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By News24 Wire

Wire Service


1,520 artists, 296 athletes to receive relief funding – Minister Nathi Mthwetha

Almost 300 athletes will receive relief funding, alongside around 1,500 artists, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Saturday.


The R200 million in relief funding had been made available by the ministry and the MECs of sport, arts and culture in all provinces.

The funding was set up to support artists, athletes, technical personnel and the “core ecosystem of the sector nationally”, Mthethwa said.

The sport adjudication panel was the first to be appointed on 9 April and the first to begin adjudicating as well as the first to complete the process.

The total number of sport applications received was 470.

Of these, 296 were approved and 174 declined.

In the arts and culture adjudication process, 1,520 applicants were accepted.

Of these, 592 were already paid, Mthethwa said.

“Since the announcement of the lockdown, there has been no sectoral activity to date. The announcement of amended regulations under Level 3 is indeed going to see the gradual introduction of various sectoral activities, under strict adherence to safety measures, as outlined under the Disaster Management [Act] regulations,” said Mthethwa.

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