BOTSWANA ARTISTS LAMENT BETRAYAL AND NEGLECT UNDER NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL
Botswana’s creative sector is in turmoil as frustrations mount over the performance of the National Arts Council of Botswana (NACB). In a powerfully worded open letter to the Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport, and Culture, Jacob Kelebeng, local poet Anthxny gave voice to the widespread dissatisfaction among artists and arts organisations, accusing the NACB of gross mismanagement and negligence.
According to Anthxny, artists feel neglected, disrespected, and discarded by a council that was established to empower them. “Even a feather feels heavier than the weight placed on these artists,” Anthxny said in the letter, which has been shared and discussed online. He described the NACB as a once hopeful institution that has now become a source of pain and disillusionment.
Anthxny said the Council has been plagued by confusion and lack of direction since its inception, leaving artists questioning not just the NACB, but their own crafts and identities. He pointed to recurring issues with communication, funding processes, and transparency, describing them as systemic rather than isolated. “There is too much heat there to avoid, even if you wanted to,” he warned, arguing that the Council has consistently failed to engage with artists meaningfully or keep its promises.
Citing several examples, Anthxny recounted how the NACB failed to follow through on its first major call for grants, rejecting most applicants after long delays and offering the explanation that it had received too many submissions. In the second year, he said, the Council simply went quiet. No calls for funding were made, and no public explanations were given. “Last year, the Council came back yet again with another shocker,” Anthxny added, accusing it of publishing a discriminatory call-out that excluded many categories of artists, with no follow-up or attempt at dialogue.
He further alleged that earlier this year, the NACB launched a call for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from organisations to curate the National Arts Competitions. According to Anthxny, those who submitted EOIs never heard back. Instead, the Council pivoted to artist registration, posting the shift on social media without acknowledging or concluding the previous process. “Quintessential NACB,” Anthxny remarked with bitterness, “starting something and abandoning it halfway.”
The letter also criticises what Anthxny described as “ludicrous” prize structures for the National Arts Competitions, calling them an insult to the value of artists and their work. He questioned how artists can be expected to take themselves seriously when the very institution tasked with uplifting them treats them so lightly.
Anthxny reminded the Minister of the Artist Pitso held at Travelodge earlier this year, where artists openly shared their frustration and disappointment. “You saw them, you heard them, and you saw how painful it was,” he wrote, suggesting that despite the public promises made by the Council that day, nothing has improved. In fact, according to him, things have only deteriorated further.
Throughout the letter, Anthxny made a heartfelt plea to the Minister to intervene directly. “Please, Honourable one, take control,” he urged. “This is the only organisation that is supposed to make artists feel secure, but now it’s the one that makes them feel worthless.” The tone of the letter was a mix of sorrow and urgency, reflecting not just personal anguish but a broader crisis of confidence in the country’s arts governance.
In Anthxny’s words, the NACB has broken the spirit of many creatives. But his letter may also be a turning point—an act of courage that could spark change, if the leadership is willing to listen. For now, all eyes are on Honourable Kelebeng.