THE QUESTIONS LEADERSHIP MUST ANSWER
An Institution in Crisis, A Sector Demanding Accountability
By Thami akaMbongo Manzana
On Monday, 23 March 2026, the ongoing staff strike at the National Arts Council of South Africa (NAC) reaches Day 6.
Six days of halted operations.
Six days of uncertainty.
Six days of growing concern across the Cultural and Creative Industries.
But more importantly:
Six days of unanswered questions.
Context: A Crisis That Has Been Building
This moment did not emerge overnight.
Following the presentation by National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, serious concerns were raised regarding staff dissatisfaction at the NAC.
Since then:
• Formal communication has been sent to the Acting CEO and Council
• Public calls for accountability have been made
• Sector formations such as TORO NATION & TOWNSHIP & RURAL CREATIVE NETWORK have raised alarms
• Arts organisations have called for urgent engagement
Yet, meaningful engagement remains limited.
At the same time:
• Leadership recruitment processes continue
• Internal disputes remain unresolved
• Operations are severely affected by the strike
This is no longer just a labour issue — it is an institutional crisis.
The Core Issue: Questions Without Answers
At the centre of this crisis is one thing:
A growing list of critical questions that remain unanswered.
These questions are directed at:
• NAC Management
• NAC Council
• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
• The Minister
• The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee
1. Performance Bonuses: Where Is the Accountability?
• What is the main problem that the current Council has in approving the outstanding performance bonuses due to staff?
• The current two senior managers who were in office during the period of these outstanding bonuses — why were submissions not made to the then Board?
• What steps will the current Council take against these two senior managers, given the loss of time and the strike that could have been avoided?
• How much was originally allocated for these performance bonuses?
• How much remains now, including accrued interest?
• If the funds are no longer available, where were they redirected, and how were they spent?
• How did the previous Council address other inherited issues, and why is the same approach not being applied here?
• Why is the former Council Chairperson, now Deputy Chairperson, not recusing herself from this matter given her role during that period?
• If bonuses are approved, will those responsible for the failure — including previous HR and management — also benefit?
• What is the official position or recommendation of the Minister and the Department on this matter?
• How much has been spent on legal processes related to this issue, and which legal firms have been appointed?
• Why have certain legal firms been reused — does the NAC not have a broader pool of service providers?
2. Recruitment of the CEO and CFO: Governance or Contradiction?
• What does NAC policy say about internal staff members under investigation applying for senior executive positions?
• If the policy is silent, what position has Council taken regarding individuals currently under investigation applying for these roles?
• Is the NAC fully aware of ongoing investigations by the Public Protector involving these individuals?
• Who compiled the investigation reports used in internal processes against these individuals?
• Were these investigations concluded when the individuals returned from special leave in December 2025?
• What recommendations were made by the Minister and the Department regarding these investigations?
• How much public money has been spent on legal processes related to these cases, and which firms have been used?
3. The Suspended HR Manager: A Missing Voice in This Crisis
On the NAC website under management, some individuals are visible, some have joined the strike, and some are notably absent.
Among those without a visible presence is the HR Manager, Ms Kelebogile Dingoko, who remains suspended.
Her suspension was publicly reported in the media on 25 February 2024 in an article by Mduduzi Nonyane, citing nepotism — notably without qualifying it as an allegation.
This raises serious concerns — not only about process, but about fairness and transparency.
More importantly:
What is the role of her voice in this current crisis?
• Can her perspective assist in uncovering the root causes of the current labour dispute?
• Has the NAC deliberately excluded a key institutional voice that may provide clarity on internal processes?
• What does her continued absence say about how the NAC handles internal disputes?
This leads to further critical questions:
• Why has the suspended HR Manager not been provided with the investigation report forming the basis of her charges?
• Who within the NAC provided information to the media regarding her case prior to formal charges being laid?
• Why was the matter communicated publicly in a manner that appeared to prejudge the outcome?
• Has the NAC considered this a case of defamation of character?
• Is the continued suspension of an employee for over two years — with full salary and benefits — not both an unfair labour practice and wasteful expenditure?
• Is this prolonged process protecting certain individuals within management?
• Given previous engagements with Parliament, can it be concluded that there has already been a form of institutional pre-judgement?
At a time when the institution seeks answers, it is important to ask:
Are all voices being heard — or are some being deliberately silenced?
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4. Internal Labour Matters: A Pattern of Mismanagement?
• How much has the NAC spent on legal matters relating to staff from 2021 to date?
• Which legal firms have been appointed during this period?
• Why have some firms been repeatedly appointed instead of rotating service providers?
• Are any Council members — particularly those from previous Councils — linked to these firms?
• What have audit reports indicated regarding the repeated use of certain companies?
• How will the current Council address ongoing labour matters, including cases already scheduled before the Labour Court?
Conclusion: The Sector Cannot Be Silent
These are not minor administrative questions.
They are fundamental questions about:
• Accountability
• Governance
• Leadership
• Institutional integrity
And they are being asked while:
• Staff are on strike
• Operations are disrupted
• The sector is waiting
The longer these questions remain unanswered, the deeper the crisis becomes.
The NAC does not belong to management or Council alone. It belongs to the Cultural and Creative Industries of South Africa.
What is happening today at the National Arts Council of South Africa is not isolated. It is a warning.
The same conditions, failures, and governance challenges can easily manifest in other entities such as the National Film and Video Foundation and across all entities under the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
This is where the principle must apply:
An injury to one is an injury to all.
If we ignore what is happening at the NAC today, we normalise a system that can — and will — repeat itself elsewhere.
And the sector is now asking — clearly and collectively:
Where are the answers?
As Sibongile Mngoma, President of Im4theArts and SAUCCIF, has called:
"Dear CCI of South Africa
We have been observing 3 days of toyitoyi outside the NAC office, by the staff members of the NAC.
If that doesn't scream CRISIS, I don't know what does. Not so long ago the film sector was toyitoying outside parliament in Cape Town.
Clearly we have a crisis in our hands.
Gayton Mckenzie refuses to engage creatives meaningfully. Instead, he would rather be at even the opening of an envelope than be in thick of things when it comes to artists.
We need change
Nothing about us without us.
I am inviting all of you to join me on Monday morning 08h00 at the NAC. Management must agree to engage their own staff. Allowing a picket to go on for days while operations are halted is not only amateurish, it is downright irresponsible.
Asambeni!!!!"
Her call is not symbolic — it is a call to action.
Even if you are not joining the strike or the picket, make your presence felt. Visit the NAC. It is a public, government institution that exists to serve you and the sector.
Because at this moment, silence is not neutral.
The sector must show up.
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