‘Thanks, but more can be done to help sport and the arts’
While the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has announced a provincial Covid-19 relief fund for artists, athletes, coaches and technical officials, local artist Mahlatse Vokal feels more can be done.
POLOKWANE- Local artist, Mahlatse Vokal believes the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture is working hard to ensure artists are compensated for the loss of income due to the nationwide lockdown, but that more can still be done.
The department recently announced a provincial Covid-19 relief fund for artists, athletes, coaches and technical officials across the province who have been financially affected by the pandemic. The department has set aside a budget of R8,3 million for this purpose and set out a list of guidelines as a criteria for those who qualify for the relief fund.
In a media statement by the department, artists are urged to register by sending the necessary documents, which include proof of loss of income, evidence of bookings that have since been cancelled, and confirmation of the financial impact.
According to Vokal, the relief fund will make a difference regardless of the amount that will be given to those affected as most artists, he said, did not have a back-up plan. “We rely on gigs and since the ban on public gatherings we have not been able to generate an income.”
Vokal says a number of musicians came together on social media to ensure that the message reaches every artist in the province. He also applauded efforts by the MEC, Thandi Moraka to engage artists and other beneficiaries on the issue.
“As much as this is going to go a long way, it has also highlighted the need for intervention in the sport, arts and culture sector in Limpopo. There is still much the department can help us with, one of which is a platform to showcase our crafts on a national level, such as a television platform or something similar.”
