Minister's decision to dissolve National Arts Council sparks outrage

The ministry of Sports Arts and Culture remains mum over concerns raised by some members of the NAC Council, who are calling for the minister to reconsider the recent dissolution of the NAC Council.

Image: GCIS

The acting CEO of the National Arts Council (NAC), Vincent Mashale, has distanced himself from a letter addressed to Minister of Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, contesting the recent dissolution of the council’s board.

The minister's controversial decision has emerged as a response to ongoing labour disputes regarding performance bonuses that span the financial years 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22. These disputes have entrenched employees in a protected strike amid considerable financial distress, raising alarms in the arts community.

On 22 April 2026, McKenzie formally addressed NAC's chairperson, requesting an urgent special council meeting aimed at resolving the ongoing disputes. In his letter, he proposed a once-off, full and final settlement to expedite an agreement to relieve the pressures confronting NAC employees.

McKenzie also set forth a detailed governance framework intended to guide the resolution process. However, despite these clear directives, the council had yet to act, with no settlement reached and frustration mounting within the NAC's ranks.

"With immediate effect, all members of the current NAC council cease to hold office. The acting chief executive officer and chief financial officer will continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the NAC and will report to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) pending further direction," the minister announced in May.

In light of the unresolved tensions, members of the arts community are now expressing their concerns that the minister's decision to dissolve the council will exacerbate the current instability, leading to further turmoil within an already beleaguered sector.

The NAC, which plays a crucial role in supporting and promoting the arts across South Africa, is now at a pivotal junction that could significantly impact its future operations and the livelihoods of numerous artists reliant on its support.

Critics are questioning McKenzie’s handling of the situation, insisting that such drastic measures—dismissing the entire Council—could erode the integrity of the arts sector and undermine the longstanding mission of the NAC to foster a vibrant cultural landscape.

As stakeholders call for dialogue and collaboration, the silence from the Council since the minister's letter has only deepened concerns over the sacrifices that artists and supporters may endure due to bureaucratic impasses.

"Our clients remain committed to the proper governance of the NAC, the fulfilment of its statutory mandate, and the advancement of the arts sector in the Republic. They reject, however, any suggestion that they have failed in their fiduciary duties or that they have conducted themselves in a manner warranting the extraordinary step of wholesale dissolution," reads part of the correspondence to the minister.

Furthermore, the aggrieved council members who have taken up their matter with the Lantai Partners Johannesburg, argue that the minister's decision has dire reputational and professional consequences for their careers.

"Such findings carry obvious reputational, professional and public consequences for every affected member. Having considered the correspondence exchanged between your office and the NAC, the factual matrix giving rise to the labour dispute concerning historical performance bonuses, the governance processes that were underway at the time of dissolution, and the reasons advanced in your letter of 25 May 2026, our clients are advised that the decision is unlawful and falls to be reviewed and set aside."

Attempts to get a comment from the minister's office were unsuccessful at the time of going to print. However, reacting to the letter to the minister, Mashale stated: "Please note that the NAC reports to the minister as its executive authority. As such, the NAC cannot have a position on the minister’s decision. Furthermore, the NAC does not have any comment on this matter."