1. At the onset, it should be indicated and made clear that the Makeba matter has never been about funding litigation between warring factions. From its inception, the Makeba project has been about the protection and preservation of the intangible heritage of the Makeba legacy as per the mandate of the Department. Amongst other issues, this was the resolution of the dispute between Trustees on the one hand, and Beneficiaries of the ZM Makeba Trust, on the other hand concerning the ownership, protection, and preservation of the Makeba legacy. Miriam Makeba was a national figure, and her legacy remains a national heritage.
2. Yes, this was the right way of protecting the national heritage and legacy. Section 2 of Culture Promotion Act (CPA) gives the Minister express discretionary powers to finance any organisation or project - whose objectives are likely to have an impact throughout the country. In this regard, it was the Minister’s privilege to exercise discretionary powers in deciding whether the objectives are likely to have the needed impact. In this event, my office decided accordingly that this matter would have a national impact and should therefore be addressed.