More fun with much more money
Council increases budget by R1.9m
THE annual Buyelekhaya festival, which draws thousands of music lovers from across the Eastern Cape, is set to be bigger and better this year.
The Buffalo City Metro (BCM) council this week agreed in principle to increase its funding.
However, council has asked the metro’s events arm to meet with festival organisers to source a full breakdown of the budget.
The jazz fest, first held in 2011, is becoming a trademark of the city as it pulls crowds of more than 20 000 each December. It has attracted some of the country’s biggest names in music, including The Soil, Ringo, Zahara, Mafikizolo and Oliver Mtukudzi.
A report was tabled by acting municipal manager Vincent Pillay on Wednesday, urging the metro to inject R1.9-million more this year.
Approval would push the total financial commitment this year to R4.9-million – an increase of 63% from last year’s R3-million.
The money is used to book the venue, pay for VIP marquees, ablution facilities, a security company and accommodation for artists, and to market the event in the radio and print media.
The council meeting on Wednesday agreed to the increase in principle, but held final approval till next month.
This would more than double the budget for hiring the venue – from R450 000 to R1-million.
Another significant increase will be for security. Last year the metro spent R300 000 but Pillay’s report on Wednesday put it at R600 000.
A further R600 000 was pegged for upmarket accommodation for performing artists and for hiring a sound and stage crew.
The increases follow a report by head of spatial planning and development Nonceba Mbali-Majeng tabled at a council meeting two months ago, which highlighted poor security at the 2014 event.
The Dispatch reported that Mbali-Majeng had said more money was needed to deal with overcrowding. Records show that more than 26 000 went through the gates last year, while 40 000 were seated outside the premises.
It was also found that the turnstiles at the gates did not match Computicket data, enabling the sale of fraudulent tickets. To avoid overcrowding this year, the metro wants to cap entries at 23 250, the Dispatch reported in August.
Speaking to the Dispatch yesterday, ANC council chief whip Mzwandile Vaaibom said they would not give organisers a blank cheque.
“We understand that more funding is needed to beef up security but the organisers must give us a full report on what they are going to spend on what and why.
“There must be value for money. We have asked the committee concerned to go back to the drawing board, have a meeting with the organisers and bring back a detailed report to council,” said Vaaibom.
Pillay told the meeting that the money had been secured already from the directorate of economic development, and that “a service level agreement has been drawn up which will serve as a contract between BCM and the event organiser”. —