The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for policy changes to bring about change to the country's current Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policies of the ANC.
On Monday, the party slammed the current policies, which it said only benefitted a few politically-connected individuals.
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Free State MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture & Recreation Zanele Sifuba has confirmed… again, that one of South Africa’s largest annual festivals is making a comeback this year.
Journal News reported last Sunday that following the resolution taken at the EXCO meeting held on Thursday last week, the Mangaung African Cultural Festival (Macufe) will be relaunched in early September this year.
In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon by the department’s spokesperson, Tankiso Zola, the festival launch will take place on 01 August, followed by a series of productions as part of the cultural and heritage-oriented nature of the recalibrated MACUFE programme.
MEC Sifuba said the festival will be held under the theme ‘Back to our African Heart and Soul’.
“The central focus of the recalibrated MACUFE programme will be on arts and culture-related activities. Reverting back to its original concept, the festival will therefore elevate the African cultural heritage as a pivot around which our existence should revolve as Africans and in line with the mandate of the Department of Nation Building and Social Cohesion,” said Sifuba.
This comes after a lengthy legal battle with businessman and owner of events company C-Squared, Ben Moseme.
C-squared was vindicated in May 2023 by Judge van Rhyn in the Bloemfontein High Court, and ordered the former MEC of sports, arts and culture, Limakatso Mahasa, to pay the legal costs and the amount owed of R3 344 335.84 with interest since the day of default.
According to Sifuba, it is further planned that the festival must continue to build on the positive socio-economic outcomes of the previous editions.
These outcomes were underscored by the Socio-Economic Impact Study conducted by the University of the Free State, Local economic beneficiation for local entrepreneurs, an increased tourism footprint in the province, participation benefits to local artists, and so on.
She said the relaunched MACUFE programme will intensify and escalate local beneficiation outcomes.
