Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has dissolved the Council of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), according to SAnews.
The Minister said the step was about holding the entity to account. He said it was not a finding that any single Council member had been dishonest.
“I thank every member for the time they gave to the Foundation and to South African film. But accountability at entity level cannot be optional, and it cannot wait until somebody is caught,” McKenzie said in a statement.
The dispute centred on the Council’s choice of one of its own members as Acting Chief Executive Officer. The Ministry said this appointment broke the law that governs the Foundation.
According to the Ministry, the process started on 7 July 2026. On that day the Minister wrote to the then Chairperson of the Council. In the letter, he set out the legal problems with the appointment.
The Minister said he gave the Council two lawful options to fix the matter. The Ministry said the Council took neither option, and the arrangement stayed in place.
On 14 September 2026, McKenzie issued a Notice of Intention to dissolve the Council. He asked members to send written representations. The Council replied on 18 September 2026.
The Ministry said those replies were considered in full. On 23 September 2026, the Minister dissolved the Council under section 6(10) of the National Film and Video Foundation Act of 1997.
According to the Ministry, the Council admitted in its own replies that the Act does not allow an Acting CEO to be appointed from outside the Foundation. The Ministry said the Council also said that it does not maintain that the appointment was lawful.
The Ministry said the Council further accepted that the member’s resignation from the Council was defective. As a result, she held an executive office while still sitting on the Council. The Ministry said this clashed with the Council’s own job of oversight.
McKenzie said the Council knew what the law required.
“I gave this Council written notice of the problem in July and offered it two lawful ways out. It took neither. The arrangement ended only once dissolution was on the table, which eroded the last of my confidence in this Council,” he said.
The Ministry said other factors also played a part. These included the recent resignation of the Council Chairperson. They also included how the Council handled the suspension of the former Acting CEO. The Ministry said the Council ignored its guidance in that matter too.
McKenzie said he knew that funding approvals stalled for three months the last time this Council was dissolved.
“That is exactly why we shall move quickly to appoint a new Council, and to ensure that processing continues in the legal manner. The people who depend on this Foundation did nothing wrong, and they will not be made to carry the cost of governance issues that were not of their making,” McKenzie said.
The Minister directed that new arrangements for the Foundation take effect immediately.
Source: this article is based on reporting by SAnews.gov.za. Image: GCIS via SAnews.gov.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.