The entertainment industry continues to feel the pinch as mass gatherings, events and live shows are locked down due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Three months into the national lockdown that was enforced by the South African government, theatres were given a green light to open their doors and operate again, of course, under strict regulations.
Though many theatre houses welcomed the new laws of operation, some decided to keep their doors shut until later in the year.
That changed when the lockdown regulations were eased and most theatre houses were delighted to welcome back patrons, but that was short-lived when President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the country was going to adjusted level 3 lockdown.
With the new level 3 restrictions, only 50 people are permitted to attend an event and many theatre houses had to shut down, yet again, which resulted in the loss of income for many actors, producers, directors, musicians and staff members.
This is despite Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa’s announcement that R150 million has been set aside to assist struggling artists and sports personalities, who were unable to work due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement was made in May and artists have on numerous occasions expressed their disappointment on social media about not benefiting from the relief fund.
This week, a group of theatre-makers and practitioners started an online petition, calling for Mthethwa’s resignation.
In a series of tweets posted on theatre director Warren Nebe’s Twitter account, theatre-makers painted a picture of the struggle of South African artists.
Thread /1
— Warren Nebe (@WarrenNebe) January 19, 2021
PETITION FOR MINISTER NATHI MTHETHWA TO RESIGN OR BE REPLACED#NathiMustGo
According to the Twitter thread, the petition’s initial sponsors are Gregory Maqoma, Sylvaine Strike, Faniswa Yisa, Ismail Mahomed, Warren Nebe, Lesego van Niekerk, Yvette Hardie, Daniel Galloway, Ipeleng Merafe, Sbonakaliso Ndaba, Alex Sutherland, Liam Anthony, Mike van Graan and Jackie Rens.
“We, the undersigned artists, arts organisations and individuals who seek to make our living within the theatre sector, and more broadly, within the South African arts ecosystem, hereby call upon Mr Nathi Mthethwa to resign as Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture by 31 January 2021.
“Failing this, we call upon President Ramaphosa to replace Mr Mthethwa in February 2021,” read the statement.
“We wake up almost daily to reports of artists – including many theatre and dance practitioners - having succumbed to Covid-19.
“Some of the country’s most active theatres in providing work and income for artists such as the Fugard Theatre, the Baxter Theatre Centre and Theatre on the Square have been shut for extended periods.”
Nebe said though some theatres houses have opted to do production for streaming, the money made via these platforms was not enough to sustain the industry.
“The loss of income for many theatre-makers has had, and is having a devastating impact on their mental, emotional and physical health.
/13 The loss of income for many theatre-makers has had, and is having a devastating impact on their mental, emotional and physical health.
— Warren Nebe (@WarrenNebe) January 19, 2021
“The relief funding made available by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture – while welcomed – came with bureaucratic hoops that excluded many and was simply a drop in the ocean in terms of the needs within the sector.”
/15 The relief funding made available by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture – while welcomed – came with bureaucratic hoops that excluded many and was simply a drop in the ocean in terms of the needs within the sector.
— Warren Nebe (@WarrenNebe) January 19, 2021
In their petition, theatre-makers urged President Ramaphosa to axe Mthethwa.
“We call on President Ramaphosa to launch ‘a new dawn’ for arts and culture by exercising his right to replace the Minister, as well as the leadership of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture that has been complicit in the failures of the Department and the minister for the last number of years.”
For more information on the petition, see details below:
/21 To read the full petition and support this petition, click on the link below and fill in your details (name, practice within the sector, email address and province). Share this petition and the hashtag #NathiMustGo widely.https://t.co/tUn8zbolXU
— Warren Nebe (@WarrenNebe) January 19, 2021