Thami AkaMbongo Manzana: Is Minister Gayton Mckenzie misguided or misled by DSAC senior management and officials on the cries of the concerned creative organisations?

The Concerned Creative Organisations, representing a broad cross-section of South Africa’s Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), have been pleading with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) for months. Their primary request? A formal meeting with Minister Gayton McKenzie to discuss the ongoing crisis surrounding the Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) and its January 2025 first call applications – whose outcomes have yet to be released.

After repeated unanswered letters and calls, these organisations were left with no choice but to exercise their constitutional right to protest, marching to both the Union Buildings and DSAC headquarters.

Their protest poster listed eight major concerns:

Release MGE 1st call results now

Stop bullying our sector

Stop unilateral cancellation of funding calls without industry consultation

Stop flaunting employment equity

No to dictatorial behaviour towards industry stakeholders

Stop preferential appointments in DSAC Agencies’ Boards

NPCs deserve funding

Stop appointing CEOs with no expertise in our sector

Rather than engaging with the stakeholders, Minister McKenzie responded through social media, in two scathing posts.

The Minister’s Social Media Response: A Dismissive Tone?

First Post:

“Christmas is over.

CCIFSA & many other organisations were paid millions every year to empower and uplift struggling artists. These organisations would get a minimum of 5 million rand per year.

All I ask is proof of how money was used, they are unable to answer or show proof hence they decided to march.

You can march a million times but your gravy train is over, no cent shall be forthcoming for as long as I am still a Minister…”

Second Post:

“These are the facts:

DSAC allocated R5 million to CCIFSA annually… total of R27.5 million over several years. Please bring proof of what you did with the above monies when you march to my office.”

The CCIFSA Question – Accountability, Audits, and the Role of DSAC The Minister’s remarks about CCIFSA (Creative and Cultural Industries Federation of South Africa) raise deeper systemic questions – not only about the federation itself but also about DSAC’s internal governance and compliance controls.

The Minister confirms that DSAC disbursed over R27.5 million to CCIFSA from 2015 to 2024. He also mentions that a forensic investigation is underway regarding the use of these funds.

This begs the question:

If CCIFSA failed to submit audited financial statements and reports, as required by the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), why did DSAC continue to approve funding year after year?

The PFMA and Treasury Regulations are clear:

Any public funds allocated to an organisation must be accompanied by audited financials and performance reports.

No funding should be disbursed if compliance requirements are not met.

Oversight responsibility lies with the Accounting Officer (Director-General) and Chief Financial Officer.

So again we ask:

Who in DSAC approved these allocations despite possible non-compliance? Were any red flags raised? Were they ignored?

If funds were misused, those who authorised and signed off on the transfers within DSAC must also be held accountable. If these senior officials acted against procurement or financial policy, we are well within our rights to question whether some DSAC managers should be declared delinquent or investigated for negligence or misconduct.

We further urge the Minister to:

Release all audited financial reports submitted by CCIFSA to DSAC.

Make public the terms and progress of the alleged forensic investigation.

Hold DSAC officials accountable, not just external organisations.

Which Other Organisations Received Millions?

The Minister didn’t stop at CCIFSA. He claimed that “many other organisations were paid millions every year”, lumping all together under the accusation of lacking proof of impact.

This sweeping generalisation is both irresponsible and misleading.

The Concerned Creative Organisations collectively represent:

SACPU (South African Creative Practitioners Union)

SAACYF (South African Arts & Culture Youth Forum)

SAAA (South African Association of Arts Administrators)

SAMIC (South African Music Industry Council)

South African Poets Guild

CCIGA (Cultural & Creative Industries Guild of Africa)

AESA, CSTAHOOD, Tap & Clap Federations, SASFED, among others.

Many of these organisations have never received millions. In fact, most have operated voluntarily or with little to no support from DSAC. To label all of them as part of a “gravy train” is not only unjust – it is defamatory.

If the Minister has evidence of financial mismanagement by these organisations, he must name them individually and make the facts public. Otherwise, this approach undermines legitimate grassroots efforts and discredits years of unpaid advocacy by cultural workers.

On Refusing to Engage with the Sector

Dialogue is the cornerstone of democracy. Disagreeing with a sector is not a reason to ignore it, insult it, or politicise its calls for justice.

The organisations who marched are not just critics – they are creatives, practitioners, policy advocates, and community builders who have sustained the sector through countless challenges.

Meeting with them should never be framed as a concession. It is a responsibility.

To refuse engagement, while hiding behind financial audits selectively, gives the impression of a Ministry operating in isolation, disconnected from the reality on the ground.

What Must Be Done Now

Release MGE 1st Call Results (January 2025) – Without this, the funding process lacks transparency and fairness.

Audit DSAC Itself – We must examine whether DSAC leadership acted in accordance with financial regulations when allocating funds.

Engage Creatives Directly – Not through social media attacks, but through structured, open dialogue.

Make All Audit Reports Public – Including those for CCIFSA and any other body that received large sums.

Reform Adjudication and Funding Processes – With real sector input and public accountability.

Final Thoughts

Minister McKenzie may be sincere in his desire to clean up the sector. But intention is not enough – approach, language, and transparency matter.

It is either that the Minister is misguided by incomplete or distorted information from within his Department, or he is being misled by senior officials who are shielding their own administrative failures. Either way, South Africa’s Creative Sector deserves better – not just in policy, but in principle.

Let the sector be heard, not harassed. Let the truth be shared, not silenced. Let justice be pursued, not politicised.

Thami AkaMbongo Manzana
akambongo@gmail.com
AkaMbongo Foundation Pty Ltd
http://www.akambongo.co.za

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Creative Disclaimer:

This piece is penned by Thami akaMbongo Manzana in his personal capacity – as an artist, thinker, and observer of life.

The reflections, ideas, and expressions shared here are entirely his own and are not meant to represent the views or positions of any organization, structure, or association he may be part of.

These are personal thoughts flowing from the heart, mind, and lived experience – meant to provoke thought, inspire dialogue, and spark the imagination.