Covid-19: Department assures relief fund applicants of efficient process
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa has assured relief applicants that the process is being handled quickly and as efficiently as possible
Government has provided feedback on the progress of the releif fund, set in place to assist sports men and women, as well as the arts and culture sectors, who are struggling as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
On 25 March, Minister Nathi Mthethwa, deeply concerned about the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the livelihood of South Africans in the sporting and cultural sectors, announced a relief fund of R150 million.
The sector is among the hardest hit by the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. The fund was set up to assist all athletes and arts practitioners, based on a set of criteria defined for each of the two sectors.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture put out a call for athletes (through their Federations) and individual artists to apply for relief, with a deadline of 6 April.
Sport Applications Status
Sport applications were submitted through sporting federations, and the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture received more than 300 applications.
Six independent panellists were appointed by Minister Mthethwa. The adjudication team has processed most of the applications a report would be submitted. Some applications were sent back due to technical errors. The final step is that payment will be processed to those recommended by the panel.
Arts and Culture Applications Status
After the data was captured, arts and culture applications for relief funding stood at nearly 5 000.
An independent panel for the arts and culture sector has been appointed and commenced the process of adjudication on 17 April. The adjudicators will provide the Minister with a report on the outcome of the adjudications once the process has been completed.
Minister Mthethwa said, “The department strives to ensure that the process is completed as quickly and as efficiently as possible to ensure that the relief funds can reach athletes and artists without any unnecessary delay. We would like to reassure artists and athletes that we are doing everything in our power to finalise this process.”
