The National Arts and Heritage Council (Nahec) taskforce has bemoaned the non-existence of allocation to Nahec in the 2025-26 proposed national budget.
The taskforce’s secretary Ron Muphuwa said on Tuesday that having lobbied for funds amounting to K3.78 billion, they were expecting something positive in the national budget statement presented by Finance Minister Simplex Chithyola Banda.
“We sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance requesting for a meeting make a case for why the government needs to provide funds towards the establishment of Nahec following the enactment of the National Arts and Heritage Act. We did not receive feedback,” Muphuwa said.
He said they were in the process of engaging members of the Parliamentary Committee on Community and Social Services, who had been supportive in the passing of Nahec Bill. “Unesco assisted us greatly during our activities in lobbying for the passing of the bill but, now, we do not have that support.
We are looking for well wishers to help us in this cause,” Muphuwa, who is also Malawi Union of Authors leader, said.
He said the K3.78 billion they had lobbied for was aimed at setting up the employing staff and Director of Arts in the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture Humphrey
Mpondaminga said the funding issue for Nahec was one of the issues presented with members of the Social and Community Affairs and the Local authorities and Rural Development Cluster recently.
“We are hoping that something positive will come out from the discussion we had with [members of] the cluster,” Mpondaminga said.
Special Adviser to President Lazarus Chakwera on Creative Industries, Q Malewezi said the President remained committed to having Nahec operationalised as soon as possible.
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