‘Sue this department’ – Zandie Khumalo criticises Covid-19 beneficiary list publication

Minister Gayton McKenzie’s recent disclosure of the Covid-19 relief beneficiaries list, which included celebrities like singer Zandie Khumalo-Gumede among others, has sparked mixed reactions.

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Earlier this week, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture released a list of its Covid-19 beneficiaries, noting how it paid more than R72 million to 3,962 artists during 2020-2021.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Zandie, who received R20,000, said she does not understand the buzz around this matter.

“It was just R20,000 for me and it was obtained legally…Must we now lose sleep, stop playing with us. Hanging our names like this as if we went to the department and robbed their safe.

“A call for applications was issued by the Dept of Arts and Culture for people who lost work and income during that dreadful and horrible time and we applied, complied and were approved, well at least me, that’s how it went,” she said.

Zandie said she had hoped for R200,000, adding: “So, why so much noise because I actually wanted 200k, well, they didn’t give me. I have a good mind that all of us sue this department, but it will get bankrupt and we will suffer again,” she said.

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Other celebs on the Covid-19 relief beneficiaries list

Other celebs on the Covid-19 relief beneficiaries list include Mohale Motaung, Bethusile Mcinga, Dumisani Mbebe, Zikhona Zodlaka, the Rebecca Malope Foundation, Tamaryn Green, Arthur Mafokate and his son, Arthur Mafokate Jr.

The department stated that more lists of Covid-19 relief beneficiaries will be released soon.

“The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has always cared for the creative sector. Below is the link to the Covid-19 Relief Beneficiaries 2020-2021 list. More lists are coming to cover other categories of funding since 2020 to date Beneficiaries,” DSAC wrote on X.

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