McKenzie explains why NFVF council was dissolved for the second time

Sport, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has announced the dissolution of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) council, the second time in recent years. This decision was made due to accountability concerns over unlawful governance practices that the council had ignored. McKenzie invoked section 6(10) of the NFVF Act, leading to the immediate dissolution of the council on September 23rd.

The previous dissolution in July 2024 came after allegations of mismanagement and corruption within the council. This time, the tension arose from the appointment of Nondumiso Madlala as Acting Chief Executive Officer. The appointment was deemed unlawful because it violated section 13(4) of the NFVF Act, which prohibited the appointment of individuals from outside the foundation for such positions.

McKenzie explained that the council had been given multiple opportunities to rectify the situation but failed to do so. The council had initially acknowledged the unlawful nature of the appointment and Madlala's defective resignation, but chose not to take the necessary steps to resolve the issue. She was later replaced by Neliswa Bam as acting CEO, although the NFVF did not publicly announce the change or inform the industry.

The minister emphasized that this decision was about institutional accountability, not dishonesty. He thanked the council members for their service to the foundation and South African film but stressed that accountability at the entity level could not be optional. McKenzie assured that approved and committed funding would continue to be processed and that the independent whistleblower investigation would remain unaffected.

To prevent disruption, McKenzie directed that the NFVF CEO assume accounting authority under the Public Finance Management Act until a new council is appointed. He assured that the people who depend on the foundation did nothing wrong and would not be made to bear the cost of governance issues beyond their control. McKenzie pledged to appoint a new council swiftly and ensure that processing continues in a legally compliant manner.