JOHANNESBURG - The Light SA Red movement has called on government and financial institutions to extend COVID-19 relief funds to those in the events industry.
Some iconic buildings across the country, including Constitution Hill and Table Mountain, were lit up in red last night by the movement to highlight the crisis faced by those employed in the sector. Freelancers, artists, venues and theatres have been without a source of income for at least five months now due to the lockdown.
The movement's Sharif Baker said they can no longer survive as an industry without government intervention. “90% of our workforce are freelancers and do not have access to UIF. So, relief is something we have been struggling to get, but more than anything else, it’s to have a discussion. We have prepared a reopening guideline based on the spine of the safety alliance and our own safety council so that we can reopen events.”