(a). My Department is not aware of the role played by the former Speaker of Parliament, Mrs. Baleka Mbete towards securing the funding for the, Actress Natasha Thahane. What we know is that Ms. Thahane made a request for financial support towards her studies at the New York Film Academy directly to me as the Minister.
This request is similar to many others that my office and the Department constantly receives from members of the public. The public does this possibly because I am the political head of the Department.
(b). The funds were for Ms. Thahane’s tuition fees at the New York Film Academy in New York (USA) and the terms for her contract with the department was for her film studies and the condition was that she should complete her studies in film.
(c). The funding was approved by Deputy Director-General (DDG/IG) for Institutional Governance branch, (as DDG for the branch in 2017).