WOMAD’s future unclear
The fate of the World of Music, Arts and Dance festival, to be hosted at an estimated cost of R90 million over the next three years is now unclear.
ALBERTON – The festival proposed by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture was planned to take place during March or April of this year with a six-month marketing build-up.
The festival has been challenged by opposition parties and councillors, who view the occasion as a waste of municipal money. Citing reports from National Treasury that urge municipalities to eliminate non-priority spending, particularly “excessive sponsorship of music festivals, beauty pageants and sporting events, including the purchase of tickets to events for councillors and/or officials”, dissenting voices have opposed the festivities. They seem to have gotten their wish as the time frame that the event was slated to take place has almost lapsed without word from the municipality.
Naysayers are still unsatisfied as accusations fly that the city has already entered into contractual agreements to host the festival. The approval has been questioned as it was reportedly permitted by the mayoral committee and not the EMM council; breaching the Municipal Systems Act and Supply Chain Management policies.
The RECORD approached mayoral spokesperson Zweli Dlamini for comment, but received no reply at the time of publication.
