Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane put together a Ministerial Cook-Off in May as a way to get the tourism department to sustain the hospitality industry.
Instead, the cook-off received public backlash after South Africans felt the efforts were ill-placed and should have focused on young professional chefs who are currently unemployed due to the pandemic.
The minister invited Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung to be a part of the event.
Covering the cook-off debacle, eNCA will cover the debacle on Checkpoint on Tuesday evening at 21h00.
The ministerial cook-off was meant to boost tourism but sparked public outrage. Businesses say the event featuring Somizi Mhlongo was a slap in the face. The department insists Somizi was not paid, but the entertainer says otherwise. #Checkpoint tomorrow at 9pm on #eNCA #DStv403 pic.twitter.com/KCUj2pFrhM
— eNCA (@eNCA) June 14, 2021
Minister Kubayi-Ngubane claims that Somizi wasn’t paid for the two-hour-long cook-off, however, Somizi claims that he sent the department an invoice.
According to reports that have since surfaced, the minister paid R150 000 for the event to take place which included venue costs, mobile kitchen hiring, event staffing, safety and event compliance requirements, the stage, sound system, food supplies, exhibition set-up, and publicity including live-streaming of activities.
The cook-off took place at DJ Shimza’s Hang Awt 1632 restaurant in Tembisa, Johannesburg.
South Africans weighed in on the matter, here are some of the responses:
Really? Somizi is only part a part of the entire conversation here. This is about abuse of public funds by government officials and this case, Tourism dept?
— #EndHateCrimesNOW! (@leloe_m) June 15, 2021
The system is broken.. and the high unemployment rate is telling..we sit with qualifications while unqualified celebs walk into jobs we are qualified for
— Afri_Kings👑 🇿🇦 (@afrikeigh) June 15, 2021
Who did they expect the Ministry of Tourism to engage? If Somizi is going to be paid,what worries dogs when the moon shines ? Do they want the Ministry to invite their relatives,friends or their concubines?Somizi is one of our own.Where they going to be happy if Somizi was white?
— Linda Mmakgoshi (@linda_mmakgoshi) June 14, 2021
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