Entertainment industry ’in limbo’ as govt yet to respond to 70% capacity demand

Durban - THERE is still no indication on whether President Cyril Ramaphosa will soon reopen entertainment activities to at least 70% capacity, as demanded by local artists.

Spokesperson for the artists, Thokozani Tzozo Zulu, said they are in limbo while waiting for the president’s response.

Zulu said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office had last Thursday confirmed receipt of their memorandum.

“We are optimistic that the president will soon revert to us with a positive response. At least our demands are getting his attention,” said Zulu.

The DA yesterday said it had written to Premier Sihle Zikalala calling on him to take the call of creative artists - that they be allowed to resume business under strict conditions - to the right ears at national government level.

However, Zikalala’s spokesperson Lennox Mabaso said the premier had already addressed the issue and had spoken extensively on the ways in which artists could still benefit, including the second wave of the Covid-19 Relief Fund for artists to access through the Department of Arts and Culture.

He said the province cannot on its own make decisions on this matter.

“As the province, the entertainment sector is important to us and the province’s economy. We always work to ensure that they flourish - in fact we are the most supportive province to the artists.”

The artists have welcomed the support of the DA to pressure the government on this issue.

“We are patiently waiting for President Cyril Ramaphosa to respond to our demands and open the country for us to go back to work,” said Zulu.

The DA said it sympathised with the plight of many thousands of creative artists in the province who have essentially had their livelihoods taken away since the lockdown first began in March, and who continue to be left out in the cold.

During a protest earlier this month, 32 artists were arrested on the N3 near Durban and are facing criminal charges for holding an illegal protest on the public road.

They were all released on R1 000 bail and are due back in court on October 23.

DA KZN Legislature leader Zwakele Mncwango said with the festive season around the corner and the tourism sector already in operation, the DA felt the government could not afford to continue to ignore artists.

“While the artists themselves have called on President Ramaphosa to relax the lockdown regulations so they can get back to business, the DA now calls on Premier Zikalala to heed their call and assist in fast-tracking their appeal.”

He said that with the festive season, the provincial government must realise that it was not possible to separate tourism and the creative arts industry as the two go hand in hand.

“Both are major sources of income for our province that we cannot afford to lose.”

He said the gradual reopening of the sector also represented an ideal opportunity for artists to recoup some of their extensive losses.

“The DA does not believe that their requests to be allowed to return to work, accommodate up to 70% of their usual capacity and for the curfew to be extended to 2am are entirely unreasonable. But there must be very strict regulations in place in terms of physical distancing and other protocols.”

Daily News