On 11 September 2009, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Ms Lulu Xingwana and the Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile met role players in the music industry at Bassline, Newtown. The meeting was attended by prominent artists such as Caiphus Semenya, Letta Mbulu, Arthur Mafokate, Sibongile Khumalo and Mara Louw, among others.
Facilitated by the Director-General of Arts and Culture, Mr Themba Wakashe, the meeting focused on challenges facing the sector. The artists lamented the slow place of transformation in the sector and limited air play that South African music receives. Most importantly, artists complained about lack of funding and training opportunities.
Minister Xingwana urged artists to unite in an effort to build a sustainable industry. She further stated that the department would support artists with regard to training and funding. However, she acknowledged that the department had limited resources.
As regards amendments to the intellectual property legislation, Deputy Minister Mashatile, made a call to artists to participate actively in the legislation-making processes. With regard to the issue of transformation, Minister Xingwana conceded that a charter for the sector was long overdue. The meeting ended with a renewed sense of hope in the development of a sustainable sector. This was the first in a series of ongoing discussions that the Ministry of Arts and Culture will be having with cultural industries.