“We are not against the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, but the fundamental principle in question is legislation and processes. Why was there no legislative framework for the governance of this establishment? MP DA Tsepo Mhlongo asked during a meeting of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture on Friday morning.

Mhlongo’s question came after the CEO and artistic director of the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, Bongani Tembe as well as officials from the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and the National Arts Council (NAC) appeared before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture on Friday to make presentations concerning the formation of the orchestra.

Daily Maverick reported in July this year that the DSAC had created and would have allocated R30 million to a national philharmonic orchestra – details that were revealed in a report by the National Mzansi Philharmonic Orchestra 2021/22, which was circulating in musical circles. The formation “under the table” of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Mzansi had raised concerns among members of the country’s fragile classical music sector and parliamentarians, who were questioning the formation of a centralized national orchestra at a time when South Africa’s regional orchestras are reeling from the pandemic .

Questions have also been repeatedly raised about the lack of transparency and accountability in the constitution of the orchestra.

read in Daily Maverick: Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra’s ill-considered plan hits many sour notes

Amid the outcry, the AD announced that he would submit parliamentary questions to fully question the Mzansi NPO and ask the Sports, Arts and Culture Portfolio Committee to drag Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Tembe to Parliament.

Friday’s portfolio committee meeting saw presentations by DSAC, NAC and Tembe on the formation orchestra. However, very little new information was presented and questions were raised by several MPs.

ANC MP and committee member Duduzile Sibiya criticized DSAC’s presentation for lacking detail and “information on results, products and objectives”.

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While DSAC officials including Mthethwa and Deputy CEO Dr Cynthia Khumalo were present at Friday’s committee meeting, only NAC Chairman Celenhle Dlamini and Acting CEO Julie Diphofa were present from NAC .

“It is not acceptable for [NAC] council members not to attend,” said DA MP and committee member, Tsepo Mhlongo. “The NAC is not chair- or CEO-led — it’s board-led. And the advice must come to us.

DA MP Veronica van Dyk and ANC MP Duduzile Sibiya agreed with Mhlongo, saying it was “unacceptable” that council members were not present.

The NAC has been rocked by a series of resignations in recent weeks amid governance issues and allegations of misconduct against President Celenhle Dlamini, The citizen reported.

While the formation of a national philharmonic orchestra was included in the revised white paper on arts, culture and heritage that the Approved by Cabinet in August 2018, no details were given about Mzansi’s NPO in the annual performance plan nor any mention of it in the 2022 national expenditure forecasts for the DSAC.

Information about the orchestra’s budget appeared briefly in a slide on Mzansi’s NPO contained in a presentation to Parliament on the implementation of the revised White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage in December 2021, which showed a funding allocation of 54 million rand “reserved” by the DSAC to the Mzansi NPO.

This amount was later confirmed Daily Maverick by the DSAC Managing Director, Vusumuzi Mkhize at the launch of the Mzansi NPO in Johannesburg on July 14.

read in Daily Maverick: The national orchestra launches into the midst of a controversial concerto of opacity and contradictory harmonies

In response to a question from ANC MP Rachel Adams regarding who exactly were the international partners of Mzansi’s NPO, as mentioned in the presentation, Tembe replied: “We have spoken to many potential international partners in course of the last three months. -half years, and there will be major announcements soon.

Tembe had a similar response to the question posed earlier by Daily Maverick here .

Tembe reiterated that funding regional orchestras is high on Mzansi NPO’s agenda.

However, he remained silent on the exact amount of funding that will go directly to regional orchestras, simply saying “a significant portion of the funds will go towards funding regional orchestras, youth orchestras, artistic endeavors and community engagement programs. “.

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Speaking to the committee on Friday, Tembe said: “There have been rumors in some circles, Mr. President, that Mzansi is here to kill regional orchestras. I say this in all humility; I’m involved with two of the three biggest orchestras in South Africa, I couldn’t get involved with an orchestra that was going to kill the orchestras I identify with.

“This claim is completely untrue,” he added.

Speaking briefly towards the end of the meeting, Minister Mthethwa said, “I think the questions have been answered.” DM