SA Politics Thread Part 12

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@TheChamp You gave us a nice op-ed about a single public swimming pool in Gauteng. Care to comment on the rest?

The Katlehong pool is just one of many aquatic facilities in crisis within the municipality. Out of 38 public swimming pools in Ekurhuleni, only 16 are currently functioning, leaving communities across the city without a vital recreational resource, especially during the summer months.

southafricatoday.net

1998 Pool Project Remains a Dry Promise for Frustrated Katlehong Community - South Africa Today

A public swimming pool project that broke ground in 1998 has become a source of deep frustration for residents of Katlehong, standing as a crumbling monument
southafricatoday.net southafricatoday.net
 
I've added some Lambo-related comments from my end:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1977291773484404858

FiestaST

Post in thread 'More details emerge following SIU raid on tenderpreneur who really loves blue'

Say what you want about C U Next Tuesday Maumela but the n**ier was determined to build up quite the Lambo collection:

- Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae - the final and most powerful version of the Aventador, the swan song. To call it "highly desirable" would be underselling it.

- Lamborghini Huracán STO - the track focused most extreme version of the Huracán.

The only thing he was missing was the Urus Performante instead of the povo spec vanilla Urus he went for.
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Gayton diverts state money to singers who support PA
Bohemia Jumatt

Gayton McKenzie is accused of misusing the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s money to promote members of his own political party, the Patriotic Alliance (PA).

Bumper Morgan, a politician from the West Coast, has accused McKenzie, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, in an official complaint that his department provided money to organize a music festival in Saldanha on the West Coast, but only artists with ties to the PA were then booked for the festival.

McKenzie denies the allegations.

Morgan, a former PA member, makes these allegations in a letter that he intends to send to the Public Protector (PP), Parliament, the Auditor-General and the Electoral Commission.

According to Morgan, three such festivals were financed by the Department of Arts and Culture’s Mzansi Golden Economy Fund. The first of the festivals was held yesterday and today in White City, Saldanha.
The poster for the third festival to be held in St. Helena Bay in December.

Saldanha has been in the news lately as the town where six-year-old Joshlin Smith disappeared without a trace on 19 February 2024. The PA descended on the town to help with the search for Smith and later used her disappearance to hold rallies across the Western Cape to garner votes in the run-up to last year's general election.

McKenzie also promised to establish a Joshlin Smith Foundation, but it is not known how far he has progressed with this plan.

The Mzansi Golden Economy Fund's mandate is to achieve economic growth and create jobs through arts and culture projects for the country.

Morgan claims McKenzie uses artists such as Jonathan Rubain, former presenter of the TV show Koortjies, and gospel singers Varonica Meyer and David Jantjies, whom he describes as “PA artists”.

Rubain would not say when asked if he was still involved with the PA, but party leaders introduced him as a member of the party with great fanfare in 2021. He also performed at a party rally in Nelson Mandela Bay in June.

According to Rubain, he was only booked for a Pentecost festival in December in St. Helena Bay on the West Coast, but he is not aware of the logistics of the festival.

Meyer says she was booked by an external company for her performance, but she has often performed at PA events in the past. She even canvassed for votes for the party in May in the run-up to a by-election.

Morgan says in his letter: “The public funds provided to arts, culture and sport are intended to uplift communities, promote national heritage, create jobs and provide support to the sector based on merit and economic social impact.

“The current allegations indicate a blatant disregard for our democratic processes and the very fabric of the cultural and creative economy.”

Morgan also says there are allegations that members of the Mzansi Golden Economy Fund allocation panel are active PA members.

Rapport reported in August that at least three of the panel members are members of McKenzie's party. They are Steve Motale, the PA's spokesperson, Vernon Vraagom, former PA candidate for ward councillor in the West Coast, and former. Francisco Tejada. It is not known what experience Motale and Tejada have in the arts, while Vraagom sings at small events in the West Coast.

Morgan says this is a serious conflict of interest that makes the funding process opaque and unfair.

"Decisions appear to be made based on political loyalty rather than artistic merit or community benefit," says Morgan.

Morgan also refers to McKenzie's "empty promises" to provide money for iconic festivals such as the Suidoosterfees and the KKNK.

He describes these festivals as the backbone of regional economies, supporting thousands of jobs and generating significant income generate.

McKenzie indicated in response to a parliamentary question last week that he still wants to help the festivals through a master plan.

Morgan says there are allegations that resources are now being diverted to new projects and community festivals where “PA artists” perform. These are being used as “de facto” political rallying points, where public money is being transformed into a “campaign tool for the party at the helm of the department (of sport, arts and culture)”.

“The alleged use of state resources for party political gain is a direct threat to South Africa’s constitutional democracy, which requires a level political playing field.”

Morgan says immediate action is needed to protect state money and the independence of the cultural sector.
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