Mmabana Mourns No More — Restore Our Mother of the Arts Now...!! !! !!

To: Premier and Executive Council, North West Provincial Government

Cc: Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture (North West); Auditor‑General; Mmabana Arts, Culture & Sport Foundation Board; Media; Civil society; Community stakeholders : The President of the Republic of South Africa

Honourable Members,

Mmabana — the “mother of the arts” — was built to discover, groom and launch youth talent across the former Bophuthatswana homeland. For decades it delivered: producing world‑class performers, athletes and cultural leaders and filling hotels, taxis and markets across Mahikeng, Tlhabane, Taung, Thaba Nchu and beyond. Alumni and communities consistently point to Mmabana as the crucible behind legends and leaders — from the late HHP (Jabulani Tsambo) to gymnastics champion Tseko Mogotsi, dance luminary Tebogo Kgobokwe, AfroPop Music Songstress KB Motsilenyane, contemporary commercial musical mystro Casper Nyovest, and many more — names that testify to Mmabana’s once‑unrivalled reach.

Since 1994, and with acute deterioration after 2018, provincial neglect, mismanagement and corruption have reduced Mmabana to a shadow of itself. The costs are not only cultural but economic and social: lost livelihoods, blocked pathways for youth, gutted regional festivals and a shattered legacy that once attracted learners from across Africa.

We demand immediate, accountable action:

1) Public acknowledgement and full disclosure now — publish all decisions, budgets, contracts and asset records affecting Mmabana since 1994.

2) Independent forensic audit within 30 days — agreed with civil society; publish findings and pursue consequences.

3) A funded, time‑bound rehabilitation and operational plan within 60 days — transparent budget, milestones and procurement.

4) Reformed governance with community and alumni oversight — quarterly published minutes and anti‑corruption safeguards.

5) Rapid reinvestment in people and programmes — bursaries, coaches, regional training weeks and festivals to revive economic spin‑offs.

6) Measurable timelines — reopen core facilities within 12 months; full programme capacity within 24 months; quarterly public progress reports.

7) Continental relaunch partnerships — rebuild Mmabana’s stature across Africa through national and international cultural and sports partnerships.

The people of the North West entrusted government with an institution that turned promise into global success. Allowing corruption and neglect to destroy that legacy is a betrayal of generations. This is a demand for restoration, accountability and the revival of a public good that made the province proud.

Act now. Restore Mmabana to its rightful place as a modern, well‑governed centre that once again nurtures the next generation of champions, artists and leaders. By destroying Mmabana, you have also destroyed the future of many young people, you have created multitudes of idle minds, you have created a conducive environment for lawlessness leading our young people into crime and corruption. In the absence of a fully functional Mmabana, many of our young girls are forced by circumstances beyond them for survival to become bottle girls, prostitutes, sex objects, etc. and young boys are more and more becoming criminal gangs, drug lords, rapists, etc.

We can't carry on like this - this is not right and we can't just sit, keep quite and do nothing, hoping in a hopeless situation. You have destroyed our lives beyond measure and enough is enough now. You either jump into action immediately or we the people, will do whatever we can to force you into accountability...!!!

Sincerely,

For and On Behalf of

Concerned Citizens, Alumni, Cultural Practitioners and Civil Society of the North West Province, South Africa, Africa and Africans in the Diaspora

NB: KINDLY SHARE THIS OPEN LETTER WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS MANY TIMES AS YOU CAN - LET US RAISE AWARENESS AND DEMAND FOR GOVERNMENT TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE SAKE OF THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN...🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾