Director, playwright convicted for theft from Living Legends Legacy Programme

Judgment in the matter was handed down in the Palmridge Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Msomi will be sentenced on 28 November 2019.

The Department of Arts and Culture has welcomed the conviction of director and playwright Welcome Msomi for the theft of R8 million from the Living Legends Legacy Programme trust fund.

Judgment in the matter was handed down in the Palmridge Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Msomi will be sentenced on 28 November 2019.

The Living Legends Legacy Programme (LLLP) was founded by the Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa in 2015. 

The programme seeks to honor the living legends of the arts, culture and heritage sector, document their contribution and provide opportunities for interaction and imparting skills to younger generations of artists.

“On January 2019, it was announced by the committee of the Living Legends Trust (LLT) to the members of the LLLP and South Africans, that R8 million of the money paid by the department to the LLLP had been stolen from the Living Legends bank account,” the department said.

The department said the trustees of the LLLP will continue with the legal action - through the courts and collaborating with law enforcement institutions - to ensure full recovery of the funds stolen. 

(With Inputs from South African Government Press Release)