Minister Gayton McKenzie has dissolved the council of the National Arts Council, citing financial incompetence and governance failures, amid ongoing labour disputes affecting South African artists.

The minister of sport, arts and culture, Gayton McKenzie, has dissolved the council of the National Arts Council (NAC) with immediate effect, citing ongoing labour disputes, a monthslong employee strike, financial incompetence, institutional governance failures and "credible information raising concerns regarding certain procurement decisions".

Chairperson Eugene Botha confirmed that he and the rest of the council had stepped down as of Tuesday.

"I respect the Minister's decision and I do not intend to contest it," wrote Botha in a WhatsApp.

The dissolution of the board of a council mandated by Parliament in 1997 to disburse millions of rands annually to artists engaged in literature, the plastic arts, dance, music, theatre, film and more, across all nine provinces of South Africa, marks a low point for an organisation that has been in a crisis of leadership for more than half a decade. It also reflects the state of a sector in free-fall.

On 22 April, McKenzie sent a letter to the 24-member council demanding an urgent meeting to discuss the final settlement of a longstanding bonus dispute that finally prompted employees to down tools in mid-March.

NAC employees previously told Daily Maverick that they had been petitioning...