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MINISTER GAYTON MCKENZIE EXPOSED MGE ( MZANSI GOLDEN ECONOMY)
An Open Letter on the Alleged Misuse of Public Funds for Political Patronage and Campaigning
To: The Public Protector, The South African Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, The Auditor-General of South Africa, The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), and all citizens of South Africa.
Date: October 7, 2025
Subject: Deep Concern Regarding the Alleged Capture and Misappropriation of Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) Funding for Political Gain and Patronage.
We, the undersigned, write to express grave concern over recent allegations that public resources, specifically funding from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC)—including the Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) Fund—are being improperly used for political patronage and to advance the campaigning efforts of political parties, notably the Patriotic Alliance (PA).
Public funds dedicated to arts, culture, and sport are intended to uplift communities, foster national heritage, create jobs, and support the sector based on merit and proven economic/social impact. The current allegations suggest a blatant disregard for these principles, which threatens the integrity of our democratic processes and the very fabric of the cultural and creative economy.
The Alleged Pattern of Misconduct
The core of our concern centres on reports detailing a worrying pattern of conduct:
Political Adjudication of Funds: Allegations suggest that the MGE adjudication panel was stacked with active Patriotic Alliance members, including the Minister's spokesperson and former councillors. This constitutes a severe conflict of interest and political patronage, rendering the funding process non-transparent and unfair. Decisions appear to be made on the basis of political loyalty rather than artistic merit or community benefit.
Defunding Established Festivals: Critical funding has allegedly been withdrawn from South Africa’s iconic, established, and economically-vital cultural festivals (such as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, National Arts Festival, Suidoosterfees, KKNK, and others). These festivals are the backbone of regional creative economies, sustaining thousands of jobs and generating significant revenue.
Channelling Funds for Political Campaigns: It is alleged that resources are being diverted to new projects and 'community festivals' which then feature PA-aligned artists and are used as de facto political rally points, effectively transforming public money into a campaign tool for the party in power of the department. This blurs the crucial line between party activities and the public administration.
Lack of Transparency and Accountability:
The process is reportedly riddled with a lack of transparency, with calls for the full disclosure of all MGE allocations, including the names, registration status, and compliance history of successful applicants, being ignored.
Furthermore, reports indicate that some successful applicant companies were found to be deregistered or in the process of deregistration, pointing to a potentially compromised system designed to benefit politically connected individuals.
The Democratic and Economic Impact
The alleged use of state resources for partisan political advantage is a direct threat to South Africa’s constitutional democracy, which demands a level political playing field.
This form of political capture:
Undermines Fair Competition: It grants the governing party an unfair advantage by financing its political activities with public money, disadvantaging opposition parties and independent artists.
Redirects Public Resources: It diverts funding away from its intended purpose—supporting the broad creative economy—and towards political self-interest and a personal patronage network, ultimately compromising the industries DSAC is meant to support.
Threatens Cultural Heritage and Jobs:
The withdrawal of funding from proven, established festivals risks the collapse of major cultural institutions and the resulting loss of thousands of jobs and billions of rands in economic activity in their respective local economies.
Our Demands for Immediate Action
To safeguard public funds and the independence of our cultural sector, we demand the following urgent interventions:
Immediate Independent Investigation:
The Public Protector and Auditor-General must launch an immediate, comprehensive, and independent investigation into the allocation of the Mzansi Golden Economy Fund and all recent funding decisions by the DSAC.
Reinstate Fair Funding: Funding support must be reinstated for established festivals with a proven track record of economic and social impact, based on objective criteria, not political favour.
Transparent and Depoliticised Adjudication: The DSAC must implement a fully transparent and depoliticised adjudication process for all funding, with a clear prohibition on the inclusion of active members of any political party on funding panels. Full details of all allocations must be made public.
Strengthen Legal Frameworks: Parliament and the IEC must address the lack of explicit prohibitions in electoral law against the use of state resources for party political benefit, ensuring a clear separation between the state and any political party.
We call on all South Africans to stand with the artists, cultural workers, and communities whose livelihoods are being held hostage by these alleged acts of political capture and patronage. We must protect public resources from being weaponised for political campaigns.
For Accountability, Transparency, and a Fair Democratic Process.
Theunisen Andrews aka Bumper Morgan
Obo Concern Tax Payers of SA (CTPA)
065 057 8308
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