KZN Economic Development MEC Siboniso Duma has pulled the plug on the department’s plans to host this year’s South African Music Awards (Samas).

This comes amid complaints that the R20m which the department intended to inject into the event is unjustified under the current economic conditions.

The DA and ActionSA were among organisations which were against the provincial economic development department’s plans to spend millions on the Samas.

Briefing the media in Durban yesterday, Duma — who stuck to his earlier position that the province would have derived economic benefits worth more than the R20m the department would have invested in the Samas — blamed what he described as a ‘disinformation campaign’ for the department’s decision not to go ahead with the hosting of the event.

“Unfortunately, in the process of ensuring transparency, official and publicly available documents have been weaponised against the department to scandalise this national event.”

While there have been reports that the department pulled out of the Samas following a directive from President Cyril Ramaphosa, Duma told journalists that he made the decision for the department not to go ahead with plans to sponsor the event.

“As an executive authority, having consulted widely with the executive council and other stakeholders, I have advised the department to stop the hosting of the South African Music Awards this year.”

The R20m which the department had intended to invest in the Samas, Duma said, will be diverted to other programmes which have been developed to ‘create jobs and improve the lives of our people’.

The department, which is also responsible for tourism and environmental affairs, has the task of finding solutions to the economic challenges currently being confronted by the people of the province.

According to experts, the current  economic conditions characterised by rising food prices and high transport costs, are likely to be in existence for a prolonged period.

“Over the next few months, we will have public presentations outlining interventions by key priority programmes within the department,” he said.