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Big budget for 2016 Nelson Mandela Bay festival


The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality will be investing more than R5 million rand in the upcoming Mandela Bay festival.

This was revealed during the festival's launch on Wednesday.

Cultural Festival is part of the Mandela Legacy Project that was started back in 2014.

The Nelson Mandela Executive Mayor, Danny Jordaan, said arts and culture was one of the sectors identified in the metro's five golden-year plan.

“Those sectors of the economy that needs stimulation, that requires the metro to play a catalytic role. A role to stimulate that particular sector of our economy. Very often it requires the metro to use their money to stimulate economic growth in that area" he said.

Jordaan said the festival was not only to stimulate the economy of the metro but to also create work opportunities for artists in creative fields.

“It is our responsibility to stimulate economic growth and economic opportunities for the people. Everybody talks about John Kani, Winston ntshona but the list stops. We have to create a new generation of those artists" he added.

Arts and Culture Executive Director, Noxolo Nqwazi , says 80% of feature artists will be from Nelson Mandela Bay.

Nqwazi says 90 % of the R5 million budget will be spent back into the city to develop the local economy.

Local artists featured include Sdudla and MA1000, Dj Mthi with big national artists such as Professor and Freshly Ground.

The festival programme starts next week Tuesday (26 July) in different parts of the metro and the main event will take place on Saturday the 30th at St Georges Park cricket Stadium.