Urgent action is required regarding the crisis facing the South African film and television industry.

Dear Minister Tau,

I am writing to call on you to urgently address the crisis facing South Africa's film and television industry, which is at imminent risk of collapse.

Further delays would risk the loss of a once-thriving industry that supports tens of thousands of jobs and billions of rands in foreign investment, as well as the erasure of South Africa's world-renowned scenery and heritage from screens across the globe.

I have written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, calling on her to schedule a debate of national importance on this matter. The following factors must be taken into account by both the Speaker and you, as the responsible minister, to highlight and address the industry's concerns and end the financial distress and uncertainty affecting countless businesses and employees alike:

The receipt of a petition from employers and workers in the sector by myself and the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition yesterday, concerning the non-payment of R663-million in rebates owed to the sector. Another petition was presented to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition today at the department campus in Pretoria. This non-payment will lead to bankruptcy and job losses across the sector...