Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has told Parliament that the National Arts Council (NAC) council was so divided that some of its own members asked him to disband it.
McKenzie said that the infighting only ended when one faction resigned.
“My problem with the board was always the division. There was division. Nobody should tell me otherwise. And I was very uncomfortable with that,” he said on Tuesday, 10 November.
“The people who were not happy, or the one faction, if I can put it that way, using political speak, resigned. In my mind, that resignation, although regrettable, sorted out the problem of people fighting,” he continued.
He was answering questions in the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture.
Eugene Mthethwa, an EFF member asked him whether the council was divided when some of its members took him to court.
“Yes. The board was divided,” McKenzie said.
Asked whether the members cited as respondents had supported the dissolution, he said: “Some of them told us: please disband the board. We don’t have collegiality in the board.”
Mthethwa said that this contradicted what council members had told the committee before.
“In previous responses given by the NAC, some of the board members were here. They said there was no division whatsoever. There was a misunderstanding. They said those who were cited as respondents were put there merely because they were not vocal, not because they agreed with the disbandment. If we go to the recording of that meeting, you will hear it.
“Some of the people who resigned are the people who were respondents, meaning they were behind you, saying disband. And those who took you to court are here, saying don’t disband us,” Mthethwa said.
He said that the committee had let the claim stand on purpose.
“I allowed it, to give people a long rope to hang themselves. And I see their faces today, the ones who were saying no, we are not divided. And you are saying the board was divided. So I don’t know who to believe. But your response is more convincing to me,” he said.
McKenzie said he had held back from removing the rest of the council because of the court case.
“I wanted to remove the board. The court said hold on. So I didn’t want to use other processes to get around that instruction from the court that said wait. I must say, in this time I’ve no longer heard complaints of people fighting with each other,” he said.
Later, he said he would not punish the whole council.
“There was infighting. Anybody who tells you there’s no infighting is just lying to you. That has become better. If those investigations find certain board members to be in breach of the law, they shall be removed. But I’m not going to do group punishment and say the whole board,” McKenzie said.
He said he was waiting for the Public Protector. “There is the Public Protector report, which we are waiting to come out. And when that comes out, the department will take the necessary action,” McKenzie said.
Mckenzie dissolved the council in May 2026. On 31 July, the Gauteng High Court suspended the dissolution and reinstated the council members. It also interdicted the minister from appointing a replacement council while the review is pending.
Six council members resigned on 14 and 15 October. The council now has seven ministerial appointees. The National Arts Council Act requires at least nine.