Lemmenyane takes reigns at 'troubled' Arts Council

Thursday, January 08, 2026 | 260 Views |

Almost two years since the controversial departure of the then CEO Shombi Ellis, the National Arts Council of Botswana (NACB) has appointed a new man at the helm, Gaokgakala Lemmenyane.

Lemmenyane takes over from Otsetswe Koboyankwe, who served in an interim capacity for nearly two years following Ellis’s departure, which was reached through a mutual agreement with the then Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture (MYSC), Tumiso Rakgare. Ellis challenged the decision before the courts but eventually lost the case.

Lemmenyane's appointment was confirmed by NACB through a press statement this afternoon.

Already have an active account? Log in here.

Or Sign up and get unlimited access to premium articles.

Arts Council

Investigators are threatening me – Accused traditional doctor

Larona Makhaiza | 4 h ago

Digwa: Political interest stimulated by derisory representation in Boteti

Ryder Gabathuse | 07 Aug 2026

Limpopo Boy dropped from Creators Assembly after viral video

staff writer | 7 h ago

No end in sight for troubled SOEs

Mbongeni Mguni,Lewanika Timothy,Pauline Dikuelo | 07 Aug 2026

Inside govt’s spending cuts

Mbongeni Mguni,Pauline Dikuelo,Lewanika Timothy | 07 Aug 2026

BPP postpones constitutional review conference

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | 07 Aug 2026

BPP leadership faces constitutional scrutiny

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | 07 Aug 2026

Moswaane suspension sparks leadership rift

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | 07 Aug 2026

No job offer is worth risking becoming traffickers’ prey

“Desperate people do desperate things”– Michael BrooksHowever, this desperate pursuit of employment comes with its own negative outcomes. Therefore, Batswana must guard against becoming easy targets for human traffickers, labour exploiters and other transnational criminal networks that prey on vulnerable job seekers.Numbers don’t lie. The recent revelation by the Botswana Police Service that 22 Batswana have been reported missing after...

Mmegi Editor | 07 August 2026

About us

Mmegi is the leading independent source of breaking news, latest news, current
affairs, Politics, Business, Sport, debates, analysis, and entertainment news in Botswana.

Lemmenyane takes reigns at 'troubled' Arts Council

Almost two years since the controversial departure of the then CEO Shombi Ellis, the National Arts Council of Botswana (NACB) has appointed a new man at the helm, Gaokgakala Lemmenyane.

Explore

More

Investigators are threatening me – Accused traditional doctor

Digwa: Political interest stimulated by derisory representation in Boteti

Limpopo Boy dropped from Creators Assembly after viral video

No end in sight for troubled SOEs

Inside govt’s spending cuts

BPP postpones constitutional review conference

BPP leadership faces constitutional scrutiny

Moswaane suspension sparks leadership rift

No job offer is worth risking becoming traffickers’ prey