The organisers of the National Book Week, the SA Book Development Council (SABDC) has shut down.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the SABDC board members said the closure of the SABDC meant that the Ghanaian government-backed Ghana Book Development Council was now the only functioning book development council on the African continent.
The SABDC said it had actively celebrated books through indigenous language reading festivals and the annual National Book Week for over a decade, promoting reading.
“The demise of SABDC leaves Ghana Book Development Council, fully funded by the Ghanian government as the only surviving functional book development council on the continent.
“While they share much in common, SABDC has languished in a holding pattern since 2007, waiting to be formalised and funded by the State.
“Despite this significant drawback, the SABDC’s Council, consisting of an impressive cross-section of voluntary national book-sector member associations, has remained committed to increasing access to books in South Africa, and to showcasing, strengthening and diversifying the South African book industry and its many-linked supply chain.
“Starved as it has been of the necessary resources, the SABDC has nevertheless punched well above its weight.
“Its Council members and its Board of directors have served as dedicated volunteers throughout its history.
“The Council itself got by on a very small complement of dedicated staff, which consisted of only two employees over its first of 15 years, with one or two ad-hoc project staff taken on as funds allowed.
“Despite these severe limitations, the SABDC continued to implement pioneering and innovative work over the years,” the board members said.
The board said it had become increasingly difficult to operate without state funding. It said it had been forced to source funds every year to run projects on an ad hoc basis.
“Its modest office and its running costs have never been properly covered, which has meant that a great deal of time has had to be spent on fundraising. As a result, the SABDC has been operating only through project-based funding for too long.
“While this type of funding was successfully secured in some years, it could not be assured, either reliably or at all, in other years,” the board said.
The SABDC said it had been promised funds by Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) last year to run implement National Book Week (NBW), but the funds were paid late and by then, the damage had been done and the council had to close its doors.
“Not only was NBW’s budget cut by 50%, but the reduced amount was also not forthcoming. At the time, the SABDC was told that the funds had ‘disappeared’ and were no longer available.
“The Department nevertheless gave the SABDC verbal assurances that it would find alternative funds for NBW.
“The delay in funds, however, had devastating effects on the future of the SABDC, which was operating as a fully functional book development council within the habitual context of severely constrained funding described above.
“It became clear to the Board that the SABDC could not withstand the effects of this non-payment, which would amount to bankruptcy for the Council.”
In January, the council served the government with a letter with an intention to sue as it struggled to pay rent and other service providers – who have since been paid.
“This was particularly difficult for the SABDC to cope with, not only because it had always operated with the utmost integrity and was acutely aware of the difficult financial conditions its suppliers were labouring under as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but also because of the inevitable resultant damage to its reputation and the longstanding beneficial relationships it had always relied on to thrive.
“The SABDC finally received DSAC’s payment for NBW 2020 on 7 April 2021, seven months after the implementation of the reading awareness campaign.
“By this time, its infrastructure was no longer intact, and it was too late to save it.
“The SABDC would like to thank the thousands of patriotic South Africans and the many international visitors who interacted with and supported the organisation over the past 19 years.
“The gap left by the demise of the SABDC will no doubt affect the most vulnerable members of our society, this during a time in which President Cyril Ramaphosa has been championing reading as a vehicle for improved growth and leadership,” they said.
IOL