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Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport relief funding application process update

18 June 2020

In response to the adverse implications the global health pandemic and subsequent national lockdown imposed on the cultural and sport sector, the Western Cape Government resolved to fund provincial athletes and artists through a relief and recovery package application process.

The call for applications officially opened on 5 May and closed on 19 May 2020. Pivotal to providing financial assistance from the Western Cape Government is ensuring objective criteria, an independent and competent adjudication panel and further motivating documentation to evaluate and confirm the needs of those we serve.
As all applications received have now been consolidated and verified, the adjudication process has commenced and is scheduled to be concluded on Friday, 19 June 2020.

Once concluded, the adjudicating panels will compile a report and present their findings to the department. These will be reviewed by top management and will be followed by a formal submission for administrative process.
Once approved, applicants will be informed of their outcome and the process to transfer relief funds to beneficiaries will begin. Transfers may be delayed in instances where compliance documents were not in place at the time of application. Kindly note that compliance documents were not used to disqualify any applicant, but they will be required to process transfers to beneficiaries.

To ensure a competent and independent adjudication process, it was required of adjudicators to promote objectivity informed by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) values and ethics guiding this transparent Covid-19 Relief Funding process.

Equally important, the adjudicators are representatives from the Sport and Recreation and Cultural, Heritage and Arts sectors, with a track record in working to ensure the respective sector is sustained and resilient. Fulfilling the important role of adjudication, the following representatives, amongst others, are included:

  • The Western Cape Provincial Sport Confederation, that administers, promotes and monitors all sport through its federation members in the Western Cape;
  • Seasoned Sport Administrators in the region;
  • The Western Cape Cultural Commission;
  • The Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa;
  • Internationally established arts administrators, production managers, directors and designers.

Minister Anroux Marais said, “As the application process progressed, we received various enquiries, mostly on the National Department of Sport and Culture’s (DSAC) communication and payment processing ahead of our provincial process.

This resulted in some applicants who had applied for both the national and provincial funding, misinterpreting the national communication as our provincial communication, which is not the case as our adjudication process is only now underway. I can also confirm that technical complications led to some applicants not receiving the automated acknowledgement of receipt. However, each applicant will receive official correspondence informing on their respective application(s) outcome”.

During these unprecedented times in which we are to be physically distanced, the DCAS remains proactively committed to our vision of a socially inclusive, active and connected Western Cape. To maintain transparency, further updates, once confirmed, will be communicated in due course.

Media Enquiries:

Stacy McLean
Spokesperson to Minister Anroux Marais
083 504 1171

Tania Colyn
Head of Communications
Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport
076 093 4913