Windhoek
Environment and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta yesterday said the US$1.5 million (N$22.5 million at yesterday’s exchange rate) paid towards the planned Kora music awards ceremony in Namibia was not a donation but a commercial investment meant to market the country globally.
The money was paid to Kora organisers by the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) to purchase advertising packages that would market Namibia globally as a tourism destination.
Shifeta said neither government nor any of its agencies have committed any financial donation towards the hosting of this year’s Kora awards, saying funding of the event remains a responsibility of the event organisers.
He described NTB’s financial commitment as a purely commercial intervention which, in good faith, was availed to market the country as a leading African tourist destination through various media platforms accessible to a global audience.
“I’ve ordered NTB that everything they spend their money on in relation to Kora must be quantifiable for transparency,” said the minister.
Shifeta described Kora as “a very good thing” and expressed hope the event will take place in three weeks’ time as planned.
“As government we endorsed hosting the event in our country and offer our support in general, but we are not paying a cent for its hosting,” he said.
“The money paid by NTB is not for organisers to spend on the logistics of hosting the event, but was to purchase packages offered by the organisers – which is to market our country as a global brand.”
“We don’t just dish out money like that, that’s why we have signed contracts.”
With reports yesterday that the awards ceremony has been called off indefinitely, speculation went viral that the country will lose the money paid by NTB, but Shifeta remained upbeat that no such losses are on the cards.
However, Kora founder Ernest Adjovi – speaking from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea yesterday – expressed the importance of hosting the event as planned, as he has no plans of paying back NTB’s money.
He said the money has been used for its intended purpose, although Shifeta has demanded proof of such claims.
New Era understands that lawyers representing NTB wrote to Adjovi last week to produce proof of where and when adverts promoting Namibia as a tourist attraction were placed.
Adjovi yesterday expressed determination to host the awards ceremony in Windhoek on the eve of Independence Day, but said this would only materialise if more funds come forth.
Yesterday he was in Malabo to canvass for more funds, he said. “It’s sad that various stakeholders are not fulfilling their financial promises to the awards and that I have to look for money elsewhere for an event that will benefit Namibia,” he said.
“Would Namibians feel good if I collect money from them for an event that will only promote Zimbabwe?” the Benin-born businessman wanted to know.
“I can’t sell my mother’s house in Benin to host the awards,” he said.
Shifeta, an admitted legal practitioner, said postponing the event is tantamount to cancellation and therefore violation of the terms of the agreement which necessitated payment by NTB.
“The NTB money is to purchase advertising packages for this year’s event and not a donation,” Shifeta told New Era.
Adjovi said NTB violated some provisions of the agreement with Kora, especially regarding payment deadlines which made it difficult for certain issues to be resolved in time.
Shifeta said if Adjovi felt the terms of the initial agreement with NTB were violated, he should not have accepted the money – especially if he felt that he would not deliver the services required.
New Era understands that it was agreed that Kora organisers were to produce evidence that they had raised US$6 million (N$90 million) for the event by February 16, after which further support from government and its agencies would be guaranteed until the hosting of the event.
If the event goes ahead as planned, winners of different music categories are to walk away with a combined US$2 million (N$30 million) in prize money.