More than 700 individual artists and nearly 150 arts and
culture organisations have endorsed the Unite Against Corruption Campaign.
Among those who support the Campaign are high profile
writers, actors, musicians and visual artists including Zakes Mda, Mark
Gevisser, Gcina Mhlope, Pieter Dirk Uys, Karen Zoid, Jay Pather, David Kramer,
Beezy Bailey, Thoko Ntshinga, Mbulelo Grootboom and Shaleen Surtie Richards
along with internationally acclaimed organisations such as the Handspring
Puppet Theatre Company, the Cape Town Holocaust Centre and Vuyani Dance Theatre.
Three ad hoc Artists United Against Corruption committees
exist in Johannesburg (co-ordinated by Gita Pather), Durban (co-ordinated by
Nadia Meer) and Cape Town (co-ordinated by Mike van Graan) to help mobilise
artists’ involvement in the Campaign, both in the actual marches, and in contributing
creatively and/or financially to the Campaign.
Unite Against Corruption was initiated by various civil
society organisations such as Section 27, Treatment Action Campaign and Equal
Education as well as trade unions to focus attention on rampant corruption
within the public and private sectors, as well as within other social
institutions, including religious organisations, NGOs and sports federations.
The focus includes items such as a call for greater
transparency of funding for political parties, better protection of the office
of the Public Protector and lifestyle audits of senior government officials.
The arts and culture sector has rapidly supported this
Campaign since artists are affected by corruption as much as others, both as
citizens and as artists e.g. musicians being asked for payola in exchange for
their music being broadcast on radio.
“Stakeholders within the arts and culture sector often do
not raise issues of corruption for fear of alienating those who control public
purse strings, access to opportunities and private sector sponsorships,” said
poet and playwright Maishe Maponya, one of the first artist signatories.
Nadia Meer, Durban co-ordinator of Artists United Against
Corruption explained that a key motivation for artists to be engaged in this
Campaign “is to lobby for a mechanism to which issues of corruption,
exploitation and abuse of artists may be reported anonymously for investigation
and action”.
Artists participated in the Unite Against Corruption picket
outside Parliament in August at the time of the debate on the Nhleko Report on
Nkandla, and have created posters highlighting the lack of transparency in
party political funding. A packed forum attended mainly by students was held at
the Durban University of Technology in September, launching the campaign in
Durban.
“Another of our aims is to encourage artists to link up with
other sectors of society in addressing issues of concern to many South Africans
and to employ our creativity in doing so” said Gita Pather, the Gauteng
facilitator of Artists United Against Corruption. “We look forward to the
Campaign contributing to greater organization of and social engagement within
the arts and culture sector.”
For more details about the Campaign, go to http://www.uniteagainstcorruption.co.za,
or email media@uniteagainstcorruption.co.za,
or follow it on Twiiter @UAC_Now or Facebook www.fb.com/UACNow.
To follow and engage with the arts and culture component of
the Campaign, visit the soon-to-be-launched Facebook page: www.facebook.com/artistsunitedagainstcorruption
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