Linda Sebezo Details The Financial Struggles She Faces As An Actor During COVID-19 Lockdown. The national lockdown has left many without employment leading to many sectors especially the entertainment industry at a great loss.
Linda Sebezo has made a lengthy emotional yet honest post about how actors who are freelancers are suffering the most as they have little to no options in terms of income other than acting gigs.
Since all productions have been postponed due to the lockdown regulations the actress has been on house arrest without income. Since her application for financial aid was rejected she has had to depend on her mothers social grant money for survival.
The veteran actress revealed on social media that her application to the Business and Arts South Africa (Basa) relief fund was recently declined after the fund reached capacity.
Unfortunately the labour minister Thula Nxesi said that freelancers fall outside of the criteria in terms of the relief fund.
Linda has questioned the Minister od Sports Arts And Culture for not including those who are not employed by agencies and companies in the fund.
“Artists are some of the people hardest hit by this lockdown but we are told we don’t qualify for the relief funding. Where are we supposed to go? What are we supposed to eat? We are expected to provide for our families from empty pockets.” the entertainer wrote on her wall.
It seems like the artists in Mzansi are one of the most affected sectors in the economy since the regiments to flatten the curve of the pandemic had been put into place.
We hope all those entertainers who have been excluded from government financial assistance get the help that they need because as long as the lockdown is still in place kusezoba rough!!
By Sinakho Mnadla