All four independent members of the Johannesburg Art Gallery's oversight committee have stepped down, saying a long-running legal dispute has crowded out the urgent work the museum needs. Pfunzo Sidogi, Molemo Moiloa, Nontobeko Ntombela and Joseph Gaylard announced their resignations on 19 October, arguing that they could no longer make meaningful progress from inside the committee structure.

The members say the argument over who controls the gallery, pitting the City of Johannesburg against the Friends of the Johannesburg Art Gallery and the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation, has consumed attention and money while the building falls into disrepair. They describe a collection of continental significance now housed in conditions that threaten its physical survival, and an institution short of the capacity, resources and clear direction it needs.

Their published statement criticises both sides of the dispute. The city, they say, has not funded the temporary relocation of the collection, has made it difficult for outside partners to help, and has run up substantial legal bills. The Friends, meanwhile, are accused of driving a public campaign that has diverted focus from the problems requiring solutions, and of pursuing a court application that seeks the appointment of four replacements within thirty days without criteria, nominations, public input or required expertise.

Alongside the resignations, the former members released an open letter and correspondence with the mayor's office dating back to December 2024, calling for a cooperative framework overseen by neutral parties. They say they hope trading a costly court battle for transparency and honest conversation will unblock the gallery's future, and they thanked the chief curator and staff for holding the institution together in difficult conditions.