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The DA calls for the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, to confirm whether his department is contracting the services of Indingliz Advertising and Marketing for wellness services.

The advertising and marketing firm was awarded a wellness tender by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture to provide “a comprehensive wellness intervention programme for the South African culture and creative practitioners”.

The tender, which was valued at a staggering R14.9 million, was awarded to Indingliz in 2020. The company denied that it had signed a contract with the department in 2020 however there has been no official word from the department itself whether the programme has been instituted or whether money had been paid to the advertising firm.

There is currently no evidence to support the company's activities during this period and whether they have made any inroads in providing wellness services to artists.

The reality is that the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture had no business entrusting the provision of wellness services to a corporation with no prior experience in the field.

The arts and culture sector has been severely impacted by Covid-19. It has heightened the challenges faced by artists on a daily basis, all of which have had a significant impact on their mental health. While a service devoted to the well-being of artists is plausible, their provision should never have been entrusted to a company with no prior experience in matters pertaining to mental wellness.

This is not only a waste of taxpayer’s money, but it is also a slap in the face of artists who could have used the wellness offering to help them overcome mental health issues exacerbated by Covid-19.

Issued by Tsepo Mhlongo MP - DA Shadow Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture