Reimagining the Department of Arts and Culture's role in government

“Black artists must not be imitative of White men’s art today. They must have their own values, stemming from Black men’s experiences … I will produce Black art whose absolute values will speak for themselves, without philosophical or literary mannerisms. I will produce art that is all about the life, history and experience of Black people, that is both educational and functional, and that creates a true copy of visible and humanistic nature in action … I believe that the appeal of all art should be universal.” — Eugene Eda Wade, The Artists’ Statement, 1971

ONE of the most egregious mistakes of the post-apartheid era was the relegation of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to an afterthought — often dismissed as an “entertainment” portfolio. Bundling sport with arts and culture further diluted the department’s noble purpose, leaving its strategic role overlooked.

For centuries, colonialism, industrialisation, and apartheid systematically eroded African culture. The migration of Africans from rural to urban areas deepened this alienation, leaving many culturally displaced — neither rooted in traditional African identity nor fully aligned with Western norms.

This dislocation manifests in troubling ways: the widespread use of skin-lightening products, the preference for European hair and features, and the internalised inferiority that continues to haunt many of our people. Such cultural alienation, I argue, is symptomatic of what may be described as post-traumatic slavery disorder or post-apartheid inferiority disorder.

The Department of Arts and Culture has not been accorded the status it deserves. Appointment to head this ministry is often wrongly viewed as a political demotion. Yet, given its role in shaping national identity and consciousness, it should be seen as one of the highest honours.

At its essence, arts and culture embody humanity’s spiritual connection to creation itself. God, the ultimate artist, expressed His genius through nature and human life. In this sense, the Department of Arts and Culture is remarkably close to God’s heart.

During his tenure, Paul Mashatile understood this. As Minister, he revolutionised the department, introducing the Golden Umzansi project and pushing innovative, forward-thinking initiatives. His work demonstrated what could be achieved when arts and culture are placed at the centre of government strategy.

As John O’Neal once remarked: “The most important thing is to honestly examine and confront what is going on in our society and to examine it with ruthless honesty … I do not see art as separate from values.”

After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan asked itself: “Can we economically modernise without culturally Westernising?” The answer was yes. Japan modernised technologically while retaining its cultural spirit, captured in the motto: “Western technique, Japanese spirit.”

By contrast, Africa’s trajectory has too often been the opposite — cultural Westernisation without economic modernisation. As Ali Mazrui lamented, while Western nations reached the moon, Africans still struggle to maintain basic infrastructure.

Most government policies are imported wholesale from Europe and transplanted without adaptation to African realities. As a result, they fail to resonate with African aspirations.

For instance, the long queues of Black pensioners, unlike their white counterparts, reflect a subtle cultural insensitivity in policy implementation. Similarly, many police stations are neglected and undignified, reflecting a lack of respect for Black communities.

Social development policies, too, often adopt a Eurocentric welfare model, rather than being rooted in African values of Ubuntu and social cohesion. The Covid-era R350 grants, though noble in intent, were delivered through a narrative that stripped beneficiaries of dignity. Correctional services and even civil engineering projects remain devoid of cultural consciousness.

The Department of Arts and Culture should therefore play a central role in reshaping these policies to ensure they reflect African values and aspirations.

Our cities and public buildings remain overwhelmingly Eurocentric in design. Thirty years into democracy, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, and even Johannesburg still echo Victorian and colonial architectural styles.

Tourists arriving at our airports are greeted by sterile, Western-style buildings indistinguishable from those in Europe, rather than structures reflecting African identity. Instead of showcasing our culture in urban spaces, we force tourists to seek “authentic Africa” only in game reserves.

Architecture is not neutral. As colonial architect Herbert Baker once wrote to Prime Minister Jan Smuts in 1911: “Architecture has its political use: public buildings being the ornament of a country; it establishes a nation, draws people and commerce, makes the people love their native country.”

We should reimagine our skylines with African expression. Imagine Johannesburg’s Carlton Centre clad in Esther Mahlangu’s bold Ndebele patterns — a statement of identity, pride, and ownership.

The media has been complicit in eroding African identity, often portraying local cultures as backwards while glorifying Western values. Hollywood, European cinema, and global brands like Coca-Cola have entrenched cultural synchronisation, making Africans internalise Western ideals as superior.

Efforts at indigenisation, such as Tlaudi Motswaneng’s push for higher local content at the SABC, were attempts — however flawed — to reclaim cultural sovereignty. Yet such initiatives often met resistance in the name of “modernisation”.

Globalisation has only deepened this alienation, reinforcing the legacy of slavery and colonisation. The result is a pervasive inferiority complex that drives many Africans to abandon their cultural heritage in favour of Western models.

Modernisation should not mean cultural erasure. African nations must resist the false dichotomy between progress and heritage. As Matunhu has argued, true development requires cultural rootedness, not blind imitation of former colonisers.

To achieve this, Africans must undergo a systematic de-Westernisation of the mind — an emancipation from mental slavery. The only department strategically positioned to lead this process is the Department of Arts and Culture.

It is time to reposition the Department of Arts and Culture from the margins to the centre of national development. As the custodian of identity and values, it should guide all government departments to craft policies rooted in African aspirations.

This is not merely a bureaucratic adjustment — it is a national correctional intervention. The Department of Arts and Culture must become the moral compass, thought leader, and cultural architect of our nation’s future.

* Dedicated to Zola Dotwana, personal assistant to His Excellency, Prince of KwaPhindangene — whose robust discussions have enriched this reflection. Education, after all, is not confined to lecture halls but thrives wherever there is a hunger for truth and critical engagement.

** Dr Vusi Shongwe works in the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture in KwaZulu-Natal and writes in his personal capacity.

*** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media.

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