Lesufi urged to investigate Gauteng government’s R4 million payments to DStv Delicious Festival
· Citizen
The DA in Gauteng has raised questions about the Gauteng government’s decision to channel R4 million into the DStv Delicious Food and Music Festival.
This comes after premier Panyaza Lesufi revealed in a written reply to the DA that two payments of R2 million were made towards the food and music event in the 2025-26 financial year.
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The festival takes place annually in Johannesburg and is known for bringing in big international musicians to South Africa.
Contradictory statements
The DA’s Leanne de Jager told The Citizen on Friday that the party wants an investigation into these payments.
“The DA calls on premier Lesufi to launch a forensic investigation into possible wrongdoing, irregularities or collusion between officials and service providers in bankrolling this event.
De Jager also wants Lesufi to explain the seemingly contradictory statements related to payments made towards the festival.
This stems from the former MEC of economic development, Lebogang Maile, denying that his former department had also contributed to the event.
“Also concerning are the responses provided by the Premier, the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation (GDSACR) and the Gauteng Department of Economic Development.
“These responses present contradictory accounts of how much public money supported the festival and which departments were responsible for funding it.
“It is senseless that the Gauteng government can find millions for festivals that benefit a select few and expensively booked international acts, yet cannot deliver the basic sporting infrastructure desperately needed by our communities to develop local talent and create lasting opportunities for the youth,” said De Jager.
The Citizen has reached out to Lesufi’s office for comment. The publication has also reached out to the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. Both responses will be included once received.
Return on investment
However, De Jager said this is not the first time the provincial government has spent money on entertainment events that do not yield any returns.
“They are spending too much money on one-day events that are not focused on service delivery, instead of investing in infrastructure projects that would leave a lasting legacy in our communities.
“The reason they are involved in this is that they prefer spending public funds on high-profile activities to create the impression that they are working, when, in reality, they are not.
“Meanwhile, ordinary residents of our province are not seeing any meaningful benefits from these events. No, neither the residents nor the sports, arts and culture sectors within our province have benefited from these initiatives,” claimed De Jager.