Gauteng filmmakers are back at Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s office, staging a sit in.
This is the second time they have staged a sit-in at the Office of the Premier in Johannesburg.
They allege that they have been met with silence since July.
Filmmaker and Black Content Studios founder Lungisani Mthethwa told Africa Daily that they have been trying to get hold of Lesufi for months.
“In July we were here and we were instructed to put everything in writing. We did that, but we did not even get an acknowledgement from his office. We have made several attempts to get the Premier’s attention, but we are simply being ignored. We were left with no option but to come back here and stage a sit-in,” said Mthethwa.
During the first sit-in in July, Lesufi’s spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the office had met the group to hear their grievances.
He said it had offered to facilitate a meeting with the relevant departments and the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC).
Pamla added that the office could not interfere with existing systems on behalf of individuals.
On 16 July, the creatives sent a written submission to the Office of the Premier.
It was signed by Mpho Ntlatleng, founder of OL Afrika Media Foundation. Africa Daily has seen the letter.
The GFC is first on the list. The filmmakers asked for its Host Company Call to be extended to 24 July 2026. They said it had been open for only five days.
They want host companies to choose their own learners, with the GFC checking and approving them.
They argue that when host companies have no say, learners land in the wrong placements and fewer finish the programme.
They also want the GFC to publish who got funding, who did not, and the criteria used. They asked it to bring back four funding calls a year. They also want it to review its funding cap, which they say was cut by about R50,000.
From the provincial arts department, they want published funding timelines, an annual funding calendar, more calls during the year and regular updates on applications. They say delays make it hard to book venues, confirm artists and honour contracts.
They asked the Department of Community Safety what happened to a Creative Industries budget once run under Mike Seutana. They want to know if it still exists and who controls it.
They also want the Department of Social Development to explain why it reportedly does not fund arts and culture non-profit organisations.
Finally, they asked the Premier’s office to bring the departments together and name a responsible official for each issue.
They also want written answers with timelines and a standing forum with the sector.
Mthethwa alleged that this time, instead of helping them, officials called the police on the group. He said they were also refused access to the toilets.
“The officials told us there was an instruction not to allow us to use the toilets. We are offended by this treatment. We are not here to fight. We are here to demand answers. The Premier has a duty to serve us, not to run away from us,” said Mthethwa.
He said the group has been asking Lesufi to closely monitor institutions such as the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the GFC.
“He doesn’t seem to have any interest, yet we are the ones who are suffering. Clearly, he does not take us seriously. This time around we’re not leaving until we get answers,” he said.
The filmmakers’ frustration is not new. After the July sit-in, the DA in the Gauteng Legislature said the GFC was failing to create opportunities and was shutting skilled filmmakers out of the industry.
The party said money was not the problem. It said what was missing was leadership, accountability and a clear strategy.
In September, the Gauteng Legislature’s Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee held a roundtable on whether the GFC’s skills development programmes are working.
At national level, the NFVF has faced months of complaints from applicants over its Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme funding.
The GFC is an entity of the Gauteng Provincial Government. It falls under the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, which is led by MEC Lebogang Maile.
Africa Daily has sent questions to the Office of the Premier, the GFC, the departments of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Community Safety and Social Development, and the NFVF. Their responses will be added once received.
