17 Sep 2020

The National Arts Council of Botswana Bill is an important step towards empowerment of Batswana engaged in the creative arts. 

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said this when debating the bill in Parliament on September 15. 

Dr Masisi stated that creative artists were struggling to make ends meet and they needed a structure that could harness the industry towards economic empowerment.

The President said establishment of a national arts council would offer solutions to the challenge faced by creative artists, whose situation was compounded by a loss of income caused by effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the debate continued on Wednesday, Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Mr Buti Billy, said the arts council would add to the transformative agenda being pursued by the recently reviewed eleventh National Development Plan (NDP 11).

He further said this would also partially fulfill Botswana Democratic Party’s election manifesto pledge to expose the country’s arts and cultures to the international market and to use the arts as a vehicle for job creation.

Mr Billy said the creative arts was a large body that included musicians, television and film industry players, storytellers, poets, photographers, animators, interior designers as well as those involved in the value chain activities including drivers, caterers, distributors as well as those in the management of the business process.

Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe, praised former President Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama for pioneering and unearthing creative arts talent countrywide through the President’s Day arts competitions.

Mr Lelatisitswe said their party was now taking further what they had started under President Khama’s tenure by creating a platform for the artistic sector to be better coordinated so that artists could better earning a more sustainable livelihood.

He said in the Boteti Sub-district many people were involved in the creative arts and the arts council would stand them in good stead as they sought to advance their careers.

Molepolole North MP, Mr Oabile Ragoeng, said the move was a long overdue initiative and the ministry needed to ensure that once adopted, the arts council would be properly resourced and well financed in order to deliver on its mandate.

While supporting the notion of an arts council in principle, various opposition MPs were displeased that the motion was brought on an urgent basis, which denied further debate and consultation with constituents and various stakeholders.

Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi said some artists in his constituency had asked that before the bill was brought for debate before Parliament, they should be given a chance to make their submissions to its draft.

Sefhare-Ramokgonami legislator, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang, said the BDP recently voted against Selebi Phikwe West MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse’s motion to repeal the Media Practitioners Act on the pretext that there was a need for further consultation, but were now rushing the National Arts Council Bill before exhaustive discussion with stakeholders.

Ghanzi South MP, Mr Motsamai Motsamai, said the BDP had been in power for 54 years and had rebuffed previous attempts by the opposition Botswana National Front (BNF) and Botswana People’s Party (BPP) MPs to have such a structure in place.

Mr Motsamai said he was surprised that the arts council was being rushed in an urgent manner. 

But he expressed his support for the substance of the bill, saying this would avoid the situation where creative legends such as Speech Madimabe and Andries Bok had over the years struggled to earn sufficient funds from their well renowned talent.

He said the arts council should work to ensure that traditional music forms such as borankana and tsusube as well as events like the Kuru Festival generate funds to empower ordinary artists in places such as the Ghanzi District. ends