Picture: Gugu Myeni
Faizel Patel – 16/09/2021
The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it is shocked by the poor state of arts centres in KwaZulu-Natal.
The party has called for answers from Arts and Culture MEC Hlengiwe Mavimbela about the dilapidated arts centres in the province, many of which remain incomplete while also displaying shoddy workmanship.
The DA made the call following oversight inspections at both the uThungulu Arts Centre and the Bulwer Arts Centre in the Harry Gwala District.
Speaking to Radio Islam, the DA’s Bradley Singh says the party is very concerned state of the art centres.
“We know for the fact the huge amounts of money, in the millions of rands, so let’s work with the uThungulu Arts Centre in Richards Bay. Twenty-five million rand was given to build that art centre and when you look at the state of what you get for twenty-five million rand, it would break your heart knowing that kids and community members are in need of an art centre in the Richards Bay area and have been waiting ten years for it.”
Singh says the DA has not received any positive feedback with regards to the art centre from Mavimbela.
“It was my initiative where I wrote to the chairperson of the Arts and Culture portfolio committee and I demanded and that the portfolio committee goes and visits this centre because R25 million was spent, a further R5 million has been budgeted to be spent, so we need to see where the money is going. The committee was devastated by what they saw.”
Singh says claims that there is a forensic report on the state of the art centres, which the ANC, MEC and the HOD’s refuse to release.
“The only that they would withhold that type of information is if they have damning findings in that forensic report, that is why they do not want to release that forensic report.”
Singh says if the forensic report it not released, the DA will seek other avenues to make the information public.
Listen to the interview with Bradley Singh
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