Of these 1, 000 applications, 105 have been approved and are being processed for payment.
The Department, together with the adjudication committees, is devising mechanisms to fast track the process.
It is however important to note, with concern, that most of the applications did not meet the basic requirements, as stipulated in the criteria for application.
This ranges from lack of proof of cancellation of events, to outstanding basic personal information, et al…
The major concern about this is that most of these applicants are people who seem to be the hardest hit by the impact of COVID-19.
The Minister will give feedback on the outcomes of the adjudication process in the next few days.
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Media Enquiries:
Masechaba Khumalo: Spokesperson (Minister)
Tel: 066 380 7408 | Email: MasechabaN@dac.gov.za
Mr Mickey Modisane: Marketing and Communications (Sport)
Tel: 082 992 0101 | Email: Mickey@srsa.gov.za
Ms Zimasa Velaphi: Marketing and Communications (Arts and Culture)
Tel: 072 172 8925 | Email: ZimasaV@dac.gov.za