Zuma encourages artists to mobilise

President Zuma met with performing artists at the Sandton Convention Centre on 17 November 2009.

Zuma said, “The cultural industry sector is a very important partner in our drive to build a social and cultural identity for our nation. Any foreigner who wants to understand South Africans better is likely to listen to our music, watch our films or television dramas. That is how important you are to the image of this country and its identity ... The Department of Arts and Culture has indicated to me that it intends to convene a wider [consultative] industry session next year.”

He also encouraged artists to speak up and organise: “For our young democracy to continue to grow, our artists must play their constructive critical role in informing society and invoking debate ... However, we will achieve them more if artists unite and give government an organised structure to work with.”

The Archival Platform welcomes this initiative as we are trying to do just this in the archive and heritage sector - improve communication among ourselves, encourage debate, engage with government and highlight the value of the sector within broader society.

Some news reports focused on the controversy around the promotion of violence elicited by the meeting. Zuma told the gathering in Sandton that local films, music and television programmes were too violent and artists should use their skills to build the nation.

Tsepo Wa-Mamatu, a Wits drama lecturer, playwright and director, told Zuma: “You need to speak truth to power; people have made statements that they would kill in your name and you have a police minister who has said ‘Shoot to kill’.” He said artists merely reflected what they saw in society.

Times LIVE report
Polity.org report
Mail and Guardian report
The President’s speech

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