Ex-Safm radio announcer Dianne Kohler Barnard – recently sworn in as a Democratic Alliance member of parliament – has been appointed their spokesperson for Arts and Culture.

In a pre-election PANSA inter-party arts debate Dianne Kohler Barnard called for the establishment of a dedicated Arts and Culture Ministry - and one has now been created. She aims to tackle the development of a national arts data base, looking into the dearth of funding for artists and to call for action in relation to the ongoing dysfunction and non-delivery on the part of the National Arts Council.

She said as press freedom is being impinged upon, so is the freedom of expression on the part of our artists is being threatened.