UPDATE: Former NAC Chair Eugene Botha surrenders within 24hrs
Former NAC Chairperson Eugene Botha has accepted his immediate removal by Minister Gayton McKenzie, confirming he ceased to hold office on 25 May 2026.
FALL FROM GRACE: Former National Arts Council Chairperson Eugene Botha, will not fight his axing.
Following the publication of this exposé, former NAC Chairperson Eugene Botha responded directly to The Public Dispatch, officially conceding defeat. Botha confirmed he has stepped down and will not fight the Minister's axe:
“I confirm that I have received the Minister’s letter dated 25 May 2026, and that I ceased to hold office as Chairperson of the National Arts Council as of that date. I respect the Minister’s decision and I do not intend to contest it. The Minister’s letter sets out his reasons, and it speaks for itself. I will not be addressing your questions individually,” he said.
He said that many of the questions “concern matters that fall to be dealt with through the proper governance and accountability processes” and claimed it would not be appropriate for him to comment in the press. He ended with a hollow message wishing staff well.
In a sharp about-face from his previous bureaucratic indifference, Botha concluded with a PR-sanitized message to the very workforce his administration left destitute:
"I want to say only one further thing, and I say it sincerely. My thoughts are with the staff of the National Arts Council. They have carried real strain through this period, I never regarded their position lightly, and I wish them, and the incoming Council, everything of the best," he said.
No answers. No accountability. Just silence.
This is the same Eugene Botha who presided over a Council accused of:
- Splurging hundreds of thousands, potentially up to R1 million of taxpayers’ money on flagship Apple iPhone 17 devices for provincial councillors.
- Outsourcing CEO and CFO recruitment to an expensive external firm while maintaining a fully paid internal HR department.
- Protecting and fast-tracking Julie Diphofa and Reshma Bhoola despite serious past allegations, suspensions, and public outrage.
Minister McKenzie’s dissolution letter, dated 25 May 2026, directly slammed the Council’s conduct, it reads:
“I have also received credible information raising concerns regarding certain procurement decisions by the NAC, including external recruitment fees and expenditure on mobile devices for Council members, which appear difficult to reconcile with the institution’s stated financial constraints.”
The Minister concluded that it was“not in the public interest for the current Council to continue in office.”
Yet Botha has chosen to leave without explaining or defending any of these decisions.
A legacy of stonewalling
For weeks, Botha and the NAC stonewalled legitimate media questions about these scandals.
Now, even after being removed from office, he continues the same pattern of silence, hiding behind vague “processes” while the public is left in the dark about how public money was spent on luxury phones and duplicated recruitment contracts.
His exit is not graceful. It is an admission of failure wrapped in bureaucratic politeness. The man who failed to provide leadership on the staff bonus crisis, allowed questionable procurements, and allegedly enabled favouritism has now walked away without a shred of accountability.
The arts community and South African taxpayers deserve better than leaders who indulge in iPhone 17s and insider protection, then disappear when held to account.
The Public Dispatch will continue pressing for full transparency as the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture appoints new leadership.