No Relief Benefits For Non COSBOTS Members

Spira Tlhankane | Monday May 25, 2020 13:35

 

No Relief Benefits For Non COSBOTS Members

Relief allowances amounting to  P2, 500 would be paid to artists registered with COSBOTS, but no one will be allowed to rush and register their membership just in time to benefit from the arrangement.  

The Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development (MYSC) recently announced that it would provide relief for a period of three months being April, May and June 2020, therefore a Motswana registered with COSBOTS will get P7, 500 in total.  

COSBOTS CEO Lesego Selotate told Showtime that an application for membership is a process, therefore his organisation cannot just admit applicants as soon as they apply. “People can learn a bit about the application process on our website under the tab or on the constitution under the membership articles,” he said. 

He assured all COSBOTS members that they would benefit from the relief fund because they have already met with MYSC.  

Even though, COSBOTS met with MYSC, Selotate stated that the ministry was doing its own things.  

“We really have not been brought on board. All they want from us is our members’ database. That is the extent of our involvement,” he clarified.  Selotate also revealed that unlike other organisations where membership expires, COSBOTS membership on the other hand does not expire.   “Once you are admitted as members, you keep your membership for life. Unless off course you transgress the rules and regulations of the Society, in which case the general assembly can vote to have you removed and will then have to apply for readmission,” he said.  

The CEO who not so long ago was embroiled in a royalty payments battle with some local musicians, further encouraged artists to apply for membership even now because by not being members they do not enjoy the benefit of being paid royalties for usage of their music as long as they are not registered with COSBOTS. 

 “Ours is more about the long term benefits for artists than the stopgap relief from MYSC. We appreciate the urgent need of the relief given the current circumstances of the artists and the industry at large,” he said.