The Lottery has stopped a grant for the lavishly funded once-a-year SATMA awards. Illustration: Lisa Nelson (SATMA emblem superimposed over first illustration)

From 2019 to 2022 the South African Classic Music Awards received more than R16-million through the Lottery.
But the Lottery has withheld payment of the 2023 grant subsequent an investigation.
The NLC has requested the Unique Investigating Device to probe alleged “double dipping” in years wherever funders besides the NLC also chipped in to help you fund the awards.
The scale of funding for that yearly two night time function is astonishing.
The Mpumalanga federal government has funded the awards with more than R41-million after it “was awarded the right” to host the SATMA awards for three several years, starting in the 2020/21 monetary yr.
This has long been As well as Lottery funding.
The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) is refusing to pay for a R1.two-million grant it in the beginning authorized for an once-a-year traditional songs awards ceremony. The identical function also acquired tens of numerous rand in the Mpumalanga provincial authorities.

From 2019 to 2022 the NLC awarded several grants totalling Pretty much R16.4-million into the Mageza Heritage Foundation, the organisers on the annual South African Standard New music Awards (SATMA).

Nonetheless it halted the payment of the 2023 grant just after an internal investigation.

GroundUp has uncovered enormous corruption while in the NLC that befell until finally the preceding board and administration was replaced in 2022. The new NLC leadership is aiming to clear up the corruption of your previous.

The NLC’s investigation centered on equally the 2023 funding and earlier grants awarded to Mageza to phase the awards. The investigation also probed a payment of about R718,000, allegedly paid out from Lottery money to G4 Brothers, of which Dumisani Gobe, the founding father of the SATMA awards, is really a director.

Questioned if Mageza paid out G4 a licencing or some other charges to stage the awards, Goba stated: “G4 was commissioned to perform a production of the celebration and acquired paid for the people expert services, like to handle and develop the key event, roadshows, and many others. I'm the founding father of the SATMA Awards; I am the just one who have to be compensated for creating the notion based on affordability and what Mageza decides.”

The NLC has handed a file of its investigation to the Particular Investigating Unit (SIU). It's got requested the SIU to investigate 4 diverse lottery-funded initiatives that gained grants among Oct 2020 and should 2023, and also the payment to G4 Brothers.

The NLC has also questioned the SIU to probe alleged “double dipping” in yrs wherever funders aside from the NLC also chipped in to aid fund the awards.

This features a grant of R400,000 from your Countrywide Heritage Council and just above R62,000 from “SABC Cellular” in 2020 - the identical fiscal year where the event acquired Practically R2.six-million in lottery funding and R13.5-million with the Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sports and Recreation (MDCSR).

MDCSR funded the awards on the tune of about R41-million after it “was awarded the right” to host the SATMA awards for 3 a long time, commencing during the 2020/21 money yr.

The Mpumalanga federal government’s funding for SATMA in excess of that time period was significantly better than grants to every other organisation for cultural jobs and activities.

The MDSCR gave R3.five-million to SATMA during the 2019/twenty financial year ahead of ramping up its contribution just after signing the settlement to host the awards above the subsequent a few decades.

The total spending budget submitted for the NLC when Mageza applied to the disputed 2023 SATMA funding was R1.2-million. But of this, only R500,000 was allotted for the particular staging of your celebration. Other line merchandise from the finances involved R400,000 for “personnel salaries and Advantages”, R200,000 for “stipends” and R100,000 for “vacation.”

The awards ended up held on 15 December at the Durban Global ตรวจ หวย ย้อน หลัง Conference Centre. Mageza states it urgently requirements the blocked grant to pay for the occasion’s company suppliers.

The SATMA awards, which were being initially held in 2006, are staged more than two evenings and it is unclear how the tens of thousands and thousands in grants in the NLC, MDCSR and various funders were put in.

Desmond Msomi, the chairman of Mageza, didn't reply to distinct questions from GroundUp, such as the expense of staging a SATMA awards ceremony.

Rather, he mentioned: “Your queries are famous. Even so, we are suggested from the NLC this make any difference is staying investigated with the SIU. Consequently, we cannot reply to your questions until eventually we are recommended which the investigation has actually been completed and the amount owed has long been paid to Mageza.”

Right after Mpumalanga “gained the ideal” to host the awards for three many years, the then provincial Tradition, Sport and Recreation MEC, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, explained it as “a boon” for the province.

“Hosting the SATMA Awards has good economic spinoffs for the Mpumalanga coffers and Furthermore, it talks on the Division’s mandate of selling social cohesion.”