The Eastern Cape government must account for the alleged mismanagement of public funds at the “Music in the Snow Festival” in Hogsback this past weekend. Artists and attendees alike were left disappointed and out of pocket after a string of failures reportedly caused by the event organiser’s inability to meet basic commitments.
This festival, funded in part by the provincial Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC), was marketed as a boost for local tourism and a celebration of Eastern Cape talent. Instead, it became a case study in poor planning and broken promises. Ticketholders who paid up to R1000 for the full weekend were greeted with delays, missing performers and technical disruptions that left them questioning whether the event should have gone ahead at all.
The Democratic Alliance has written to DSRAC MEC Sibulele Ngongo to launch a full investigation into the use of public funds for this event. We are particularly concerned about the role of co-sponsors such as the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and the Eastern Cape Gambling Board, all entities that rely on public resources to fulfil their mandates.
According to artists, the main event on Saturday only started two hours late, with sound equipment still being set up while the audience waited. Some performers, including headline acts such as Nathi Mankayi and Simmy, reportedly withdrew after the organisers failed to honour their contracts.
Social media posts from frustrated musicians suggest non-payment and technical problems were widespread, undermining the very goal of artist development and audience engagement.
I have also written to MEC Nonkqubela Pieters, who oversees the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs, and Tourism, as well as the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and the Eastern Cape Gambling Board, to establish how public funding was used and whether due diligence processes were followed.
The Eastern Cape has a rich cultural and artistic heritage. Events like these should uplift both performers and communities, not leave them disillusioned. Our artists deserve professionalism, and our people deserve better value when public money is spent in their name.
The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that delivers and a future built on dignity, opportunity and honest government.