The Greater Tzaneen municipality spokesperson, Neville Ndlala.
The Greater Tzaneen municipality has dismissed the Democratic Alliance accusations against the sponsorship of the popular SABC annual Xitsonga Music Awards, which were this year hosted at the Nkowankowa stadium.
DA councillor Mahlatswa Lebbeus Ramalepe had accused the municipality of spending over R1 million on music awards at the expense of service delivery, and wrote to the council speaker Sanie Tiba to demand that council rescind a resolution of financial sponsorship to the Xitsonga Music Awards.
A three-year sponsorship deal of the Xitsonga Music Awards to the tune of R1, 234 million annually was tabled before the municipal council sitting on 26 January 2023. The DA rejected the report, indicating that the money should rather be used to prioritise service delivery and improve infrastructure for residents in the municipality.
“The ANC-led council has let the people down by putting entertainment ahead of providing services when the municipality has far more urgent problems,” the DA statement went on.
In a rebuttal statement the municipality spokesperson Neville Ndlala pointed out that the municipality’s responsibility is not just to provide basic services, but also to promote social and economic development within its area of jurisdiction.
“The Xitsonga Music Awards is a perfect fit for purpose, it has a social and economic impact,” the municipal statement elaborated. “Hosting an event of this magnitude creates opportunities for the hospitality industry.”
Hundreds of people are booked in various accommodation establishments, retailers benefit from the purchases of food and beverages. This partnership also serves to preserve our culture and traditions through music and dance.
“The partnership with the SABC gives us a platform to reach millions of people, not just in our province but countrywide,” the statement went on. “Our partnership does not end with the festival, it goes beyond the festival.”
According to the statement the municipality hosted the artists’ workshop which was aimed at empowering emerging musicians, and a gala dinner to honour legends in the music industry.
The Xitsonga Music Awards were a success, with no reported incidents. Nkowankowa proved beyond doubt that it can host big musical events with no nasty incidents.
The municipality sponsorship of the Xitsonga Music Awards is for a three years duration, with R1, 2 million paid annual. This sponsorship is reviewable at the end of the three-year term.
The 2022 edition of Xitsonga Music Awards, the 17th since their inception, was themed “Vunanga iVutomi” (Music is Life).