Limpopo Gospel Experience supports home-grown talent amid wasteful expenditure investigation

Big-scale music festival organisers are often accused of not giving opportunities to up-and-coming local talent, but the Limpopo Gospel Experience has bucked the trend, offering R10,000 each to 10 young musos from the province.

“It’s about bringing our communities together through the power of gospel music while creating meaningful economic opportunities for Limpopo.

This is a life-changing event for both established artists and rising stars,” festival Director Francis Letsoalo said.

Taking place for a second consecutive year, the festival as the name suggests, is a gospel music event that brings together international and local gospel artists to celebrate faith, music, and community.

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Limpopo’s home-grown talent

The festival provides a platform for both established and emerging artists and plays a vital role in boosting the local economy and fostering creative talent.

The selected 10 musicians hail from Capricorn, Mopani, Vhembe, Waterberg and the Sekhukhune districts in Limpopo. Two representatives from each district were selected.

Some of the local talent include musicians Andries Mola and Moldavia Nkwana who were the winners from the Waterberg District.

Dipuo Makamedi and Thembinkosi Mokoena will hold the flag for the Mopani District. Tebogo Moloisi and Bafedile Constance Nyundu came out top in the Sekhukhune auditions.

The last batch of auditions took place on Sunday at the Florence Masakona Arts Centre.

The ten will perform on the main stage, further highlighting the festival’s commitment to empowering home-grown talent.

ALSO READ: Limpopo department under fire for irregular appointments

Mapungubwe Arts, Culture and Heritage Festival investigation

In early October, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa had signed six new and two amended proclamations to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration among those is the Mapungubwe Arts, Culture and Heritage Festival.

The investigation involves issues at the Mapungubwe Arts, Culture and Heritage Festival during the 2016/2017 financial year.

The proclamation, according to sources, also covered allegations of maladministration and unlawful, and improper conduct that occurred between 1 January 2011, and 4 October 2024, as well as activities before 1 January 2011.

“This investigation will reveal long-awaited information about a period where there had been suspicion and allegations of corrupt activities in the department,” the party’s spokesperson on sport, art and culture, Advocate Franco Marx, said.

“In fact, in 2017, a draft report of Limpopo’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) had recommended the provincial Treasury appoint a forensic investigation into all income and expenditure into the 2017 festival.”

Last year, before the 2023 instalment of the festival, the Limpopo Artists Movement spoke with disgruntlement about Nakedi Kekana, a member of the executive council (MEC) for Sports, Arts and Culture.

Limpopo Arts Movement provincial chairman Mphoza Mashabela told Daily Sun they wanted to boycott the 2023 Mapungubwe Festival because they were repeating the same line-up. He denied that he was also booked for that festival.

The current MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture in Limpopo is Funani Jerry Maseko.

The SIU investigation will concentrate on the procurement of security services by the department that was allegedly not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable or cost-effective, leading to wasteful expenditure.

The investigation will also look into alleged maladministration and losses suffered by the department in relation to the irregular appointment of staff in five districts in terms of circular 7 of 2016.

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