If I Had Been At the ‘Artists’ Imbizo
It’s been a week since President Jacob Zuma held an imbizo with 400 artists in Sandton. Except that somehow between the Presidency and the Department of Arts and Culture it was decided that artists consists of filmmakers, actors, and musicians. I mean honestly I am still confounded on how it is possible that 400 artists can be invited to an imbizo and none of them are writers, dancers, and visual artists. Or perhaps the last three cannot do a good rendition of uMshini Wam?
I cannot talk for dancers and visual artists of course but perhaps the country’s president did not know that, after the demise of Eskia Mphahlele (rest his soul), the country still had writers. If this indeed is the case, I put all blame at the foot of the Department of Arts and Culture because they seem to do a good job of excluding writers except when they want a poem recited at one of their functions. No. Trully. In 2005 I attended my first Arts & culture imbizo when Dr. Jordan was still Minister of the portfolio. I attended in my capacity as a publicist for a museum. In the room were musicians, film makers, a dancer, and a photographer. No writer. Not one. Then two years ago a writer friend of mine attended another Arts & Culture imbizo – no, not as a writer but in his capacity as a journalist. He was not expected to make any contributions to the proceedings and he recalls that a statement was made by then Director General that the writers are ‘alright’ before the DG proceeded to ask what the film makers and musicians wanted. An interesting pronouncement given that they did not have writers and therefore could not possibly have known whether we were or were not alright. I mean why call it a ministry of Arts & Culture if it is selective of the artists that it represents or listens to? Why not just call it a Ministry of Film and Music?
I was bemoaning this to one of my friends who attended but he told me I did not miss anything. Why? I asked. Because in his I-feel-your-pain manner the head of State allegedly came in with a prepared speech, read it, gave the gathered ‘artists’ just one question each, and then was whisked off to the next public relations pow wow. And yet I still would have liked to be there because I have a few things I would have liked to ask Mr. Zuma disguised as one question.
- I would have asked Mr. President whether he plans to make a pronouncement for quotas of shelf space for South African books in bookstores in the same way that there has been advocacy for quotas in music played on radio stations? Now, I realise that bookstores are not state-owned like some radio stations but given his oratorical skills and charm, I am sure the President could make all the bookstores an offer they cannot refuse (failing which I would try to see how I can get together with Comrade Julius and talk about nationalising bookstores).
- I should have also liked to find out what he is reading or if he does read, and if so, what his favourite South African read is (and here I would ask him to exclude his biography from the list).
- If I had been at the imbizo, I would have asked the State President how he plans to improve literacy in schools when most of his provincial Education and Arts & Culture departments have ignored the offered contribution by writers top visit schools, workshop teachers and read at libraries a la ReadSA initiative.
- I might also have offered my services in a part-time capacity as a speech writer because Mr. Prez, some of those speeches are lacking in shine.
I spent a fair share of last week trying to get through the presidential hotline to ask why no writers were invited to the imbizo. I failed to get through, gave up, and decided to write this piece instead. But here is hoping someone at Arts & Culture and at the Presidency is taking notes and they remember next time that artists go beyond filmmakers and musicians. And oh, Mr. President, please get in touch to answer all of the above questions and talk about the way forward before I do a one-woman toyi-toyi at the doors of DAC. How do you contact me? Ag dude, google me!
Nice one, Zuki. But perhaps you should’ve mentioned the libraries which are state-owned and under the jurisdiction of the Department of Arts and Culture. It is true that books are expensive and that the majority of our people cannot afford them (given the high employment rate) so it makes logical sense to make these books available in the public libraries. Believe me, my sister, if each of the public libraries across the country could buy South African books you would be an instant bestseller while at the same remaining accessible to the public!