Govt called to intervene in SAMAs impasse

Reading Time: < 1 minutes

The South African Music Industry Council is calling on government to intervene in what it is calling a South African Music Awards (SAMAs) impasse.

The council says it was shattered at the news of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial government’s decision to pull the plug on hosting the music awards.

KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs MEC Siboniso Duma announced recently that he decided to cancel the hosting of the awards next month after wide consultation with stakeholders.

Some political parties had questioned the wisdom of hosting such ceremonies at a time of severe budgetary constraints.

Vusi Leeuw is the president of the Council, “The industry as a whole has been disappointed by the decision to cancel, or to pull the plug on the South African Music Awards. As we’re celebrating our rugby team, the Bokke, we will allow that our minister, who has been missing in action on this matter comes back in the country, together with the president and we are pushing to get an urgent meeting with them so that we’re making sure that this matter is addressed and treated with the utmost respect and urgency that it deserves. The implications are huge.”

Leeuw’s full interview below: