Arts and Culture Takes Its Place at the National Dialogue
Image: Arts & Culture Reps
The Creative Passport welcomes the important and long-awaited news that the Arts and Culture sector is now formally represented in the National Dialogue Steering Committee.
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On 18 December 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as Convenor of the National Dialogue, confirmed the nominations received from various social sectors to serve on the Steering Committee of the National Dialogue. This announcement marks a critical moment for the cultural and creative industries, whose voices have historically been marginalised in national decision-making spaces, despite their central role in social cohesion, nation-building, and economic contribution.
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Why This Matters
In terms of Section 83 of the Constitution, the President is mandated to promote national unity. The convening of the National Dialogue responds to this responsibility by creating a citizen-led, society-wide and inclusive process aimed at confronting South Africa’s deep-rooted challenges and forging a shared vision for the decades ahead.
For the Arts and Culture sector, this moment represents more than symbolic inclusion. It is an opportunity to:
Influence national priorities,
Assert the role of culture in development and social cohesion,
Raise long-standing policy, funding, labour and regulatory challenges,
And ensure that artists and cultural workers are part of shaping the country’s future.
Arts and Culture Representatives on the Steering Committee
The following individuals have been confirmed as representatives of the Arts and Culture sector on the National Dialogue Steering Committee:
Luzuko Khohli.
Image: Luzuko Khohli(Source: Luzuko Khohli)Loungo Masire
Image: Loungo Masire(Source: Loungo Masire)Romeo Qetsimani
Image: Romeo Qetsimani(Source: Romeo Qetsimani)Mammatli Thakhuli-Nzuza
Image: Mammatli Thakhuli-Nzuza(Source: Mammatli Thakhuli-Nzuza)
These representatives emerge from a sector that has, over the past months, participated in consultations across 33 identified social sectors and 6 sub-sectors, following resolutions taken at the First National Convention (15–16 August 2025). Their inclusion reflects an effort to ensure that no sector of society is left behind.
Role of the Steering Committee
The National Dialogue Steering Committee is responsible for:
Setting strategic priorities for the Dialogue,
Coordinating implementation across the country,
Ensuring inclusivity and citizen participation,
Supporting sectors that are still finalising their nomination processes.
The Committee may also co-opt up to five additional members with relevant expertise and experience, further reinforcing the principle that the Dialogue must be broad, representative and responsive.
The Steering Committee is expected to convene in early January 2026 for its inaugural meeting and induction.
The Creative Passport’s Commitment
As an independent cultural media platform, The Creative Passport will be making follow-up engagements with the Arts and Culture representatives to:
Understand their visions and priorities,
Explore how they plan to represent practitioners, institutions and communities,
Interrogate how Arts and Culture will be positioned within the broader National Dialogue,
And track how commitments translate into action.
We believe representation must be accompanied by accountability, transparency and active engagement with the sector.
Call to Practitioners and Organisations
We invite artists, cultural workers, organisations, institutions and sector bodies to send us:
Questions,
Key concerns,
Policy priorities,
And expectations
that you would like us to raise with the Arts and Culture representatives serving on the National Dialogue Steering Committee.
📩 Send your questions to:
thecreativepassportmedia@gmail.com
Looking Ahead
The National Dialogue has been framed as a process to forge a new social compact — one that reflects the aspirations, struggles and contributions of all South Africans. For Arts and Culture, this is a moment to move from the margins to the centre, from rhetoric to influence, and from consultation to impact.
President Ramaphosa has thanked all nominees for availing themselves for this important task, expressing his wishes for their success in advancing “the building of a free, equal, united and prosperous nation.”
The Creative Passport will continue to observe, question, engage and report — ensuring that the Arts and Culture sector’s participation in the National Dialogue is meaningful, visible and grounded in the lived realities of practitioners.
The conversation has begun. The sector must now speak — clearly, collectively and boldly.
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