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Petition is successful with 229 signatures
To: The Minister if Sports Arts and Culture , Gayton McKenzie
Tell the Minister Gayton Mckenzie To Release The Mzansi Golden Economy CCl Beneficiary List 2025.
The minister, Gayton Mckenzie released the list.
*[Campaign Update]: The campaign won, Minister Gayton McKenzie released the list.
Golden Economy on their website who applied on 12 January 2025. We also demand that the Minister release the list of beneficiaries for phase two of MGE-2, which closed on 12 April 2025, by the end of July 2025.
• We demand to know why the MGE projects decreased from 9 million to 2 million per project.
• We demand to see officials held accountable for the misuse of funds set to create job opportunities.
• We demand Minister Gayton McKenzie not bully the Creatives! “He said he would close taps for funding, even parliament officials cannot tell him anything; he's a Minister, naw.” McKenzie violates the Employment Act [ All Citizens have the right to employment].
• We demand a formal written response from the Minister and his department by 16 July 2025. We also demand McKenzie and his department officials account for their unconstitutional behaviours. They need to take action to ensure the creatives' needs are met and make the right decision to update artists.
Golden Economy on their website who applied on 12 January 2025. We also demand that the Minister release the list of beneficiaries for phase two of MGE-2, which closed on 12 April 2025, by the end of July 2025.
• We demand to know why the MGE projects decreased from 9 million to 2 million per project.
• We demand to see officials held accountable for the misuse of funds set to create job opportunities.
• We demand Minister Gayton McKenzie not bully the Creatives! “He said he would close taps for funding, even parliament officials cannot tell him anything; he's a Minister, naw.” McKenzie violates the Employment Act [ All Citizens have the right to employment].
• We demand a formal written response from the Minister and his department by 16 July 2025. We also demand McKenzie and his department officials account for their unconstitutional behaviours. They need to take action to ensure the creatives' needs are met and make the right decision to update artists.
Why is this important?
The importance of the Mzansi Golden Economy is to create growth for global competitiveness and engage with the creative space to make more projects recognised worldwide. This will create more job opportunities for the Cultural & Creative Industry. The grant was set to support projects that will focus on addressing social ills in the Communities, and this includes a high rate of unemployment, gender based violence (GBV), workshops, bullying, xenophobic attacks and more. Part of this fund was also meant to be used for educational workshops and provide training opportunities for up-and-coming Creatives in dance, art and theatre performances. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture receives 2 billion annually. Each year, the beneficiary is supposed to get 9 million per project to create 50 jobs with stipends starting from R5,000 upwards. When a project is given 9 million, more jobs will be created. The Minister changed this arrangement and gave each project 2 million. This, in turn, forces many organisations to work with a tight budget. Gayton McKenzie's refusal to release the list of Mzansi Golden Economy beneficiaries has resulted in international funders pulling their funds from festivals and Cultural heritage events. 90% of jobs due to be created have been lost since February 2025. This increases the rate of unemployment in South Africa even more. According to statistics, South Africa has more than 90% of the youth aged between 18-24 who are unemployed, with an increasing number affecting women and people living with disability.
Many Creatives have found themselves applying for international funding with no communication stating whether they have received funding from the department. These results were supposed to have been released by the department in January 2025. Many projects have not started and have been postponed to do work that would take place on June 16, which is an essential holiday for South Africa’s history. Does Gayton McKenzie even understand the importance of June 16, and why should we acknowledge our struggle heroes like Hector Peterson? If he does, why does he stop these projects from being funded?, Why does he want to erase our history?.
One of the Directors, Snenhlanhla Precious Nene, who runs a Non-profit organisation in Lenasia South, says,” We are done asking for answers. What Mr McKenzie is doing to the economy of South Africa is unconstitutional and has violated the Labour Act. Already, we have lost four employees since February, and we have not been able to host projects on GBV. These difficulties have been happening since Gayton McKenzie became Minister. He does not think about the organisation working well with the communities, but he feels for himself. What will happen to the victims of GBV, and where will they get the information they need from? He will give them food parcels?, Will he train them for work preparation and skills development? He should respond to our demands because he only thinks of himself.
The Minister’s stance that he will not release funding results for the MGE until he receives the report of the Investigation he had directed the Acting Director General to conduct on all creatives and artists who had received the MGE funding in the last five years has been criticised by Motsholo Mmoletshane. Mmoletshane, an African National Congress (ANC) member of Parliament who sits on the Portfolio committee of Sports, Arts & Culture, has said that Mr McKenzie must organise a forensic audit on the organisation he claims is misusing funds. She further told him that the Minister cannot hold public funds, as there are artists/
Organisations that are genuinely suffering need the funds to sustain their livelihoods and uplift their communities. She advised that the Minister investigate using external people because some officials pay more money to the wrong people and organisations.
Sizwe Ndlovu, who runs an Art Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, says the minister is correct in investigating the department officials, as some officials are corrupt to the core. They are misleading the Minister by plotting lies about Artists and organisations. There is corruption, and it should be dealt with, but the Minister has no right to hold funds. He should release the funds to the beneficiaries of the MGE. For the past three years, my organisation has been denied funding by the same corrupt officials who take funds and give them to their friends and families, whilst true artists die because of unemployment, which causes depression. The Minister’s focus should be directed at his officials, who are corrupt to the core, not the organisation, “says Sizwe.
Unemployment is already high in South Africa. Let’s be clear, having a Minister who is bullying the Cultural & Creative Industry is not acceptable. He is abusing the public office and his position as a Minister in the history of South Africa. We cannot have a Minister and his Department who use funds as a tool to control artists. We cannot have a Minister who thinks the Creative Industries do not create jobs. Many organisations/artist companies are the leading job creators in South Africa, and 60% of jobs come from the creative industries. One Festival Event can create 60 job opportunities, an Art Exhibition 20 jobs and 30 jobs in theatre. All these opportunities are substantial and long-term in nature. Many communities have young people assisted by the Mzansi Golden Economy funding, and need stipends to survive the economy. These also include matriculants who have passed matric and need training, workshops, and tools to gain relevant experience to develop their careers.
Although the Minister should understandably fight corruption in his ministry, it is irresponsible for him to withhold funds that should contribute to artists' livelihoods and Communities. The Minister needs to urgently listen to our demands. We will stop at nothing to feed our families and fight for justice in the arts and in our Communities.
We are calling on all artists, musicians, actors, youth and peoples in the Creatives as well as communities throughout the country to come and stand with us We need to came together and sign this petition, this is not only for Creatives Industry, but it is for community development and bringing back job opportunities. Without funds, there are no Jobs in the Creatives Space !, no training programs, workshops, community outreach projects, and no stipends to support our families,SIFUNA IMISEBENZI.
Many Creatives have found themselves applying for international funding with no communication stating whether they have received funding from the department. These results were supposed to have been released by the department in January 2025. Many projects have not started and have been postponed to do work that would take place on June 16, which is an essential holiday for South Africa’s history. Does Gayton McKenzie even understand the importance of June 16, and why should we acknowledge our struggle heroes like Hector Peterson? If he does, why does he stop these projects from being funded?, Why does he want to erase our history?.
One of the Directors, Snenhlanhla Precious Nene, who runs a Non-profit organisation in Lenasia South, says,” We are done asking for answers. What Mr McKenzie is doing to the economy of South Africa is unconstitutional and has violated the Labour Act. Already, we have lost four employees since February, and we have not been able to host projects on GBV. These difficulties have been happening since Gayton McKenzie became Minister. He does not think about the organisation working well with the communities, but he feels for himself. What will happen to the victims of GBV, and where will they get the information they need from? He will give them food parcels?, Will he train them for work preparation and skills development? He should respond to our demands because he only thinks of himself.
The Minister’s stance that he will not release funding results for the MGE until he receives the report of the Investigation he had directed the Acting Director General to conduct on all creatives and artists who had received the MGE funding in the last five years has been criticised by Motsholo Mmoletshane. Mmoletshane, an African National Congress (ANC) member of Parliament who sits on the Portfolio committee of Sports, Arts & Culture, has said that Mr McKenzie must organise a forensic audit on the organisation he claims is misusing funds. She further told him that the Minister cannot hold public funds, as there are artists/
Organisations that are genuinely suffering need the funds to sustain their livelihoods and uplift their communities. She advised that the Minister investigate using external people because some officials pay more money to the wrong people and organisations.
Sizwe Ndlovu, who runs an Art Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, says the minister is correct in investigating the department officials, as some officials are corrupt to the core. They are misleading the Minister by plotting lies about Artists and organisations. There is corruption, and it should be dealt with, but the Minister has no right to hold funds. He should release the funds to the beneficiaries of the MGE. For the past three years, my organisation has been denied funding by the same corrupt officials who take funds and give them to their friends and families, whilst true artists die because of unemployment, which causes depression. The Minister’s focus should be directed at his officials, who are corrupt to the core, not the organisation, “says Sizwe.
Unemployment is already high in South Africa. Let’s be clear, having a Minister who is bullying the Cultural & Creative Industry is not acceptable. He is abusing the public office and his position as a Minister in the history of South Africa. We cannot have a Minister and his Department who use funds as a tool to control artists. We cannot have a Minister who thinks the Creative Industries do not create jobs. Many organisations/artist companies are the leading job creators in South Africa, and 60% of jobs come from the creative industries. One Festival Event can create 60 job opportunities, an Art Exhibition 20 jobs and 30 jobs in theatre. All these opportunities are substantial and long-term in nature. Many communities have young people assisted by the Mzansi Golden Economy funding, and need stipends to survive the economy. These also include matriculants who have passed matric and need training, workshops, and tools to gain relevant experience to develop their careers.
Although the Minister should understandably fight corruption in his ministry, it is irresponsible for him to withhold funds that should contribute to artists' livelihoods and Communities. The Minister needs to urgently listen to our demands. We will stop at nothing to feed our families and fight for justice in the arts and in our Communities.
We are calling on all artists, musicians, actors, youth and peoples in the Creatives as well as communities throughout the country to come and stand with us We need to came together and sign this petition, this is not only for Creatives Industry, but it is for community development and bringing back job opportunities. Without funds, there are no Jobs in the Creatives Space !, no training programs, workshops, community outreach projects, and no stipends to support our families,SIFUNA IMISEBENZI.
How it will be delivered
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