President Cyril Ramaphosa is said to have quietly advised Economic Development and Tourism Affairs (Edtea) MEC Siboniso Duma against hosting the SA Music Awards (SAMAs), following outrage, News24 understands. 

The province is marred by service delivery issues, and ActionSA and the Demoratic Alliance (DA) are against the idea of hosting the awards at a massive cost of R20-million, according to the provincial government, at a time when service delivery is on its knees. 

Last week, News24 reported that Duma's department had gone to the provincial treasury, proverbial cap in hand, with a request for virements – a process where a department shifts money around its programmes.

Duma's spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, said there were no irregularities involved and added that the event would make the economy start humming because the R20-million "investment" would inject R350-million into the economy.  

Inter-departmental documents showed that, among other virements, the department had requested that an overbudgeted R5-million be moved from the State-owned bank Ithala and R18-million from compensation of employees programmes.

News24 pushed Sibiya for comment on the advice Ramaphosa was said to have given his boss.

Sibiya issued a statement and rigidly stood by it, without answering the question about the president's advice.

"As we stated last week, MEC Siboniso Duma continue[s] to seek guidance from [the] executive council, provincial treasury and other relevant authorities, including the African National Congress, as the party in charge of the state. At the right time, we will indicate how we move forward. MEC Duma has emphasised that we offer to do what is in the interest of the people of KwaZulu-Natal," he said.

Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, noted that MECs report to premiers and that Ramaphosa "does not get involved in the day-to-day running of provincial departments". 

Magwenya added, "However, it is possible that the president may have advised MEC Duma against such spending in the interest of maintaining fiscal discipline."

Meanwhile, ActionSA provincial leader Zwakele Mncwango issued a public letter to Ramaphosa.

"Our objection to Edtea's plan to splurge R28-million on the SAMAs is rooted in the fact that the department's intention to divert funds from other programmes lacks fiscal jurisdiction and is not in compliance with the necessary approval process from the provincial legislature," Mncwango's letter to Ramaphosa said.

Sibiya is on record saying the event will cost R20-million. 

Mncwango added that, coupled with a reportedly planned R25-million from the eThekwini metro for the SAMAs, the government wanted to fund a "vanity project", rather than prioritise investment as the province reels from the devastating combination of the July 2021 riots and last year's floods.

He called on Ramaphosa to intervene.