Thami AkaMbongo Manzana: A thought-provoking look at DSAC’s award show maze.

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) has, in the past few years, been consistently inconsistent – especially when it comes to recognizing the creative sector through national awards. With each new Minister, we are introduced to a different name, a fresh logo, and new promises… yet the same old bureaucrats remain in the engine room, pressing copy-and-paste on different letterheads.

Under Minister Nathi Mthethwa, we were introduced to the Usiba Cultural and Creative Industries Awards. When Zizi Kodwa took over, we had the Cultural and Creative Industries Awards. Now, under Minister Gayton McKenzie, we are told about the 2nd National Arts and Culture Awards.

Hold on – did we miss the first?

Was there a 1st National Arts and Culture Awards, or has the numbering simply started midstream without explanation? If Minister Gayton McKenzie was fully briefed, would he not have questioned the obvious contradictions in naming, numbering, and structure? Or are we watching a bureaucratic relay race, where each Minister grabs the baton of “recognition” without questioning where it’s been?

This revolving door of names is more than a branding issue – it exposes a deeper problem: the politicization of recognition and the recycling of state-funded platforms as vanity projects. Same categories, same officials, same budget lines – different names, different faces.

But this year, the plot thickened.

Thabakang Molokomme, a cultural activist and founder of what he calls the South African Creative Industry Awards, publicly challenged the DSAC. In a controversial Facebook post, he declared war on the state’s awards program, stating:

“I have told Gayton McKenzie and Dr Cynthia Khumalo that I’m not afraid to die, but these awards won’t happen this year… we are not going to allow them to happen, mark my words.”

Regardless of the tone or tactics, the post raises serious questions: Was he engaged in any consultations? Was the Department’s change of the awards’ name a strategic sidestep to avoid legal or public backlash? Or is this simply the latest episode of reactive governance rather than strategic leadership?

Who owns recognition? Who determines which awards are valid and which are not? Are we seeing a dangerous trend where each new Minister repackages the same administrative efforts as if they were born under their leadership, while artists and creatives remain confused and uninspired by the fanfare?

Worse still, it raises the all-too-familiar South African question:

“Who’s getting the tender this time?”

If every new Minister rebrands a state awards ceremony, who benefits? Are these awards a celebration of creativity or a re-election campaign in disguise? While creatives beg for sustainable funding, development programs, and access to markets, the spotlight is instead turned on staged ceremonies that often yield more hashtags than impact.

This moment demands reflection:

Are these awards a true recognition of creative excellence, or are they seasonal gigs for service providers?

What message does it send to the sector when continuity is discarded in favour of political ego?

And finally – who’s fooling who?

South Africa’s cultural workers deserve better than recycled ideas wearing new suits. If the DSAC truly values the sector, then it must stop producing awards as political products and start building long-term, inclusive institutions that respect the intelligence and contribution of its artists.

Because right now, it feels like the only thing winning is confusion.

Thami AkaMbongo Manzana
akambongo@gmail.com
AkaMbongo Foundation Pty Ltd

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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.