“We are not against the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, but the fundamental principle in question is the legislation and the processes. Why was there no legislation framework for the governing of this establishment?” asked DA MP Tsepo Mhlongo during a parliamentary portfolio committee meeting on sport, arts and culture on Friday morning.  

Mhlongo’s question came after CEO and artistic director of the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, Bongani Tembe along with officials from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and the National Arts Council (NAC) on Friday, appeared before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture to make presentations regarding the formation of the orchestra. 

Daily Maverick reported in July this year that the DSAC had set up and reportedly allocated R30-million to a National Philharmonic Orchestra — details which were revealed in a Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra Report 2021/22, which was circulating in musical circles. The “under-the-table” formation of the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra had raised concerns among members of the country’s fragile classical music sector and parliamentarians, who were questioning the formation of a centralised national orchestra at a time when South Africa’s regional orchestras are reeling from the punch of the pandemic. 

Questions were also repeatedly raised about the lack of transparency and accountability in constituting the orchestra. 

Read in Daily Maverick: Ill-considered Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra plan hits many sour notes

Amidst the outcry, the DA announced that it would submit parliamentary questions to fully interrogate the Mzansi NPO, and request the portfolio committee on sports, arts and culture to haul Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Tembe before Parliament. 

Bongani Tembe, CEO of the Mzansi National Orchestra, who is also CEO of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra. (Photo: KZN Philharmonic Orchestra / Webpage)

Friday’s portfolio committee meeting saw presentations by the DSAC, the NAC and Tembe on the formation orchestra. However, very little new information was presented, and questions were raised by several MPs. 

ANC MP and committee member, Duduzile Sibiya criticised the DSAC’s presentation for its lack of detail and “information on outcomes, outputs and targets.”

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While officials from the DSAC, including Mthethwa and Deputy Director General, Dr Cynthia Khumalo were present during Friday’s committee meeting, only the chairperson of the NAC Celenhle Dlamini and acting CEO Julie Diphofa were present from the NAC. 

“It’s not acceptable for [NAC] council members not to attend,” said DA MP and committee member, Tsepo Mhlongo. “The NAC is not run by the Chairperson or the CEO — it’s run by the council. And the council must come to us.” 

DA MP Veronica van Dyk and ANC MP Duduzile Sibiya concurred with Mhlongo, saying it was “unacceptable” for council members not to attend. 

The NAC has been rocked by a spate of resignations in recent weeks which came amidst governance issues and allegations of misconduct against chairperson Celenhle Dlamini, The Citizen reported. 

While the formation of a National Philharmonic Orchestra was included in the revised White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage that the Cabinet approved in August 2018, there was no detail given about the Mzansi NPO in the Department’s annual performance plan nor any mention of it in the 2022 Estimates on National Expenditure for the DSAC.

Information on the orchestra’s budget had appeared briefly in a slide on the Mzansi NPO contained in a presentation to Parliament on the implementation of the revised White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage in December 2021, which showed a funding allocation of R54-million “ring-fenced” by the DSAC to the Mzansi NPO. 

This amount was later confirmed to Daily Maverick by DSAC director-general, Vusumuzi Mkhize at the launch of the Mzansi NPO in Johannesburg on 14 July. 

Read in Daily Maverick: National orchestra launches amid a contentious concerto of opaqueness and conflicting harmonies

In response to a question from ANC MP Rachel Adams, regarding who exactly the Mzansi NPO’s international partners were, as alluded to in the presentation, Tembe replied: “We have been talking to lots of potential international partners over the last three-and-a-half years, and there will be major announcements coming soon.”

Tembe had a similar response to the question when asked previously by Daily Maverick here. 

Tembe reiterated that the funding of regional orchestras was high on the Mzansi NPO’s agenda. 

However, he kept mum on exactly how much funding will go directly to the regional orchestras, simply saying “a significant amount of the funds will go to funding regional orchestras, youth orchestras, artistic endeavours and community engagement programmes.”

Read in Daily Maverick: The Cape Town Philharmonic is an institution worth saving – Nathi Mthethwa’s orchestra plan will gut it

Speaking before the committee on Friday, Tembe said: “There has been talk in some quarters, Chair, that Mzansi is here to kill regional orchestras. I say this with all humility; I’m involved with two of the three biggest orchestras in South Africa, I couldn’t get involved in an orchestra that was going to kill the orchestras that I’m identified with.

“That assertion is completely devoid of truth,” he added. 

Speaking briefly towards the end of the meeting, Minister Mthethwa said: “I think questions have been responded to”. DM