Attention: News Editors / Journalists / Press Members
Date: 28 May 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, (DSRAC), Hon MEC Fezeka Bayeni has today, 28 May 2020 announced a much-anticipated relief fund for the cultural, creative and sport sector in the Province of the Eastern Cape.
“An amount of R15 million has been allocated to assist athletes and artists, the focus of the funding is on social relief, business continuity and economic recovery to mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will benefit artists, creatives, dancers, writers, athletes, coaches, technical support personnel and the core ecosystem that supports them to soften the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on their livelihood, whose sole income is in these sectors.” Said Hon MEC Bayeni
“It should be known that the main criteria is to ensure that we fairly resource clubs with equipment so that post COVID – 19 they are able to operate effectively, I say fairly because our budget is continuously shrinking due to the demands imposed on us by this pandemic. “further emphasised the MEC
A relief fund is not a full intervention of what an athlete or artist would have gained under normal instances, it is intended to provide temporary relief. We are therefore not fully subsiding our athletes and artists, since our mandate is to support the sectors we serve.
MEC Bayeni concluded by highlighting who can apply for the Relief Fund, which are;
- Sport and Recreation funded events/project cancellations
- Sport Federation, structure, recreational entities
- Coaches and technical support personnel who work with athletes whose sporting events were cancelled
- Athletes that are currently licensed by a regulating body and could not be active in the period due to Lockdown are eligible to apply
- Individual Artists/ Creatives/ Creative related cooperatives/organisations/institutions (including creative freelance workers/ independent contractors
- Projects that demonstrate involvement of previously disadvantaged individuals with specific reference to women, youth and/ or people living with disabilities and previously marginalised groups
- Special relief for living legends
- Preference will be given to applicants from rural areas.
The application forms are loaded on our website (www.ecsrac.gov.za) and the deadline for submission of applications is the 12th June 2020.
For media queries, contact:
Mr Andile Nduna
Cell: 071 411 4820
Email: Andile.Nduna@ecsrac.gov.za
Issued by
DSRAC Communications