ANCYL urges Minister McKenzie not to act in haste

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The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) has labeled the conduct of Sports, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie as unacceptable.

The League has urged the newly appointed minister to refrain from making hasty decisions and attacking creatives.

This criticism follows the publication of a list of creatives who received funding from the department during the COVID-19 pandemic. The list was released after BET Award-winning singer Makhadzi complained that she didn’t receive support from the department to attend the award presentation ceremony in the US.

ANCYL spokesperson Zama Khanyase says, “He’s been there barely a month. What he should be doing is to get to his department, understand how it operates, understand how the government operates and meet up with those who are leading. He has not met up with those that are leading, he has not met up with the creatives.”

Khanyase adds, “Instead you have Makhadzi being attacked by his department publicly as we speak because she dared to complain that she was not supported when she went to an international trip where she was now representing South Africa. If you are going to international awards as an artist, it moves beyond being just about you now representing the country.”

Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has always cared for the creative sector. Below is the link to the Covid-19 Relief Beneficiaries 2020-2021 list. More lists are coming to cover other categories of funding since 2020 to date Beneficiaries: https://t.co/I4sycG0RGP#DSACCares

— Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (@SportArtsCultur) July 10, 2024