The announcement came from ANC provincial chairperson and MEC for Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs, Siboniso Duma, who stated that the event, scheduled to be broadcast by SABC from Durban on November 17 and 18, would no longer proceed.
The decision to use state funds, reallocated from other departments by Duma's ministry, caused significant controversy and was rumored to have prompted a quiet recommendation from President Cyril Ramaphosa to scrap the plan. The move sparked outrage within the local music industry and among artists who protested the event's organization without their involvement.
The spending for the event, including R3 million for goody bags, an R11 million broadcast fee, and R6.5 million for a gala dinner, was exposed after a treasury memo was leaked to the media. While the provincial government had defended the event, citing a projected R350 million boost to the local economy, Duma announced during a press briefing in Durban that the plan, which had received approval from the provincial cabinet, was now canceled.
Duma emphasized that the actual cost was closer to R20 million before VAT and accused detractors of spreading disinformation to sow confusion. He maintained that the procurement process to secure treasury approval for the reallocation of funds was transparent and free from irregularities.
The department had initially invested resources in the Samas with the intention of hosting successful national and international events to stimulate the provincial economy, as it had done in the past.
Despite protests from local artists about their exclusion from the event, Duma argued that the Samas would have benefited them. He expressed sympathy for artists who had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and saw the South African Music Awards as a source of hope and income for the upcoming festive season.
Zwakhele Mncwango, the ActionSA KwaZulu-Natal leader, had previously written to President Ramaphosa, urging intervention regarding the event's expenditure. Additionally, the eThekwini municipality had committed an additional R25 million in funding for the event.
