The National Arts Council of South Africa has a new board

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

The National Arts Council of South Africa, the agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture that dispurses the biggest portion of government funding to creatives and arts projects now has new council members constituting the board of the NAC after a recent public call for new members to be nominated was isssued out and after a round of interviews were carried out.

The call first saw a longlist of those interested in this critical job of overseeing how the arts are funded compiled and made public. However the shortlist was not publicised. However as it has turned out Minister of Sport, Arts and Culkture Gayton McKenzie has made his choice of those who for the next five years will sit on the Council as members to oversee the governance of the NAC.

Among those appointed are Eugene Botha, who holds an influential position within McKenzie’ Patriotic Alliance  Party as Head of Legal Services. In the new NAC council, Botha holds the influential position of NAC Council Chairperson. Other prominent individuals in the new NAC council are Her Royal Highness Princess Celenhle Dlamini, who returns to the arts funding board as Deputy Chairperson.

In the previous council, whose term of office ended on December 31, 2024, she held the position of Chairperson of Council. Bongani Tembe, a prominent figure in opera in the country, including that of Chief Executive Officer of South African National Orchestra (Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra), Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of the KZN Philharmonic Ochestra is also back at the NAC as a council member. In the previous council, Tembe held the position of Deputy Chairperson of Council.

The law allows for three members from the previous council to be members of a new conuncil to allow for easy continuity. Another Council member who made it back to the Council from the previous council is Bernadette Muthien.

However two things are interesting if not perplexing in the new council. One is the fact that instead of constituting 18 members, the threshold has increased to 24 members. The second thing is that  provinces are required  by law to submit for the consideration of the Minister for appointment to Council names of individuals that have been selected from each of the country’s nine provinces through a public and transparent process overseen by the respective Member of the Executive Committee (MEC). 

However in the new council, intead of submitying new names, some provinces have notably submitted names of individuals who served in the previous council. For example to just name two, Gauteng has chosen to return Boniface Mazilazila, who served in the prevcious council. KwaZulu-Natal has also chosen to return Nise Malange to Council, who also served in the previous council.

CITYLIFE/ARTS has contacted Minister McKenzie spokesperson, Stacey-Lee Khojane,to confirm the apppointment of the new council members. However at the time of publishing, she had not yet reverted to us.

However contacted for confirmation of the new council members’ appointment, Julie Diphofa, the interim Chief Executive Officer of the National Arts Council indeed confrimed that there is now a new council appointed by McKenzie, which in fact was appointed in January, 2025.

“Council was appointed on 1 January 2025.Herewith the list below,”  Diphofa said.

NO.	Council Member
1.	Mr Eugene Botha – Chairperson
2.	HRH  Princess Dlamini – Deputy Chairperson
3.	Mr Bongani Tembe
4.	Ms Bernadette Muthien
5.	Mr  Simon Clarke
6.	Mr Michael Mokhena
7.	Dr Laura de Harde
8.	Ms Charnie-Lee Adams-Kruger
9.	Ms Siphosethu Mtamzeli
10.	Dr Wandile Kasibe
11.	Mr Tau Masemola
12.	Mr Clint Brink
13.	Ms Pamela Ndlovu
14.	Mr Haroon Gunn-Saile
15.	Ms Tracey Perumal
16.	Ms Omphemetse Mokgosi
17.	Mr Zac Gordon
18.	Mr Simon Kekana
19.	Mr Jones Chisekula
20.	Mr Boniface Mazilazila
21.	Ms Nise Malange
22.	Dr Noncedo Khewu
23.	Mr Tsepo Mtwana
24	Ms Stephanie D’Silva

The NAC was established in April, 1997 through an act of parliament (Act no.56 of 1997).

Just for legal clarity below is what the law says about the comosition of the board of the National Arts Council of South Africa.

 Composition of Council, tenure of office and filling of vacancies

1. Subject to section 20(1)(a), the Council shall consist of nine provincial representatives and no fewer than nine and no more than 18 other persons. [Sub-s. (1) substituted by s. 21 of Act 36/2001]

2. Every province shall be represented by a representative who shall within the province in question be elected by a public and transparent process which shall be determined and overseen by the responsible member.

3. (a) The other persons referred to in subsection (1) shall be appointed by the Minister from a short list of no more than 22 names.

(b) Nominations for inclusion in the short list shall be obtained from the public in the prescribed manner.

(c) An independent panel, appointed by the Minister, shall compile a short list from the nominations referred to in paragraph (b) after interviewing each nominee in public.

(d) Any member of the public may object in writing to the nomination of any person.

4. (a) The Minister shall appoint a chairperson from among the members who are not provincial representatives. 

(b) The members of the Council shall elect a a vice-chairperson from among all the members.

 [Sub-s. (4) substituted by s. 21 of Act 36/2001]

5. If the chairperson is absent from a meeting of the Council, the vice-chairperson shall preside at that meeting, and if both the chairperson and vice-chairperson are absent from a meeting of the Council, the members present shall elect one of their members to preside at that meeting.

6. (a)  Subject to paragraph (b), a member of the Council shall hold office for a period not exceeding four years and shall be eligible for reappointment after a further four years have elapsed.

2. At the end of the members’ term of office, three members who are not provincial representatives, one of whom shall be an Executive Committee member, shall be re-elected by the Council to serve for a further four years, after which they shall not be eligible for reappointment until a further four years have elapsed.

3. A provincial representative may at any time before the expiry of his or her term of office be replaced by another representative elected as contemplated in subsection (2) but no individual representative shall hold office for a term exceeding four years
4. [Sub-s. (6) substituted by s. 21 of Act 36/2001]

7. A member of the Council may at any time be removed from office by the Council if there is sufficient reason for doing so, subject to the approval of the Minister.

8. Any vacancy on the Council shall be filled by election or appointment, as the case may be, in the manner in which the member who vacates the office was required to be elected or appointed, and any member so elected or appointed shall hold office for the unexpired portion of the period for which the member who vacates the office was elected or appointed.

9. (a)  No member shall serve on the Council on a fulltime basis.

2. Members of the Council shall, in respect of their service, receive such allowances as the Minister with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance may determine, either in general or in a particular case.

      (10)   Members of the Council shall not be eligible for grants from the Council during their time of office.