Artists call for transparency in Arts and Culture’s R12bn budget allocation
Artists and entertainers have called on Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa to ensure that the R12 billion budget allocation for his department will be used to ensure those in the industry are supported.
After a difficult couple of years following the Covid-19 lockdown, those in the entertainment and arts industry have called on the department to ensure that the budget provision is spent on uplifting the industry.
The budget allocation followed Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Budget speech this week at the Cape Town City Hall.
Even though this is a massive injection to the department, questions linger over how the money will be spent. Last year, the department’s plan to spend R22 million on a monumental flag as a tribute to democracy was shelved following public outrage.
Mthethwa was also criticised after it emerged in July that his department was looking to spend R50m to fund the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra.
Weekend Argus reached out to the ministry on how the department’s budget would be prioritised, but Mthethwa’s spokesperson, Masechaba Khumalo, said the minister would hold a media briefing this week to outline plans.
Veteran actress Vinette Ebrahim said many artists in the industry had stopped looking to the department for meaningful contribution and upliftment.
“How many artists are going to never get their work seen, heard, experienced because they can't afford it? Yet year after year the (department) is given billions by the government for this purpose.”
Singer Sibongile Mngoma made headlines in 2021 with her solo protest outside the department’s offices in Pretoria. Police tried to drag her away and ripped her shirt off.
At the time, Mngoma said artists sent a list of questions to Mthethwa with a request that he make public a forensic report on the alleged abuse of funds from the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP).
Artists also demanded the department make public all information about the Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) awards, which was an initiative to improve investment in the creative economy by funding arts programmes at R100 000 each.
Following Wednesday’s Budget speech, Mngoma said she was unconvinced that priority would be given to those who need it the most in the industry.
“Approximately 70% goes to infrastructure and salaries of their own employees. The changes that I would like to see is a new minister employed, not deployed. As well as a new director-general and deputy director-general.”
According to Mngoma there are many initiatives that funds can be allocated to, to benefit artists.
“There are a vast amount of initiatives but they are not considered, because they don't offer kickbacks to officials. We need a restructuring of that department if we are to see change. We also need to be separated from sports.”
Actor and chairperson of the South African Guild of Actors, Jack Devnarain, said there remained insufficient support given to artists.
“Not all support needs to be in the form of funding. Support can mean a number of things, including a more reliable interface with SARS, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s film incentive rebate, access to dispute resolution mechanisms and skills development programmes,” he said.
“There needs to be an initiative to educate performers on their rights as freelancers so that we can limit the level of exploitation and abuse we see among inexperienced performers who fall prey to unfair broadcaster and producer contracts.”
Devnarain added that the industry needed to align with global professional standards and must be regulated accordingly.
“This means introducing collective bargaining rights and establishing unions that speak for the rights of performers and technical crew. The industry cannot be sustained in the modern age as a relic of the apartheid economy, where artist rights are exploited wholesale with no negotiation or recourse for the performer.”
Weekend Argus