MBOMBELA – A mere three weeks before it kicked off on July 1, the Innibos National Arts Festival had been newly endorsed by the provincial government. The premier’s executive committee this week undertook to increase its sponsorship of the festival from R500 000 to R1,5 million.
This might signal the end of its’ annus horribilis. The past year had been a roller-coaster ride for Innibos. It took 45 seconds of Steve Hofmeyr singing ”Die Stem’‘ at the final concert of the predominantly Afrikaans festival a year ago, for division to spring up among different cultural groups and within the Afrikaans community.
This event was held annually over four days, but the outcry sparked by the song just never seemed to settle. A debate about inclusiveness raged, and culminated in premier Mr David Mabuza, who had been a huge advocate for public-private partnerships, calling for a government boycott of this large economic injection into the province earlier this year.
On Tuesday, however, he changed his mind when he and his cabinet were presented with the Innibos programme. They undertook to increase the government’s sponsorship of the event. Mabuza said the provincial government wanted to be a serious partner of the festival.
“I am happy that we have finally found each other. It is a brilliant discussion to build a partnership.”
Mabuza said the song caused “an uproar making the festival to be viewed as not contributing to nation building, non-racialism and social cohesion but perceived as promoting apartheid”.
“As from today this matter is behind us because there was a bad perception that was created; that this premier is anti-Innibos,” he told Mr Andy Lubbe and Ms Sandra Jacobs of the Innibos management committee. “We are impressed that there are people like you who are brave enough to take such an initiative that is helping all of us to deal with the problems of the past.”
During the announcement of the decision to the press on Wednesday, MEC for finance Mr Sikhumbuzo Eric Kholwane said the increased
funding was aimed at helping it expand. “For the province it is a matter of social cohesion. We think that in its current form Innibos promotes social cohesion.”
He said the money would be sponsored without strings attached. “We can’t make specific demands. They have their management. We all realise that we are all South Africans. We speak 11 languages, but we want all those cultures to get together in the same space.”
He added that many people relied on the economic spin-offs related to the festival.
“In terms of tourism Innibos has a huge impact and indirect benefits to the people in Mbombela.”
Jacobs, the marketing manager, said they were delighted that the provincial government had shown appreciation for the festival and wanted to support it.
“Culture offers a wonderful opportunity to bring people together. There is a lot of potential to expand Innibos in future, without it losing its character.
“It is very important to us that the government of the host province recognises us as a national event. We are looking forward to walking this road with them.”
Kholwane indicated that the members of the premier’s executive council will prioritise attending the festival this year.
