Frustrated by silence and unpaid promises, artists recently marched to Parliament to deliver a petition to the Leader of the Opposition addressing cracks within the National Arts Council of Botswana and what they call a crisis of accountability
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Botswana’s artists recently downed their instruments and scripts for a peaceful march to the National Assembly in Gaborone. Their mission was to deliver a petition to the Leader of the Opposition, Dumelang Saleshando, for Parliament to hear their grievances.
Upon receiving their petition, Saleshando promised to table it in Parliament in November, giving the artists a glimmer of hope in a sector where patience has long worn thin.
“A DESPERATE LAST RESORT”
Playwright and director Sengwato Rampha, who led the protest, described the action as “a desperate last resort” after repeated attempts to engage the National Arts Council of Botswana (NACB) were met with “a disturbing disregard for communication and accountability”.
“Our grievances were shared months ago with the CEO of NACB Otsetswe Koboyankwe,” Rampha said. “She chose silence over accountability.
At the heart of the outcry lies the 2025 National Arts Festival, a government-funded initiative now mired in accusations of financial irregularities and delayed artist payments.
“WHERE DID THE MONEY GO?”
“We competed in July and haven’t been paid a thebe,” Rampha said. “If P24 million was allocated, and ward-level festivals never happened, where did the money go?”
The petition also challenges the legitimacy of several associations that allegedly received multiple payments while performers — who were the key personnel of the festival — remain unpaid.
Meanwhile, in response to a questionnaire from Time Out seeking clarity on payments, governance and accountability, NACB spokesperson, Kutlwano Monnamoncho, says it concluded that a letter from a group of drama artists was “articulating internal issues” which the Council cannot interfere with”.
MISCONDUCT
“Additionally, we provided guidance which we believe could resolve the internal issues without the involvement of the Council,” Monnamoncho stated.
“On the issue of alleged misconduct, it must be noted that any allegations within the Council must be reported through the appropriate channels, and the Council has robust procedures to deal with misconduct.”
Regarding unpaid prize money, Monnamoncho said payments are ongoing but at a slow pace mainly due to logistical challenges “attributable to the fact that many artists are unbanked”.
NOMINATED REPRESENTATIVE
“We decided to use eWallet,” he said. “We need signed indemnity forms from the artists, and these are also being submitted at a slow pace.
“With regards to groups that won, we also need an affidavit indicating the nominated representative who will receive the prize monies on behalf of the group.
“We are still waiting for some of them to submit these forms for processing. We are engaging different service providers like banks and mobile network operators. However, this will not be an immediate solution due to their processes.”