In post-apartheid South Africa the arts community was afforded an important opportunity to make a contribution to policy formulation and to the establishment of the department that would shape the future of South Africa’s arts.It made sense for the new democratic government to elevate the status of the arts. For years the performing arts had given voice to the struggle for freedom in South Africa. A preoccupation with the arts as a revolutionary mechanism is a common thread in the liberation political arena. It is no coincidence that many politicians, business people and academics who fought racism also had a passion for the arts.We find mention of the arts in the 1955 Freedom Charter, and of cultural and linguistic rights in the Constitution. Arts and culture are at the same time both intensely political and a vital reflection of the soul of the nation.In a way there were no arts under apartheid; the then government defined culture by race. And there were no policies for promoting the indigenous arts of the people of South Africa.At a time characterised both by so many needs and the freedom to unleash the creative forces of the country, it was clear that developing a paradigm in which the arts could flourish would be a difficult and contentious business.Nine years later the government’s relationship with the arts is still contested. Since its policy has been inclusive, with much of the regulation of the sector and the distribution of funds out of the hands of politicians, disputes have had an ideological emphasis. Why is it that redress for and the affirmation of marginalised communities is so often challenged and even devalued?Even though the budget for the Department of Arts and Culture has grown to almost R1-billion in the past nine years, many artists and institutions working in this sector still have to compete for resources.The arts fraternity, through the minister of arts, culture, science and technology’s arts and culture task group process (in 1995), opted for an inclusive socio-political paradigm for arts and culture. Subsequently, through the White Paper, redress, framework autonomy, the promotion of democratic values and the building of unity were identified as key to the policy process, in which a wide range of stakeholders participated.The implementation of government policy has been steady, but not perfect. An impressive framework regulating the industry has been established, as have statutory bodies governing the whole gamut — from heritage institutions to the performing arts, language and film. Although the changes that have been made are far-reaching and will have an irreversibly positive impact on generations to come, there remain challenges. The music industry has not yet become all it could be. Until a few years ago there was no coherent framework within which to engage business and foreign governments on the matter of funding for relevant spheres of the arts. Nor was there a policy for black economic empowerment in the cultural industries (music, film, crafts, books or publishing). The government has moved too fast for some of its stakeholders, many of whom do not understand its policies.A second generation of arts activists followed the example set by (mostly) exiled musicians and operated and held meetings in a small building in Newtown called Mega Music. Active during the mid-1980s were Sipho Mabuse, Sibongile Khumalo and Condry Ziqubu, who formed the South African Musicians’ Association, which later became the Musicians’ Union of South Africa. The National Arts Initiative (NAI) was also established.The NAI, which later became the National Arts Coalition, was an umbrella organisation encompassing various educational institutions and arts sectors, to which, among others, Njabulo Ndebele, Andries Oliphant, Nise Malange, Japan Mthembu and Motsumi Makhene belonged. According to Mthembu, the organisation’s goals included campaigning for a ministry of arts and culture dedicated to ensuring adequate funding for the arts, restructuring and dismantling performing arts councils so that money could go into a central pool from which all artists could apply for funding and rebuilding infrastructure while keeping a degree of independence from the government, and having a peer review process for funding. Measured against these ideals, the Department of Arts and Culture has surpassed expectations, with the government having defined the role of arts and culture to make it relevant to economic development as well.South Africa’s heritage is one of the government’s major concerns. The Nelson Mandela Museum, Robben Island Museum, Sara Bartmann repatriation and, more recently, Freedom Park have changed the way future generations will interpret South Africa’s history and the place of its arts and culture in the global context.As we approach the 10th year of democracy it is important for South Africans to reflect on this first decade of freedom, and to plans for the second. The arts and culture department is conducting an audit of the sector to inform the implementation of its policies.It is just over two months since Professor Itumeleng Mosala joined the department as its first director general. He has spoken publicly about engaging as many people as possible in creating a strong public profile for arts and culture. Mosala sees the arts as vital for establishing social cohesion; he recognises them as important rallying instruments in the building of a common nationhood.This is why he has called for NGOs to engage with stakeholders and the public. In fact, he says that a “generation of new ideas will depend on organisations outside of the government … We govern and deal with many administrative matters. One cannot postpone thinking and this is where arts NGOs can help us.”Andile Xaba is a chief director in the Department of Arts and Culture