Thami akaMbongo Manzana: A call for humility, respect and dignity in public service.

OPEN LETTER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE, ITS ENTITIES, AND ALL PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA

From: A Concerned South African Cultural & Creative Sector Practitioner

To the Hon. Minister, Deputy Ministers, Director-General, Heads of Entities, Provincial MECs, Heads of Department, Officials and Workers in the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture across all provinces:

With deep respect for the offices you hold and the mandate you carry, this letter is written with urgency and sincerity on behalf of many in the Cultural and Creative Industries, the sporting community, and the broader South African public whom you serve. It is an open call – a reminder – that at the heart of public service lies the sacred responsibility to treat all people with humility, respect, and dignity.

Our Work Is About People, Not Just Programmes

As custodians of arts, culture, heritage, and sport, you are entrusted with some of the most profound tools for healing, unity, expression, identity, and nation-building. But these tools are rendered powerless when the people they are meant to serve are treated with indifference, condescension, or exclusion.

Far too many artists, athletes, cultural workers, community leaders, and citizens walk away from your offices feeling unseen, unheard, and disrespected – not because of a lack of resources, but because of a lack of empathy and basic human courtesy.

Your Role Is Service, Not Superiority

A title does not make one superior. A position does not entitle one to demean others. Public office is a position of trust, not control. The very communities that queue at your gates, that send emails asking for support, that knock on closed doors just for acknowledgment – they are not begging for favours. They are exercising their constitutional right to participate in the cultural life of the nation.

Treating them with dignity is not an act of charity; it is an obligation.

Humility Creates Access

We urge you to remember that for many creatives and athletes – especially from rural and township communities – engaging with government can be intimidating. A warm greeting, a patient explanation, a non-defensive attitude, or even a simple “how can I help you?” can be the difference between hope and despair.

Let your offices be known as places of welcome, not places of fear and frustration.

Respect Must Cut Across Race, Class and Status

The Constitution of South Africa enshrines equality and human dignity. Therefore, respect must not be reserved for those with influence, connections, or formal qualifications. We have witnessed how officials sometimes treat well-known artists or athletes with admiration but treat emerging creatives and grassroots leaders with disdain. This is unacceptable.

The standard of respect must be equal.

Dignity Is Not Optional

Dignity is not a policy – it is a way of being. It is how you respond to an angry voice. It is how you treat elders who cannot speak English. It is how you speak to a young artist who doesn’t understand the “correct channels.” Dignity means remembering that the person in front of you is more important than the paperwork in your hand.

The Public Is Watching, and the Sector Is Speaking

Across provinces, stories of neglect, rudeness, inefficiency, and gatekeeping continue to surface – not as isolated incidents, but as patterns that erode trust. We must urgently correct this culture.

We call upon:

– The national and provincial leadership to lead by example through humility and open engagement.

– Entities under DSAC to prioritise access, transparency and compassion in their operations.

– All staff and workers to remember the humanity of those they serve – because your job exists only because people need support.

– Officials to invest in continuous training not only in administration but in ethics, communication, trauma-informed service, and public relations.

We Can Build a Caring Public Service

Let us remember the spirit of Ubuntu – I am because we are. That spirit must flow through every government corridor, from Pretoria to the smallest provincial office.

This is not an attack. It is a *plea for change*. A reminder that true leadership is measured not by control, but by compassion. Not by gatekeeping, but by generosity. Not by power, but by presence.

Let the legacy of your service be defined not just by policy documents, but by the thousands of lives you touched with humility, respect, and dignity.

In hope, in truth, and in the spirit of transformation,

Thami akaMbongo Manzana
A Proud Cultural Worker and Concerned Citizen

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.