KNOWING WHO SPEAKS FOR YOU:
WHY THE CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES MUST FOLLOW PARLIAMENT
By Thami akaMbongo Manzana |
The Creative Passport
For many practitioners and organisations within South Africa’s Cultural and Creative Industries, Parliament often feels distant — a place of politics rather than practice. Yet decisions taken in Parliament shape the very conditions under which artists create, organisations operate, and institutions survive.
To work in the cultural sector without understanding who represents your interests in Parliament is to operate without knowing where power, accountability, and opportunity truly lie.
This article reflects on why it is important for practitioners to know their representatives, monitor their work, and actively engage the parliamentary processes that directly affect arts, culture, and the creative economy.
REPRESENTATION IS NOT ABSTRACT — IT IS PRACTICAL
Every sector in South Africa is represented through parliamentary structures. The Cultural and Creative Industries are no exception. Members of Parliament (MPs), particularly those serving on relevant Portfolio Committees, are tasked with oversight, policy review, and accountability over departments, entities, and public funding that directly affect the arts.
Knowing who represents you is not about party loyalty alone — it is about understanding:
- Who speaks on behalf of your sector
- Who asks questions when funding collapses
- Who calls departments and councils to account
- Who shapes laws, policies, and amendments
Representation becomes meaningful only when it is visible and monitored.
WHY MONITORING THEIR WORK MATTERS
Parliamentary work does not only happen during election seasons. It happens daily through:
- Committee meetings
- Briefings by departments and entities
- Public hearings
- Oversight visits
- Adoption of reports and recommendations
When practitioners do not follow these processes, important sector decisions pass without scrutiny from those most affected.
Monitoring the work of MPs allows practitioners to:
- Understand where political parties stand on arts and culture
- Track whether promises translate into action
- Hold representatives accountable beyond elections
- Make informed decisions when voting
A vote is not just a political act — it is an economic and cultural decision.
THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES
Portfolio Committees are the engine rooms of Parliament. Each committee oversees a specific government department and its public entities.
In relation to arts and culture, the relevant committee is responsible for:
- Oversight of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
- Monitoring public entities such as councils, theatres, and heritage bodies
- Scrutinising budgets, strategic plans, and annual reports
- Calling officials and boards to account
- Facilitating public participation in policy and legislative processes
Importantly, committees are constitutionally required to allow public input. This means artists, organisations, and sector bodies have the right to engage — not as spectators, but as stakeholders.
ENGAGEMENT IS A RIGHT, NOT A FAVOUR
A common misconception in the sector is that only organisations, lobby groups, or “connected individuals” can engage Parliament. This is not true.
Any practitioner or organisation has the right to:
- Make written submissions
- Attend public hearings
- Request meetings or clarifications
- Engage MPs respectfully and constructively
- Follow up on resolutions and committee recommendations
The fact that only a few individuals consistently engage does not mean others are excluded — it often means many are unaware of their rights or unsure of the process.
WHY CONTACT DETAILS AND PROCEDURES MATTER
Knowing how and when to contact committee members is part of active citizenship. Engagement is most effective when:
- It is aligned with committee programmes
- Submissions are made during open public processes
- Queries relate directly to oversight responsibilities
- Communication is respectful, factual, and documented
Following parliamentary schedules, agendas, and minutes allows practitioners to intervene at the right time — not after decisions have already been taken.
INTRODUCING THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
As part of building sector awareness, it is important to know:
- Who chairs the committee
- Who serves as members
- Which political parties they represent
- Their public positions on arts and culture matters
Understanding the composition of committees helps practitioners see where advocacy efforts may be most effective and how different political perspectives shape cultural policy.
FROM OBSERVERS TO PARTICIPANTS
The future of arts and culture in South Africa cannot be left only to departments, councils, or elected officials. Practitioners are not passive beneficiaries — they are stakeholders with constitutional rights.
Following parliamentary processes:
- Strengthens sector advocacy
- Improves accountability
- Builds informed civic participation
- Ensures that cultural policy reflects lived realities
An informed creative sector is a powerful one.
CONCLUSION
Knowing who represents you in Parliament is not political activism — it is professional responsibility. Monitoring their work is not confrontation — it is democratic participation.
As the Cultural and Creative Industries continue to navigate funding challenges, policy uncertainty, and institutional reform, engagement with Parliament is no longer optional. It is essential.
The more practitioners understand parliamentary processes, the more meaningful their participation becomes — and the stronger the sector stands.
COMPOSITION
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
ALTERNATE
HOW TO FOLLOW THE CREATIVE PASSPORT
.jpeg)
Comments