Why This Open Letter by Townahip And Rural Creative Freelancers Network Must Be Heard As The Creative Passport , we find it deeply concerning that the President can open a State of the Nation Address with the powerful words of a Khoi-San poet — drawing on the spiritual and symbolic strength of arts and culture — yet remain silent on the actual state of the arts in the country. If poetry is powerful enough to frame the nation’s direction, then the sector that produces that poetry deserves more than symbolism. It deserves policy attention. It deserves budget commitment. It deserves structural support. Arts cannot be used as inspiration at the podium and then be absent in planning, funding and national priorities. That contradiction is precisely why this letter must be heard.            Image: Pres. Cytil Ramaphosa      (Source: SA Government ) To: His Excellency, Cyril Ramaphosa From : Township and Rural Creatives Network Subject: A Call to Tak...

HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTIONS SHOULD NOT TAME & INTIMIDATE US: WE SHOULD EMBRACE THEM WITH A CLEAR VISION AND MINDSET By Thami akaMbongo Manzana    Image: Thami akaMbongo Manzana       (Source: Facebook) There are moments when memory forces reflection. Standing in the Yvonne Banning Studio at Wits University recently took me back to conversations with the late Simba Pemhenayi, who once warned: “Institutions can either make you or break you.” That warning still matters. Today, the Cultural and Creative Industries face serious governance and leadership challenges.  Many practitioners feel excluded from decision-making spaces, while higher learning institutions are often viewed with suspicion or fear. But perhaps the real question is not whether institutions tame us — it is whether we are entering them with clarity, purpose and strategy. This conversation matters because the future of our sector depends on who occupies positions of influence. If we are...

The Compromised State of South Africa's Department of Sport, Arts and Culture: A Call for Urgent Overhaul and Leadership by Industry Experts By Farook Mohammed           Image  Source: Farook Mohammed  As a dedicated artist, activist, and Pan-Africanist deeply embedded in South Africa's cultural landscape, I have watched with growing alarm as the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) under Minister Gayton McKenzie has descended into a state of profound compromise . Appointed in July 2024 amid the formation of the Government of National Unity, McKenzie's tenure has been marred by controversies that undermine the very essence of artistic freedom, transparency, and equitable support for creatives.  Far from fostering the social cohesion and creative excellence the department is mandated to promote, his leadership has amplified divisions, stifled voices, and prioritized political patronage over the needs of artists.  This is not mere mis...

A Non-Negotiable Imperative for South Africa’s Cultural and Creative Industries Public funding is not an act of generosity. It is a constitutional obligation, administered through government and public institutions on behalf of the people of South Africa.  In the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), where public resources are often the lifeline for artistic production, employment, and cultural preservation, accountability must be unapologetic, uncompromising, and consistently enforced . Anything less weakens institutions, discredits the sector, and ultimately punishes practitioners who operate with integrity. Why Accountability in the CCIs Cannot Be Optional The Cultural and Creative Industries occupy a complex space in society. They are economic drivers, job creators, educators, activists, and custodians of identity and heritage.  Yet they are also among the most precarious sectors, frequently forced to justify their value within policy and budgetary debates. When account...

  NAC Is Right. SAACYF Is Wrong on Contractual Obligations: Setting the Record Straight on PESP 6 Yesterday, confusion has escalated within the Cultural and Creative Industries following the SAACYF media statement dated 09 February 2026 , which challenges the National Arts Council (NAC) on what it terms additional contractual demands placed on PESP 6 beneficiaries. While the concerns raised speak to broader frustrations within the sector,  The Creative Passport is compelled to state clearly and responsibly: on the issue of contractual obligations, the NAC is correct — and SAACYF’s interpretation is flawed. This article is not written to undermine artists, practitioners, or representative bodies. It is written to  protect beneficiaries from misinformation , and to remind the sector of a hard but necessary truth: a signed contract governs obligations, not selective readings, assumptions, or public sentiment.                   ...