“We Are Not Happy”: Lerato Mvelase Slams Minister Gayton McKenzie at Nandi Nyembe Memorial
Lerato Mvelase slammed the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) during the memorial service of veteran actress Nandi Nyembe.
Her fiery remarks highlighted the frustrations of many artists who feel abandoned by the very system meant to support them.
Also Read: ‘She Never Received the Money’: Nandi Nyembe Died Without Receiving the Donations
A Fiery Confrontation with DSAC
According to The Sunday World, tensions flared after Sibusiso Tsanyane delivered a speech on behalf of Minister Gayton McKenzie. Moments later, Mvelase seized the microphone and accused the government of recycling empty words.
“Please do tell the minister that going forward, artists will no longer allow the department to come celebrate with us. We are not fighting the department. But we are fighting with the system that has been putting actors down our whole lives,” she said, drawing loud applause from attendees.
A Call for Policy Change
Mvelase said artists were tired of hollow speeches and called for tangible reforms.
“I would have loved to hear a speech that speaks not on promises made by the minister but works on adjusting or changing the policies in place. How long must we hear the same speech? How long must we have the same engagements about the need for policy structures that are going to protect us as actors?
“It is a lullaby, what you said right now. And I can assure you wherever Mam’ Nandi is, her heart was not happy. I am not happy. We are not happy,” she declared.
Warning to Fellow Actors
Her frustration extended into a warning for other performers, cautioning them against putting blind trust in the industry.
“We have been sold a dream that will never be realised. Until we have regulations and policies that put our needs and careers in the same light as other industries,” Mvelase told the mourners.
Broken Promises to Mam’ Nandi
Mvelase’s outcry highlighted a deeper grievance: revelations that Nandi Nyembe never received the financial assistance promised by Minister McKenzie earlier this year.
The minister had vowed to help after a video of her struggles surfaced online, but no support reportedly reached her before her passing at 75.
Tributes Beyond the Drama
Despite the confrontation, the memorial also carried heartfelt tributes from colleagues and friends, celebrating Mam’ Nandi’s decades-long career and her impact on South African television and theatre.