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In a recent parliamentary question-and-answer session, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie provided a detailed breakdown of his department’s spending on various outreach programs. The expenditure review was prompted by questions from MP Joseph McGluwa regarding the cost of ministerial outreach initiatives.
The reviewed spending includes R3.2 million for a ministerial meeting with Khoi-San leaders, an event aimed at unifying indigenous representatives to ensure they benefit from government programs. McKenzie emphasized the government's intention to financially support traditional leaders, noting that Khoi-San leaders had yet to receive similar benefits due to internal divisions—a concern he urged be addressed for the community's advancement.
An estimated R3.55 million was spent on a lavish Heritage Day event graced by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, focusing on celebrating national heroes and heroines. The department’s other significant expenditures included a R450,000 launch for September Heritage Month at Freedom Park, R2.6 million for the Indigenous Games Festival in Mangaung, and a staggering R16 million for the Big Walk event in Pretoria.
Moreover, Minister McKenzie met with the Kaapse Klopse, connected to the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, and harnessed the urban culture of car spinning by launching Car Spinning Cape Town and pledged a R5m allocation to bolster the activity, totalling an expense of R606,923.
Additionally, McKenzie’s department has been involved in promoting music and arts on a community level, such as by donating music equipment to the Mitchells Plain Music Academy and other beneficiaries for a more modest sum of R135,255.
The spending by McKenzie’s department underscores the government’s commitment to cultural preservation and promotion but also brings to light the need for careful scrutiny of the costs involved. These expenditures aim to elevate cultural practices, provide support to traditional leadership, and boost engagement with modern and heritage-rich activities in the arts and culture sectors.