The DA goes amok about R16.5m Covid-19 relief grants
The Democratic Alliance (DA) went amok insunuating that the Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, spent R16.5m paying service providers to administer R13.2m Covid-19 relief grants to Gauteng athletes and artists who got R6 000 each. However, it turned out that only R1.6m was paid for administration, R13.2m to the beneficiaries and R1.6m will be paying additional beneficiaries once all appeal processes are conluded.
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The Democratic Alliance (DA) went amok insunuating that the Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, spent R16.5m paying service providers to administer R13.2m Covid-19 relief grants to Gauteng athletes and artists who got R6 000 each. However, it turned out that only R1.6m was paid for administration, R13.2m to the beneficiaries and R1.6m will be paying additional beneficiaries once all appeal processes are concluded.
The DA has suggested that there was no bidding process to identify the administrators, who are Business Arts South Africa (BASA) and the Gauteng Sports Confederation (GSC) . It is not clear if a bidding process was required in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). What we know is that BASA and GSC are both non-profit companies (NPC). BASA's mandate is to ensure greater involvement in arts. GSC is a macro body sport structure representing and governing sport in the province of Gauteng. On the face of it there is nothing dubious about mandating these bodies to administrate the grants. of course the pudding is in the eating.
