The second wave of the Covid-19 relief fund applications are now ready to be rolled out from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. R65.7 million was paid during the first wave. The Department says that that total was spent on “digital applications, the living legends, relief for athletes in the sector as well as the relief of our arts and culture practitioners”.
There will be two ways this second wave of relief will be rolled out. The first will include relief for athletes and technical personnel in the sport sector and the second will be for the arts and culture sector.
It was said that a total of R77 million is set aside for relief. If the full amount is paid specifically beneficiaries and no other costs are counted, this will cover 11,666 athletes and artists.
Sports Sector
Minister Mthethwa says the same process used in the first wave will apply on the sport side. The maximum amount of relief available to be paid to each applicant would be R6‚600.
Those eligible to apply (but not limited to):
- athletes
- coaches
- technical support personnel
- freelance fitness instructors or practitioners
- those who rely solely on income from participating in sports competitions, events and in fitness activities, who operate as freelancers
All applications must be accompanied by the following documents:
- Certified copy of South African Identity Document; date of certification should not be older than 3 months. Passport or Drivers Licence are not allowed.
- Valid proof of bank account.
- Detailed bank statements showing income earned from sport competitions‚ events‚ activities and fitness instruction services from March 2019 to February 2020.
- If you are an athlete‚ coach or technical support personnel‚ a signed and dated letter from your federation or organisation confirming your activities is required.
- If you are a fitness instructor / practitioner‚ a letter (signed and dated) from an institution or organisation you provided fitness instructor / practitioner services for‚ confirming your work.
- The Department and any of its agencies reserves the right to conduct verification‚ due diligence and request additional information prior to providing the relief.
- The Department does not endorse the charging of fees for assistance in completing the application.
Only applications from fitness instructors/practitioners must be submitted to a portal on the Department’s website. When submitting to Federations and sport entities, the Federations and sport entities will give the first line of assurance.
Arts & Culture Sector
“The relief will be paid as a once-off payment of R6 600, instead of three staggered payments. This decision was made after consulting with implementing agencies, the National Arts Council and Business and Arts South Africa. The approach cut out a lot of administrative processes and time consumption,” said Mthethwa.
The categories to be provided with relief will apply only to:
- performances and celebrations
- music
- festivals and events
- books and publishing
- heritage practitioners
Applicants must be able to:
- provide proof of having earned income through arts, culture and heritage activities (provide contracts/invoices/bank statements/municipal trading permits) in the 12 months ending on February 2020
- prove their applicability in the sector through provision of their profiles/portfolio of work/academic achievements in the sector and/or references from prominent practitioners who have been in the field for 10 years or more
Applications are to be submitted by using WhatsApp on 087 153 1027. After applyting, all applicants will get an SMS acknowledging their applications.
Applications for relief funding will close on 31 August 2020.
Should applicants seek clarity and information on their application status, they can call 0800 724 278 at no cost.
Minister Mthethwa said fans are still prohibited from attending sporting events. He also said, “The first wave was not without its challenges. Due to the lockdown, many applicants were unable to fulfil the requirements of the criteria set on the open call”.