Mthethwa’s Ministerial Advisory Team should prioritise artists' interests 

9 March 2021

The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the announcement by the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, that a Ministerial Advisory Team (MAT) for the arts and culture sector to advise him on how to best address the devastation of the arts and culture sectors in South Africa.

The arts and culture sector is currently in deep crises as it relates to funding, the lack of support from government and an out of touch Minister. We hope that this MAT will work for the benefit and in the interest of all artists and that this will not be any multimillion Rand waste of valuable taxpayer money.

There are a number of serious questions that need to be answered regarding this MAT:

Why was the MAT only appointed now, almost a year after the initial Covid-19 lockdown?

Was proper consultation done with the arts and culture sectors and what criteria were used in the appointment of the MAT?

What is the budget for the MAT and from which budget will this money be prioritised?

Regarding the wellness intervention; will this service be provided by Indingliz Advertising who received a contract for similar services in November 2019 for nearly R15 million, or will a new tender be put out? If so, what is the budget for the new wellness work stream? And what has Indingliz Advertising achieved so far?

Will the wellness programme provide legal support to individuals in the arts and culture sectors?

The DA will pose these questions to Minister Mthethwa in Parliament today.

The arts and culture sectors have been in deep waters since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent extended lockdown by government. This has left most of those employed in these sectors without reasonable means of employment for almost a year. Job opportunities in this sector are characteristically freelance or contract based and rarely of a permanent nature leaving those in its employ particularly economically vulnerable.

The DA hopes that the Minister will truly listen to the advice from the MAT and finally endeavor to support those in arts and culture, instead of perpetuating their misery as is his habit.

Issued byVeronica van Dyk,DA Deputy Shadow Minister for Sports, Arts and Culture, 9 March 2021