20 Jan 2026

To strengthen strategic direction and oversight capacity, the National Arts Council of Botswana (NACB) has announced the appointment of its new council board members.
The board will be chaired by Prince Monna, with members;Tebogo Matebesi, Mpho Sebina, Gakeesi Tlhabiwe, Molatedi Kgotla, Vincent Rapoo, Kopano Mantswe, David Abram, Kesegofetse Oaitse and Njiramanda Mbewe. The members bring a wealth of expertise in arts and culture, creative industries, policy, governance and strategic development.
Commending the Council on the development and congratulating the newly appointed Board, creative industry advocate and brand manager Zenzele Hirschfeld said the sector was hopeful that the new Board would bring a wealth of knowledge and experience.
“As a sector, we have always emphasised the need for industry experts to lead the Council, as many challenges stem from a lack of governing policies and structures,” Hirschfeld said.
However, she raised concern over the gender composition of the Board. With two women and eight men, she noted that the sector needed to be more intentional about gender equality and balance in leadership positions.”
Meanwhile, creative industries consultant Seabelo Modibe challenged the new board to prioritise development and implementation of the Arts Council Regulations by December. He further urged the board to ensure the registration of the council’s affiliates by the same period and to convene inaugural annual general meeting by early to mid-2027.
“For me, your performance will be measured by these,” Modibe stated on his Facebook handle.
In a statement, NACB said the appointments reflected the council’s commitment to promoting excellence in the arts and culture sector, supporting creative development and advancing Botswana’s cultural agenda. Recently, the Council also appointed Gaokgakala Lemmenyane as its Chief Executive Officer. Lemmenyane is a seasoned arts administrator, cultural policy specialist and resource mobilisation strategist with over 15 years of leadership experience across the creative sector, academia, government and international institutions. ENDS