Parliament, Sunday, 22 March 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture Chairperson, Mr Joe McGluwa, will on Tuesday engage members of the committee on how to urgently help resolve the ongoing strike at the National Arts Council (NAC).
Mr McGluwa said the prolonged disruption has the potential to affect the operations of the NAC and, by extension, the communities it served. He said: “This is the last government entity that should experience disruptions and in our Tuesday scheduled meeting, I will also engage the with members on challenges at the NAC.”
Mr McGluwa said the entity supports poor artists, who have no alternative means of income if the industry does not book or support the artistic abilities. “We cannot afford another day of this prolonged,” emphasised Mr McGluwa.
Tomorrow, Monday 23 March 2026, will mark day 6 of the NAC staff strike. Mr McGluwa said on Tuesday he will engage with the committee to consider steps on urgent engagement between the NAC management and the committee to understand whether the NAC management has taken steps to engage directly with the striking staff.
Mr McGluwa said the committee will seek to ensure accountability and transparency surrounding resolution of the issues that brought about the strike. “We cannot allow prolonged silence or avoidance when the functioning of a national entity is at stake.”
He calls for urgent resolution of the matter, failing which the committee will have to provide support and direction so that operations are stabilized and trust is restored. “Only if the NAC performs the tasks for which it was founded for will this committee rest or hold back.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE, MR JOE MACGLUWA
For media enquiries, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Sibongile Maputi (Mr)
Cell: 081 052 6060
E-mail: smaputi@parliament.gov.za
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