Arts and culture in Vhembe are increasingly being hijacked by baseless opinions and unchecked influence. Anyone can position themselves as an authority at any time, often without contribution, experience, or accountability.
Manipulative individuals enter gigs and social spaces not to build the sector, but to be seen — drinking, socialising, and quietly positioning themselves to influence decisions that shape the industry.
These actors do not create value; they go in for spoils. Many start as groupies and later rebrand themselves as industry bosses. Once in control, they deliberately confuse systems to protect their power. Disorder becomes their currency, because their influence thrives when the industry is fragmented and directionless.
The most worrying reality is that the arts ecosystem in Vhembe is fragile. Such manoeuvres can cripple it permanently, or at best leave it damaged beyond quick repair. By influencing audiences and gatekeepers, these individuals allow the industry to paralyse itself from within, without resistance.
The solution is clear but difficult: artists and the broader cultural sector must organise and structure themselves. Without defined systems, accountability, and collective standards, no intervention will work. If the sector does not take control of its own future, it will continue to be controlled by those who benefit from chaos.