SASFED Sounds Alarm: Minister Gayton McKenzie Accused of Nepotism and Undermining SA’s Arts Sector. The South African Screen Federation (SASFED) has delivered a scathing rebuke of Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, accusing him of fostering nepotism, political patronage, and unprofessional conduct within some of the country’s most respected arts institutions.
In a strongly worded statement reported by City, SASFED warned that South Africa’s creative sector is being dragged into “dangerous territory”, alleging that McKenzie is destabilising state-funded cultural bodies and threatening their independence.
“We cannot stand by while this institution is destabilised,” SASFED declared, urging immediate government oversight.
The federation claims the arts and culture budget is being treated like a “personal slush fund” by McKenzie and his acting Director General — an accusation that has sparked calls for the Public Protector and parliamentary portfolio committee to urgently intervene.
The backlash comes on the heels of McKenzie’s controversial, and swiftly reversed, appointment of Jonas White — a man with a public record of sexual misconduct and corruption allegations — to the Market Theatre Foundation Council, as reported by TimesLIVE on March 30.
Industry outrage over McKenzie’s leadership isn’t new. As far back as October 2024, a OkayAfrica report outlined mounting discontent over his lack of vision for the arts, describing a tenure more marked by headline stunts than long-term strategy.
Now, with SASFED stepping in, pressure is mounting. Stakeholders across the creative sector are calling for transparency, accountability, and an urgent recalibration of how South Africa’s cultural institutions are governemt
