WHO IS CCIFSA? AND WHO MUST ACCOUNT FOR R51.8 MILLION? By Thami akaMbongo Manzana  The recent statement by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) confirming serious financial irregularities involving R51.8 million transferred to the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA) between the 2014/15 and 2023/24 financial years has opened serious questions that cannot be ignored. According to the forensic investigation conducted by Gobodo Forensic and Investigative Accounting (GFIA), the findings point to extensive governance failures, breaches of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), weak oversight, and financial mismanagement. But South Africans especially artists, cultural workers and practitioners must ask a deeper question: Who created CCIFSA? Who protected it? Who benefited from it? And who must now account? This cannot simply be reduced to an administrative scandal. This is a decade-long political and institutional project involving M...

  Statement on Forensic Investigation into CCIFSA Media Statement 7 May 2026 The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie, has received the final forensic investigation report into the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA), conducted by Gobodo Forensic and Investigative Accounting (GFIA) on behalf of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC). The investigation, which examined R51.8 million in public funds transferred to CCIFSA between the 2014/15 and 2023/24 financial years, has found extensive financial irregularities, governance failures, and breaches of the Public Finance Management Act and the Department’s own policies. Key findings include: An irregular contract addendum signed in March 2016 increased the original CCIFSA funding agreement by R772,884 with no submission, no justification, and no proper approval. R5.4 million in unspent funds at the end of the 2016/17 contract period was not returned to the Department as requi...

Where Memory Bleeds and Truth Speaks Loud: A Review of Letters From Tomorrow By Thami akaMbongo Manzana Sibusiso Khwinana Theatre  The South African State Theatre  30th April to 10 May Written & Directed by Mbasa Tsesana Lunga Khuhlane as Mkhonto  Anele Matoti as Gqozo Ter Hollmann as Van Schroer Dramaturge by Allen Cebekhulu Stage Manager by  Thandokazi Nasiphi Mahlati  There are productions that entertain. There are productions that educate. And then there are productions like LETTERS FROM TOMORROW — theatre that confronts you, unsettles you, and refuses to let you leave unchanged. Currently staged at the South African State Theatre in the intimate Sibusiso Khwinana Theatre space, this work by the unapologetically bold playwright and director Mbasa Tsesana is a necessary eruption of truth in a time where silence has become far too comfortable. From the moment you enter the auditorium, the tone is set. The haunting sounds of Simphiwe Dana’s Umkhonto ...

  A Day to Gather, Reflect and Rise Together As the Bongani Linda & Peter Ngwenya Soweto Theatre Festival reaches its final day, the energy does not fade—it intensifies . Today is not just a closing; it is a culmination , a powerful convergence of memory, performance, and collective purpose at Uncle Tom’s Hall. After days of reflection, storytelling, and artistic exchange, this last chapter invites practitioners, community members, and the broader arts fraternity to come together and close the festival with intention, presence, and impact . A Programme Rooted in Memory and Continuation The day begins with a deeply meaningful segment: 13h00 – Remembering Peter Ngwenya Through conversations and monologues, practitioners are given a platform to revisit, interpret, and embody the work of Ngwenya. This is more than tribute—it is active remembering , where artists engage directly with legacy through performance and voice. For emerging and established practitioners alike, this space ...

  A Launch That Stirred Memory, Purpose and Possibility Last night at Uncle Tom’s Hall, something profound unfolded. The space was not simply prepared—it was transformed . Lights, sound, and intention came together to turn a familiar hall into a living theatre of memory, where the past met the present with dignity and purpose. The Bongani Linda & Peter Ngwenya Soweto Theatre Festival opened in a way that reminded everyone in attendance why theatre matters—not just as performance, but as a vessel of community, history, and identity.            Image Source:  Artivist Media & TV A Gentle Opening, A Powerful Tone The evening began with the soothing and intentional sounds of Liso the Musician, whose musical offering did more than entertain—it prepared the room . It invited stillness, reflection, and readiness for what was to come. From there, Matjamela Motloung guided the evening as Master of Ceremony with grace and authenticity. Having walke...

Tonight, Soweto Becomes a Stage of Memory and Legacy There are evenings that pass—and then there are evenings that stay with you long after the lights go down . Tonight, at Uncle Tom’s Hall, the Bongani Linda & Peter Ngwenya Soweto Theatre Festival begins not just with a launch, but with a moment of collective remembrance, reflection, and renewal . This is not a typical programme. It is a carefully curated journey into the lives and legacies of Bongani Linda and Peter Ngwenya—two giants whose work shaped township theatre and built communities through storytelling. What to Expect: More Than a Launch From the moment guests arrive, the atmosphere will carry a sense of purpose. The evening opens with welcoming drinks, allowing artists, cultural leaders, and the community to gather—not just as attendees, but as participants in a shared history. As the audience settles, the transition into the formal programme will be marked by a live musical welcome by Liso the Musician , setting an em...

  You Are Part of This Moment There are moments in the life of a nation’s cultural journey that are not meant to be observed from a distance—but to be experienced, shared, and remembered . The Official Launch of the Bongani Linda & Peter Ngwenya Soweto Theatre Festival is one such moment. Set to take place on Thursday, 23 April 2026 at 17h00 at Uncle Tom’s Hall, this gathering is more than a formal opening—it is a rare and meaningful invitation to stand at the intersection of history, memory, and living art. To be invited to this launch is to be recognised as part of a community that understands the value of storytelling, the power of theatre, and the importance of honouring those who came before us. It is an opportunity to be present in a space where the legacies of Bongani Linda and Peter Ngwenya are not only remembered—but felt, spoken, and carried forward. The evening will bring together artists, cultural leaders, practitioners, and members of the community in a carefull...

A NATION THAT NORMALIZED BROKENNESS AND BURIED ITS RESISTANCE  By Thami aka Mbongo Manzana The Illusion of Speaking Truth to Power There was a time in South Africa when speaking truth to power came at a cost. It meant exile, imprisonment, or death. It was not fashionable — it was necessary. So what is it today? We speak louder than ever. We trend. We post. We debate. But what changes? Has truth to power become a performance rather than a disruption? Are we mistaking visibility for impact? If power is no longer threatened by our voices, are we really speaking truth — or simply echoing within a system that has learned how to absorb dissent? When the Mirror No Longer Reflects Artists were once the moral archive of this country — the mirror that forced society to confront itself. Theatre challenged power. Music mobilised communities. Poetry unsettled comfort. But today, what does the mirror show? Has art become too careful, too dependent, too safe? Are artists still confronting society...