Sama organiser RiSA denies asking KZN government for R8 million sponsorship

The Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), the organiser of the SA Music Awards (Sama), has denied the “misinformation that has been circulating alleging that we had asked the government of KZN to sponsor the Samas for R8 million”.

This follows an announcement on Wednesday morning by ANC provincial chairperson and economic development, tourism and environmental affairs MEC Siboniso Duma that the provincial government had abandoned its plan to host the Samas ceremony in Durban next month.

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“Having consulted widely with the executive council and other stakeholders, I have advised the department to stop the hosting of the South African Music Awards this year,” Duma said.

In a statement, ActionSA welcomed KZN’s withdrawal.

“We thank the MEC for heeding our calls after we sounded the alarm earlier this month,” it said.

“From the outset, we asserted that this was either an ill-advised attempt by the government to waste taxpayers’ money on a vanity project or a potentially sinister ploy, considering the absence of an itemised budget with accurate and substantiated figures,” alleged the party.

But RiSA has called on Action SA to provide proof that its initial proposal was R8 million “as it casts a malicious aspersion that the Sama is a conduit for looting public funds”.

“This is an assertion that we, RiSA, strongly rebuke. Numbers bandied about without context are dangerous,” it said.

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RiSA said the Sama programme would have created in excess of 150 job opportunities, 100 performance opportunities and injected in excess of R350 million of economic opportunities based on research conducted by KZN EDTEA as part of its own due diligence process.

“There would have been a need to build structures from the ground up and the SAMA would have needed to bring in tech, PA, decor, catering, talent, production and key personnel to achieve the outcomes.

“These outcomes include delivering 3 TV shows for our broadcast partner: a live to tape red carpet show; a delayed broadcast lifetime achievement gala dinner and the live broadcast awards show. Projected costs of all 14 touch points have also been costed in conjunction with suppliers which RISA engaged.

“As such, we reject with the contempt it deserves the allegation that line items have been inflated. The investment made by KZN is just over 50% of the overall budget of what is needed to roll out a programme of this scale.

“Which is why KZN EDTEA is part of a bouquet of sponsors/partners of a mega event like the SAMAs. As such it is disappointing to us how so many pundits who have pronounced on the matter in the political and media arena failed to attempt to engage us for context on these matters. We wish to reiterate that we remain contractual partners of KZN EDTEA.”

Further information will be shared on SAMA 29 within the next week.

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