R2.6 million chocolate cake and ANC allegiance: Remarks rock Playhouse leadership
A controversial R2.6 million “Chocolate Cake Production”, political remarks by CEO Linda Bukhosini, and a looming R4.6 million funding withdrawal have deepened tensions at The Playhouse Company as KZN artists accuse leadership of abandoning theatre.
Linda Bukhosini, CEO and Artistic Director of The Playhouse Company, at the centre of controversy following political remarks and a proposed R2.6 million “Chocolate Cake event.” (Image: Playhouse Company)
Instead of staying neutral like a government official should, the CEO and Artistic Director of The Playhouse Company, Linda Bukhosini was caught on tape openly telling a group of struggling artists which political party she supports.
The audio recording captured Bukhosini attempting to frame the institution’s current financial collapse not as a failure of management, but as a lesson in political maneuvering.
The recording begins with Bukhosini explaining the hardships she faces in securing government funding. She then switches gears to challenge the artists. She can be heard using a vernacular term for political education or indoctrination:
"I'm not sure if you understand,'Ngumrhabulo lo engikunika wona'"Roughly translated as
"I am giving you some political knowledge,"
Despite the Playhouse being a state-funded entity mandated to serve all South Africans Bukhosini continued to make her personal and professional allegiances clear:
"... not structured to make money. I’m still a member of the ANC. I’m not sure about you, or have you left and joined other political parties? I was born here, I love the ANC and I’ll remain here. There are people within the ANC that I don’t like, but I love the ANC and its principles. Then there are individuals within the ANC whom, when I look at them, I feel 'no man,' they no longer represent me accordingly."
In a moment of sudden self-correction, Bukhosini then added:
"When I am on a public platform, I’m very careful of what I say because I don’t represent myself but the organisation I work for."
For the artists in the room, the message was clear: the survival of the Playhouse is inextricably linked to the ANC, and those seeking support must understand the 'political knowledge' she is dispensing
Her remarks have raised serious concerns among artists about the appropriateness of political declarations in a publicly funded institution. An artist who prefered to remain anonymous said:
"We're still shocked by her political statement. The Playhouse Company receives tens of millions from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and is mandated to serve all South Africans regardless of political affiliation. You can’t stand in front of artists and start talking about party loyalty when this is a public institution. It raises questions about who the institution really serves.”
Province threatens to withdraw R4.6 Million funding
The entire controversy unfolds as the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture in KwaZulu Natal,(DSAC-KZN) considers withdrawing R4.6 million in provincial funding from the Playhouse. Another conncerned artist said:
"DSAC-KZN requested Linda to disclose her programme lineup as a condition for continued funding, she refused. She told the Department that her programmes were finalised a year ago and they are national in nature. Then the Provincial Department’s response was simple, they told her that since the programmes are national in nature, national funding should cover them. The Province's message was simple: no support for local artists means no provincial funding."
The R2.6 million "Chocolate Cake" proposal
Our investigation has further established that in another meeting with the provincial department last week, Bukhosini laid out a R2.6 million budget for a 'Chocolate Cake' event."
One of the stakeholders who attended the meeting said:
"This 'Chocolate Cake' event is scheduled for December 2026. It raises a massive red flag. How does a R2.6 million project suddenly appear in a budget that supposedly cannot afford to keep its own production facilities running? How do you shut down the heart of theatre production and then find millions for a cake?. How does this cake benefit KZN artists, how does it build the industry? This project isn't just a contradiction ,it’s an insult that must be stopped."
Playhouse refused to answer questions
Detailed questions were sent to The Playhouse Company but they refused to respond.
Instead they questioned the credibility and accreditation of the journalist asking the questions, a move that flies in the face of Section 16 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press.
"Further communication will be made at an appropriate moment through appropriate media platforms. Kindly understand we really need time and space to focus on our work," they wrote
The did not specify when the 'appropriate moment' would arrive, or which 'appropriate media platforms' they intended to use.
In a second response, The Playhouse Company said that it 'uses credible media avenues' but it did not specify which media avenues it considers credible.
Questions and reminders were also sent to Ntando Mnyandu, the Spokesperson of KZN-DSAC and he also did not respond.