Anticipation over 2023/2024 arts budget
MBABANE – As the time draws closer to the announcement of this year’s budget for all government sectors, artists are already anxious.
Those in the arts sector want to Nnow if their budget will increase, just liNe in the previous year.
,n what had come as no surprise to some artists, the arts and culture sector¶s budget had increased by only E198 580 in 2022.
This was as per )inance 0inister Neal 5ijNenberg¶s budget speech, which he announced for the 2022/23 financial year. ,n the previous financial year 2021/22 , the arts sector budget stood at E4 291 165. Then the budget alloca tion increased to E4 489 745. When the budget speech for the 2019/2020 finan cial year was delivered, the allocation for arts and culture dropped from E4.2 million to E3.3 million. ,ndependent calculations by the Entertainment 'esN reflected that this drop was 21.4 per cent. The sector is represented by the Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture ENCAC . The council operates under the guidance of the 0inistry of 6ports, Culture and Youth Affairs.
The ENCAC has affiliates which di rectly benefit from the tranches of money given to the council by government. These are Eswatini Arts and 0usic As sociation 6WA0A , Eswatini National Choral 0usic Association ENC0A and the Association of Christian Artists in Eswatini ACAE6WA among others. ENCAC¶s CE2, 6tanley 'lamini is the one to welcome the budget each year and oversees that the money is to be used as effectively as possible. When asNed on what the council would do differently this year after the budget, he mentioned that there would be consul tations between ENCAC and affiliated bodies where there would be discussions on how they could best utilise the little that they had. +e went on to say that in the past two years, the approach taNen by the council was for artists to operate in the digital era social media instead
Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture CEO Stanley Dlamini.
of using traditional approaches. +e said this helped artists gain e[posure and reach international audiences, ultimately positively contributing towards the sector. +owever, in the previous year, the 4.4 per cent increment had been liNened to a drop in the ocean by most industry players who directly and indirectly benefit from the sector.
Increased
Actually the news of the increased budget got mi[ed views from artists and entrepreneurs in the entertainment space. When it was then reported on, influential players in the space were asNed on what they thought on the increment and if they thought there would be a change. Eswatini Events 0anagers and 3romoters Association EE03A Chairman and 6wa]i %oy Entertainment¶s 0thun]i µ6hadow¶ =wane, registered his dismay towards the budget allocation. =wane said he thought the arts industry would be a priority for government given that this was the hardest hit sector ever since the C29,' 19 pandemic began. +e went on to say that given that there was no budget increase, this essentially meant that the
Jelele.com and Jelele studios Co-founder Paul ‘Dr P’ Tarvis.
sector was not a priority for government. ³3ersonally, , thought that we were going to be a priority to government given the fact that we were the most affected in the economic chain of the country. We were the first ones to be shut down and the last ones to reopen when it came to restrictions. , wish government put more effort towards the budget as we are the most affected,” he said.
Budget
When asNed if he thought there would be a change given the slight increase in the budget, =wane further said it would be a surprise if something changed but he remained positive that the industry would be far better if government considered their plights by finding a lasting solution. ³, thinN what could actually help us is government¶s assistance in the recovery. This could be opening up the industry by increasing the numbers for people who are allowed at events,” he said.
The sentiments shared by the artists were similar to those from 6WA0A 3resident /utfo 'lamini ,who has men tioned in numerous interviews that the entertainment industry needs to be looNed into far more than it has been.
,n an interview about artists¶cry, over being aided by the arts body, 'lamini said that the Eswatini Government did not see the po tential that this industry has and just how much revenue it could generate for the economy.
Frank
Co founder at -elele.com and -elele studios 'r 3aul µ'r.3¶Tarvis said ³to be franN, even if the budget in creases or oth erwise putting it in the hands of those who have failed dismal ly in the past years, will yield the same results or lacN of.
%efore budget is re leased, they need to enlist and empower people who can actually maNe things happen and have Nnowledge, e[perience and are innova tors.¶¶