The National Arts Council (NAC) has finally disclosed the names of the individuals who adjudicated applications for the prestigious National Arts Festival (NAF).
Sunday World can confirm that the term for all five panel members who oversaw the 2024 NAF applications had already expired.
Their official tenure began on October 1, 2021, and ended on September 30, 2024, yet they continued to play a key role in allocating millions of rands in funding.
This information is contained in the NAC’s annual report.
The five former advisory panel members are: Tshepo Norman Gaorupe, who served on the literature advisory panel; Ngomusa Abe Sibiya, who served on the music advisory panel; Lentswe Martin Mathole, who served on the virtual advisory panel; Toki Mohoto, who served on the dance advisory panel; and Melany Asanda Fuma, who served on the multidisciplinary advisory panel.
Reappointed on interim basis
In a recent response to parliament, the NAC admitted that the same individuals had also been part of its appeals panel, appointed in 2023, and later reappointed on an interim basis.
“In 2021, the NAC appointed a cohort of advisory panel members in accordance with the Act. In 2023, a committee from this cohort was designated to serve as an appeals panel to readjudicate cases referred by the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture.
“The same appeals panel was subsequently reappointed by council as an interim panel to assess applications for participation in the National Arts Festival only,” the NAC told parliament.
This revelation comes just a month after Sunday World reported that artists had alleged that the NAC had disbursed millions of rands without a properly constituted advisory panel in place.
At the time, former acting CEO Julie Diphofa dismissed the allegations, insisting the reappointment was lawful.
“The council reappointed the appeals panel as a temporary measure for this NAF cycle. The act allows the NAC to establish any committee it deems necessary, which includes the appeals panel,” Diphofa said at the time.
Artists question transparency
But artists remain unconvinced. Many have described the revelations as yet another blow to transparency within the already embattled arts funding body.
An artist who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of being ostracised said: “We are talking about millions in public money, yet the NAC seems to think it can make up the rules as it goes along. What’s the point of deadlines and legal frameworks if they just ignore them?”
Another artist echoed the frustration: “I’m just wondering what was so difficult about disclosing these names. How are we supposed to trust the NAC if they hide basic information from us?
“Every year, artists are left in limbo, begging for scraps, and now we find out that expired panels are deciding our futures.”
Others have called for an urgent forensic investigation into the NAC’s handling of funding processes.
“This isn’t just a procedural error; it’s a systemic problem. We need parliament and the Department of Arts and Culture to step in because this level of secrecy and rule-bending erodes all faith in the system,” said another artist.
The controversy has added further pressure on the NAC, which has faced mounting criticism from the arts sector for years over delayed payments, opaque adjudication processes, and allegations of mismanagement.
