Arts and culture sector vows to challenge minister over funding cuts

The South African arts and culture industry is in uproar, preparing for a major showdown with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and its Minister, Gayton McKenzie.

The department is under fire for its decision to significantly reduce funding for major cultural festivals. 

This backlash is further fuelled by the reallocation of R82 million from its budget, money initially earmarked for the now-abandoned Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology project.

This contentious move has thrown beloved events like the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, the National Arts Festival, Suidoosterfees, KKNK, Woordfees, Innibos, Aardklop, and the Vrystaat Kunstefees into deep crisis, raising serious concerns about the very survival of South Africa’s vibrant cultural landscape. 

Adding fuel to the fire is the revelation that the R82 million diversion was initially meant for sports federations, a move critics claim is “crippling grassroots sport”.

Artist organisations are not taking these decisions lying down, saying they were gearing up to fight back against the minister’s decision, whether through court or taking to the streets.

Non-profit organisation Artists United (AU) said they were appalled by the minister’s decision. 

"We are shocked to hear, as Artists United, of this move, but if it's true, we think it's a big mistake from the department to take such a decision with no reasons," read a collective statement from the AU.

The organisation highlighted the devastating impact on employment. 

"This is very unfortunate, as most of these events were used to create jobs for many artists. We will be happy to get valid reasons from the minister." 

AU affirmed its resolve to challenge McKenzie.

"We have already written to the minister on other industry issues, and we will definitely challenge him on this one too," they said.

United Civil Society in Action (UCSA) chairperson, Tebogo Sithathu, echoed the sentiments of frustration and anger. 

"Yes, we as the United Civil Society in Action (UCSA) are very much aware, and we are as tired as many of our colleagues in our creative and Sporting fraternities," Sithathu said.

He added that this was the result of citizens ceding power to politicians.

Sithathu questioned the minister's lack of consultation, branding it as disrespectful. 

"The big question is, why would the minister do this without consulting the creative, cultural, and sporting fraternities? That in itself is highly condescending and disrespectful." 

The UCSA chairperson also raised a crucial question regarding the diverted funds.

"Another thing is, where is he taking this money to?"

Sithathu warned that the organisations were to engage with other “key” stakeholders within the creative, cultural, and sporting sectors and mobilise them for a “fight back”.

The South African Roadies Association President, Freddie Nyathela, who previously expressed his dismay, on Thursday shared a similar sentiment, declaring it "long overdue to hold the minister accountable". 

"It's time to mobilise and hold this minister accountable for bullying us. He continues to bully us instead of taking us with confidence and doing his job as a minister,” Nyathela said.

Attempts to get a response from the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture proved futile.

Departmental spokesperson Zimasa Velaphi requested an email with questions, but had not responded by the time of publication.

The minister's spokesperson, Stacey-Lee Khojane, ignored calls and text messages on Thursday.

However, in a recent viral video, McKenzie addressed a parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, suggesting that some individuals were attempting to tarnish his name, specifically mentioning Nyathela. 

"The person you are speaking about is Freddie Nyathela. He has complained and wrote letters to everybody that he could write to… so the esteemed chairperson then invited him to the portfolio committee, and he was a no-show, so some of these things are not sincere… it is just trying to troubleshoot and trying to take people's names through the mud."

The accusation against McKenzie goes deeper than just funding cuts.

He is accused of ignoring pleas for support while "channelling money towards projects that serve his own political agenda".

The minister faces accusations of having diverted the money "without transparency, without proper authority, and at the direct expense of grassroots sport". 

Governing expert, Dr George Hangula, said the regulations governing departmental expenditure in South Africa were primarily enshrined in the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) of 1999 and its accompanying Treasury Regulations.

"The PFMA aims to secure transparency, accountability, and sound management of the revenue, expenditure, assets, and liabilities of institutions covered by the Act. However, it is the minister’s prerogative on how he justifies spending that money," he said.

Hangula added that the department had the responsibility to see that the funds were used for their intended purposes.

"In this case, the minister has to explain why he is cutting the funding and how he is willing to compensate those who will be affected by the defunding," he said.

mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za