National Arts Council surplus policy ‘breaks Act’
6 May 2021
Improper: Artists protest against the National Arts Council and the sports, arts and culture department over stimulus funds. (Photo: Brenton Geach/Gallo Images)
As the dispute between the National Arts Council and the artists who applied for the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) rages on, details of council funding irregularities that date back to 2015 are emerging.
Two reports, one from 2016 and another from 2020, have indicated that a council policy used to disburse funding is in violation of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and treasury regulations. Yet the policy remains in place and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa appears to have taken no action.
Image: Veli Nhlapo
The sit-in at National Arts Council (NAC) offices in Newtown, Johannesburg, has ended after two months.
The group of artists and creatives also known as Abahlali baseNAC announced on Friday afternoon that they were ending the protest following an announcement by public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on Wednesday that her office would mediate in the row between the artists, the NAC and the department of sport, arts and culture.
The group has been demanding transparency in the dispersing of R300m Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP).
The group which staged a historical sit-in will leave the offices on Sunday.
Mkhwebane steps in to mediate standoff between artists, NAC Following public outcry, Mkhwebane and Deputy Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka met with Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa and members of the council last week. FILE: Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane. Picture: @PublicProtector/Twitter
41 days ago
JOHANNESBURG - Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has stepped in to mediate the standoff between South African artists and the National Arts Council (NAC).
Following public outcry, Mkhwebane and Deputy Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka met with Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa and members of the council last week.
The two-month-long dispute between creatives, the council and the department was over the disbursement of R300 million from the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme and more specifically where that money had actually gone.
Last week, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane met with the two parties respectively.
Since then Public Protector South Africa announced plans to mediate between artists and the National Arts Council. The Public Protector argued that if the council had implemented remedial action last year, they would not be in this predicament.
On Wednesday, 28 April 2021, the Public Protector South Africa announced its plans to mediate in the two-month-long dispute between artists and the National Arts Council and the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.
Since 3 March 2021, artists have been staging a sit-in at the NAC offices in Johannesburg. This, after they reached out to the council asking them for details on what went wrong with the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) which the government had encouraged artists to apply for in October of 2020.