by Thinus Ferreira
The NFVF took two months to reveal today that Thobela Mayinje, the acting CEO of South Africa's struggling National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) had been placed on "administrative leave" since two months ago, 30 July, "pending an investigation for numerous allegations" and that the NFVF Council has been disbanded.
South Africa's department of sport, arts and culture and the NFVF have dragged their feet in appointing a permanent new CEO, with Thobela Mayinje who have been acting in the position since April 2023 for a year and a half already, since Makhosazana Khanyile left.
The department of sport, arts and culture has placed Lebogang Mogoera, a chief director in the department as the latest acting NFVF CEO in the interim.
The department has also ordered the NFVF to advertise for the position of a new permanent CEO. The NFVF Council has also been dissolved.
"The NFVF in a statement says "Following the
dissolution of the NFVF Council, the department of sport, arts and culture has started with a process to establish
an interim accounting authority while a legislative process of constituting a
fully constituted Council is underway".
"The interim measure will
ensure that processes of the entity are not disrupted and the industry needs
are met."
In mid-July, shortly before Thobela Mayinje was placed on administrative leave, South Africa's new sports, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie slammed South Africa's National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of, and funded by, his department, saying "there is a big problem at the National Film and Video Foundation".
"It can't be that all the people in the arts are complaining. There must be a problem there. We must address that problem. We are here to fix things. We are not here for self-aggrandisement. We are here to fix stuff and to work together."
In June South African filmmakers reacted with fury over the NFVF's latest red carpet champagne junket to the 77th Cannes Film Festival - a visit that once again excluded media, but included a gaggle of NFVF and other officials and cost millions.
Adding insult to injury: It took the NFVF a month after returning to South Africa to put out a badly done, bland press release about what the NFVF did in Cannes, with no exposure or local coverage in the media about what the NFVF's work and interaction there entailed.
The NFVF - funded by South African taxpayers, spent big to take 40 people from South Africa's film industry together with NFVF staffers and acting NFVF CEO Thobela Mayinje to the French Riviera for so-called "exposure" and networking.
NFVF chairperson Tholoana Ncheke-Mahlaela also went along.
The ongoing NFVF instability will cause renewed embarrassment for the beleaguered agency which is supposed to put on the 18th South African Film and Television Awards in October in Johannesburg.
The 18th SAFTAs craft awards is earmarked for 25 October as a YouTube broadcast with the main awards set for 26 October as a simulcast on SABC3 and MultiChoice's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel.
