Here’s why DA says McKenzie is bankrolling politics instead of festivals

Cape Town – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has accused Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie of exploiting the Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) Fund to reward politically connected events, while established festivals and thousands of artists are left in financial uncertainty.

DA spokesperson on Sport, Arts and Culture, Leah Potgieter MP, said in a statement on Sunday that she had written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, Joe McGluwa, requesting that both Minister McKenzie and the MGE adjudication panel be summoned to Parliament.

“Their continued evasion of oversight cannot go unchecked while public funds are allegedly being used as a political campaign tool,” Potgieter said.

According to the DA, MGE funds were prioritised for events linked to the Patriotic Alliance (PA), a political party, while major festivals that sustain jobs and tourism — including the National Arts Festival, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK), Woordfees, Suidoosterfees, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, the Cape Town Carnival, and the Open Book Festival — were defunded.

“Thousands of artists, festival staff and tourism workers now face uncertainty because politically connected events were given priority over festivals that grow South Africa’s creative economy,” Potgieter said.

The DA claims that McKenzie has not responded to written parliamentary questions submitted on 17 September regarding the Department’s due diligence processes, the appointment of adjudication panel members, and the rationale for withdrawing funding from established festivals. Potgieter said the Minister has failed to provide documentation promised to the Portfolio Committee, including a full list of MGE-funded applicants and explanations for why deregistered companies were approved.

“The Minister is dodging accountability while using taxpayer-funded MGE money to support events linked to his own political party,” Potgieter said.

The DA also criticised the MGE adjudication panel for conflicts of interest. During a portfolio committee meeting in early September, panel members initially denied any political ties, but later admitted their active political roles and lack of arts and culture experience. Potgieter said the PA spokesperson who chairs the panel “aggressively tried to defend himself by claiming his ‘constitutional right’ to support the PA. I reminded him that the Constitution also guarantees transparency, fairness and accountability in public administration, principles that apply to everyone entrusted with public funds.”

Potgieter added that the King IV Code on Corporate Governance and Public Service Regulations require conflict-of-interest vetting before appointments, yet the panel and department admitted no such vetting occurred.

“Serving as both a political party official and a decision-maker in the Department’s funding process is a textbook example of a conflict of interest and cadre deployment,” she said.

The DA said it will continue to pursue full transparency on MGE allocations and hold the Department accountable for the alleged misuse of public funds.

“The Mzansi Golden Economy Fund was established to grow South Africa’s creative economy and expand opportunities for artists, not to bankroll the Patriotic Alliance’s political ambitions,” Potgieter concluded.