THE much debated R90-million WOMAD Festival will no longer take place.
According to mayoral spokesman, Zweli Dlamini, the festival will not come to life because of logistical reasons.
“It must be understood that the festival had not been finalised yet and was still in its proposal stages,” Dlamini explained.
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“To pull off an event of this magnitude requires a lot more time and planning, as well as excellent marketing, because it’s an international festival; and already the metro was short of time as the festival was scheduled to take place in April.”
The DA’s Gauteng shadow MEC of co-operative governance, MPL Fred Nel, described the turn of events as concerning as it “highlights the metro’s inability to exercise legislative and financial compliance”.
“The ANC-led mayoral committee took a decision to host the festival rather than allocate the R90 million to poverty alleviation and improved service delivery. It has now been revealed that the ANC has decided to pull out of this festival due to ‘short notice’ and inadequate planning,” Nel said.
Nel compared the failed attempt at hosting the WOMAD Festival to the Tribe One Festival of the City of Tshwane, which cost residents R70 million last year.
“Gauteng MEC for Local Government, Housing and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, must intervene and investigate the ANC executive committee in Ekurhuleni and its nefarious dealings before the situation is beyond salvation.”
Nel concluded that failure to do so would only result in further waste of public funds in a metro already burdened with high unemployment rates and a “chequered” history of service delivery.
Dlamini added that just because the festival would not happen this year, it did not mean the metro would not consider hosting it in the near future.
“We need to look at the benefits of such an event, which would be a platform of international exposure for the city and its local artists. The festival would showcase the diversity of Ekurhuleni’s talent and heritage.”
