THE Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC) has launched a nine-month interim committees to build and formalise national arts associations.
The announcement was made yesterday morning at the ENCAC offices in Manzini where artists, cultural practitioners and stakeholders filled the venue in a show of strong support and optimism for the sector’s future.
The atmosphere was energetic, with many hopeful artists eager to understand how the new structures would reshape the creative industry.
Speaking at the event, ENCAC Chief Executive Officer Stanley Dlamini said the establishment of interim committees marked a decisive step towards professionalising the arts sector.
He noted that the nine-month mandate would ensure proper registration, governance structures and long-term sustainability of associations.
“This process is about building strong foundations for every discipline so that artists can operate within recognised, democratic and well-governed bodies,” he said.
He stated that the committees would operate from this month to January 2027, during which they were expected to coordinate membership registration, draft and validate constitutions, develop sector-specific programmes, and facilitate capacity-building initiatives.
“They will also work towards securing formal recognition agreements between associations and ENCAC, paving the way for structured elections and long-term leadership,” added Dlamini.
Several interim committees were announced, including the Eswatini Music Association chaired by Lindelwa Mafa, and the Eswatini National Gospel Association led by Fakazi Samuel Mamba. The Eswatini DJs Association will be chaired by Sicelo ‘Mixmash’ Mashwama, while the Eswatini National Dance Association will be led by Sithembiso Magagula. The Eswatini Comedy Association will be headed by Mduduzi Dlamini, also known as Mdura.
Artists welcomed the initiative as a long-awaited step towards organisation and recognition within their respective disciplines. The gathering highlighted broad representation across music, dance, comedy and traditional performance sectors, with members expressing enthusiasm for structured growth.
Secretary General of the Eswatini DJs Association Thando Ntshangase said work within the sector had already begun even before the formal announcement.
“We have already started engaging artists through regional competitions, which are helping us identify talent and build unity within the DJ community,” he said.
The ENCAC CEO emphasised that the formation of these committees was expected to result in stronger governance, increased artist participation, and the eventual establishment of fully recognised national associations, thus contributing to the country’s creative economy.
