Speech of the MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Mrs Mathabo Leeto, on the tabling of the Budget Vote of the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Welkom
Honourable Speaker Honourable Premier
Colleagues in the Executive Council Honourable Members of the Legislature
Executive Mayors, Mayors and Councillors present Representatives of House of Traditional Leaders
Representatives of Sport Federations as well as Arts and Culture Councils Management and Officials of the Department
Baahi ba Foreistata Ladies and Gentlemen Comrades
The centenary of former President Mandela’s legacy inspires us to follow his example to strive for human rights, reconciliation and justice for all hence he led the South African society out of the bondage of oppression and apartheid into a new democratic order which saw his values of non-racialism, non-sexism and democracy finding expression in the post-1994 dispensation.
As a province we still bear the mammoth task of transforming the Free State into a society that reflects equality, prosperity and unity in diversity, as well as social cohesion. This year we also mark the centenary celebration of Mama Albertina Sisulu whose supreme sacrifice in the liberation of our country is a beacon of hope and a torchlight which shines on the role of women in our society.
Honourable Speaker,
The passing away of Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela has revived our commitment towards selflessly serving our people, and it has also agitated women to be more determined and continue with the struggle to emancipate women. Mama Winnie served the people of South Africa selflessly. She was a volunteer of the African National Congress and we have seen the way the people of South Africa, Africa and the world celebrated her life. As the department we will continue to implement programs of Sport, Arts Culture and Recreation to honour the role played by our heroes and heroines during the liberation struggle of our people.
Budget allocation
For the Financial Year 2018/19 the department has been allocated an amount of R727.010 million. This is an increase of 5.8% compared to the budget of the previous financial year. The budget has been allocated to four (4) programmes which are as follows:
1. Administration and Financial Management:
1. Cultural Affairs: R 166.661 million
1. Library and Archive Services: R 217.717 million
1. Sport and Recreation: R 247.646 million
Programme 1
Administration and Financial Management: R94.986 million
Administration and Financial Management is a nucleus of the department, because without a proper management of our budget and a capable human resource, we will not be able to implement the programs that are informed by the mandate of the department as outlined in the NDP.
Capacity building, skill development and bursaries
The continuous recruitment of staff necessitates the development of a skills plan that is aimed at empowering our workforce and to improve the quality of the life of workers and their prospects of work, and to improve productivity in the workplace and the competitiveness of employers and promote self-employment.
In 2017/18 the department trained 184 employees on different fields related to their employment. We have appointed 21 Interns, provided nine (9) learnerships in Human Resource Management, Supply Chain Management, Language Services, Sport Management and Communications. The department allocated 28 Bursaries to our employees to further their studies.
We will continue to intensify partnerships with CATHSETA and PSETA in order to source more funds from Mandatory and Discretionary grants to cater for skills development and capacity building program for our employees for their career pathing.
Good governance and financial management
We continue to commit ourselves to the principles and values of Good Governance and good Financial Management. The department received qualified audit outcomes for 2015/16 and 2016/17, a regression from the previous years. We have a committed team that is working hard to turn this around and reclaim our clean audit status.
Following the issues that were raised by the Auditor General the department has put concrete measures in place to address those issues. 80 % of the audit issues raised in the audit outcome of 2016/17 have been resolved. The irregular expenditure is being investigated through treasury. During the 2017/18 financial year asset management was prioritised in order to reduce the audit queries.
The department has continued to respond to the call for payment of service providers within 30 days as one of the measures to ensure the empowerment of SMMEs in particular. We achieved 96% payment to service providers within 30 days. 4% of service providers were not paid in 30 days because of invoices which were disputed and insufficient funds at some instances.
A total budget of R94.986 million which is an increase of 7.4% compared to the last financial year. This 7.4% increase under programme 1, is mainly to cover the cost of living adjustment on the Compensation of Employees.
Programme 2: Arts and Culture
Honourable Speaker
Arts and Culture at their very core, serve as some of the most significant, dynamic, participation and social influences of human behaviour and interaction. When put together, they have the ability to generate empathy, stir up dialogue, induce reflection and charter new relationships and ideas. Arts and Culture also provide a commanding and democratic way of sharing, shaping, and expressing human values.
They allow us to explore our inner capabilities and give us an insight on how we imagine and use different means to relate to each other. Arts and Culture also provide us with a way to create useful and meaningful things whilst increasing the value of livelihoods. That is why there are scholars who give their own special definition of the word, such as the one penned by a famous Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, who says, I quote: “Art is the activity by which a person, having experienced an emotion, intentionally transmit it to others” close quote.
Celebrations of National Days of Significance and other calender days
Celebrations of National Days of Significance are activities which we use to transmit to generations about our culture, heritage and the progressive historic moments of Africans, hence we celebrated Freedom Day in Sasolburg, Africa
Day in Bloemfontein, Heritage Day in Ficksburg and Human Rights Day in Botshabelo. A total budget R4.5million was spent. In 2018/19 the department will continue to celebrate the same National Days of Significance. A budget of R6 million has been provided.
As the Free State province, we will host the National Freedom Day Celebrations at Dr. Rantlai Molemela Stadium on the 27th April 2018 at 9am. The Freedom Day celebrations will be addressed by the President of The Republic of South Africa his excellency comrade Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. We take this opportunity to invite all the people of the Free State and South Africa to come and listen to the president when he proclaims “THUMA MINA”
Declaration of heritage sites
Honourable Speaker,
The department has appointed the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority to accelerate the declaration of heritage sites in the province because heritage places are an excellent local educational resource for people of all ages. Learning about the history or a place is a good way of bringing communities together through a shared understanding of the unique cultural identity which heritage places give to an area. Areas where the heritage is understood, and valued, tend to be better looked after than those where heritage items have no link with the community. Such links help to foster civic responsibility, citizenship, and contribute to everyone’s quality of life.
In 2017/18, the Wesleyan which is the birth place of the African National Congress has been formally declared as a National Heritage Site. A nomination dossier is being prepared for the site to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention Committee.
Applications for the declaration of the following sites has been received by the department through the Provincial Heritage Resources Agency, Springfontein
Black Concentration camp graves, Albert Nzula house in Rouxville, Banishment of Caleb Motshabi in Thaba Nchu, Train Station in Mamafubedu, Mamohau Catholic Church in Botshabelo, the First South African Flag in Lindley, Ou Gritjie Building in Smithfield, and Peter Swarts house in Heidedal. The applications will be finalised in due course.
Resistance and liberation heritage route
The process for the inclusion of Winnie Madikizela Mandela House, the Wesleyan Church and the Women Prison Cells in Kroonstad into the Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route has been completed and submitted to the National Heritage Council.
For 2018/2019 the department will support the Free State Provincial Heritage Resources Authority with a budget of R1 million to fast-track the process of declaration of heritage sites in the province.
Museums
Honourable Speaker
The province has a total of 12 museums. Of these museums, a total of six (6) continues to depict the past history of apartheid only, three (3) depict a combined history and the other three (3) depict the history of the liberation struggle. Because of the insuffient budget for the creation of new museums, as we continue to transform the heritage landscape, we should not lose sight of the continuous need to transform the museums which still depict one sided history.
The department will create space in the existing museums of the province to depict a combined history of South Africa. The museum in Winburg was upgraded and it is fully operational since May 2017. The only challenge is the continuous unavailability of water, and sometimes electricity at the Winburg museum. The department is working together with the Masilonyana municipality to resolve the challenge Report on allegations related to Winnie Mandela Madikizela Mandela Museum in Brandfort.
Honourable Speaker
In the recent past the Free State province has been inundated with critics and allegations related to Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandels’s House in Brandfort. The house of Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela was allocated to another family in the Brandfordt municipality and the Free State Government had to embark on a process of negotiating with the family to handover the house back for it to be developed as a museum. The process was not easy but finally the family agreed and government built a fully furnished house which costed R584 547.88 in total.
The Free State Government conceptualized the Winnie Madikizela Mandela Museum project in 2007/8 financial year as pronounced in the budget vote of the department then. An amount of R3 million was budgeted for this project. Of the R3 million, an amount of R204 827.60 was spent on the designs of the museum. The balance of R2 795 172.40 was redirected and spent to renovate the Wesleyan Church for the celebration of the ANC centenary in 2012.
During the same year 2012, the project was taken over by the national Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) because of its international significance. DAC subsequently appointed the Independent Development Trust (IDT) as an implementing agency for the project. On the 07th November 2013, IDT appointed a company called DMZ-DMZ for an amount of R2 509.12 . On the 08th September 2014, IDT terminated DMZ-DMZ contract due to non- performance. The project was re- advertised by IDT on the 20th August 2015 because of lack of progress.
DAC cancelled their contract with IDT around July 2017. The department interacted with DAC about the Winnie Mandela Museum and subsequent to that the Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture convened a meeting with the relevant stakeholders to discuss the project. At the meetings convened by the deputy minister of DAC, it was agreed that the house be fenced so that access to the house is controlled.
DAC has appointed a company called Risimati Consulting Engineers in November 2017 through the Department of Human Settlement and the project will continue without any major challenge.
Honourable Speaker
Unfortunately, the department is unable to account on the allegations that are in the media space about funds which were embezzled because we have never received complains or information about funds which were misappropriated. Any individual who has factual information about embezzled funds of the Winnie Mandela museum must approach the relevant authorities to deal with the matter, rather than just making allegations and prosecute individuals in the media space. I hope we will respect Mama Winnie and allow her to rest in peace. She has suffered enough.
As the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation we have a huge interest in the completion of the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Museum as it is a National Heritage Site project led by the DAC. Our interest is informed by the fact that the Winnie Mandela Museum will stimulate the township revitalisation of Majwemasweu and attract tourists to come to Majwemasweu/ Brandfort.
In 2018/19 financial year, the department will contribute an amount of R3 million towards the development of the Winnie Mandela Madikizela Mandela museum. Contractors have been appointed already by DAC. Therefore, we will not appoint contractors as the Department of Sport, Arts Culture and Recreation but will instead sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the DAC on how the funds will be accessed.
Honouring Heroes and Heroines of the Liberation Struggle: Building Statues as Part of Heritage
It is our conviction that statues are built to commemorate a historical event or the life of an individual who influenced the society positively. Statues are also intended as a public art exhibited outdoors or in public buildings. We will continuously honour our heroes and heroines through arts and culture, including building their statues, so that we don’t forget where we come from and what type of a society we will continue to build moving towards the future.
Le Sesotho se ya bua hore “setjhaba se sa tsebeng moo se tswang teng, se keke sa tseba moo se yang teng”.
In 2017/18 the department built two (2) statues of our heroes, comrade O.R. Tambo and Commandant Fidel Castro. In 2018/19 we will build four (4) statues and of these four (4), the fourth statue will be privately funded.
Fezile Dabi Statue
We will build a statue of Fezile Dabi who was a selfless revolutionary who was born in Parys. He left his job to pursue his studies at the University of Fort Hare in Alice, where he enrolled for LLB. He was arrested on several occasions for opposing the Bantustan policies, particularly Lennox Sebe of the Ciskei. He was expelled from the University because of his involvement in politics and he went back to his hometown Parys, where he continued with his political activism.
Mama Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu Statue
The statue of Imbokodo Mama Albertina Sisulu will be built in Welkom. The department will also build an Interpretative Centre next to the statue, where the liberation struggle history of Mama Albertina Sisulu and the liberation struggle history of Welkom will be depicted. As we honour heroes and heroines of our liberation struggle we will also honour the heroes and heroines of the Free State Province.
Chief Leabua Joseph Jonathan Statue
Chief Leabua Jonathan was the Prime Minister of Lesotho from 1965 to 1986. During his term of office as Prime Minister he supported the liberation of the people of South Africa and condemned the apartheid government of South Africa. Because of him criticising the apartheid government, towards the middle of 1970 the relationship between Chief Leabua Jonathan and the South African apartheid government took a turn for the worst.
Chief Leabua Jonathan further placed the agreement of the ANC in exile as a precondition for the negotiation of the Lesotho Highlands Water project with the apartheid government and the World Bank. He made a special provision for the education of the children of the South African revolutionaries who were in exile in Lesotho to be accepted in all the schools of Lesotho.
He further provided for the 25% of scholarships from the Lesotho government coffers to be offered to the children of comrades who were exiled in Lesotho. These children studied at the only university in Lesotho, the National University of Lesotho.
We will therefore honour Chief Leabua Jonathan for his sterling contribution to the liberation of our people. His statue will be built and unveiled next to the statue of his companion, comrade O.R Tambo in Bloemfontein on the 30th October which is a date of Chief Leabua Jonathan’s birthday, three days after the birthday of Oliver Reginald Tambo. A budget of R3.5 million including landscaping around each statue has been provided for 2018/19.
Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela Statue
As the honourable Premier stated in the State of the Province Address, in our efforts to honour the legacy of Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, we will continue to work together with all our stakeholders to give Mama Winnie- Madikizela Mandela the honour she deserves. We are indebted to Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. There is a lot that we have to do to make her legacy a treasure for generations to come. The statue of Mama Winnie will be build and it will be privately funded by a good Samaritan who appreciates that the role played by Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has created an opportunity for black business to prosper.
The department will like to appreciate the role of the honourable Premier, Me Sefora Ntombela, for lobbying for private funding for the statue of Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Mosadi o tshwara thipa ka bohaleng. Aluta Continua! It is befitting to give our gratitude to the business man who is going to fund the statue of Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Re ya leboha, Le ka moso. The department will continuously consult with the families of the heroes and heroines in the process of building the memorial statues.
Naming and renaming of places
Naming and re-naming of places forms an important part of our history. They stand as memorials of men and women as well as events in the past. They throw light on the scenes and movements of former ages, and therefore naming and renaming of places and features cannot be neglected in the transformation of our heritage landscape. In 2017/18 the department received eight (8) applicationsfor naming and renaming of buildings and all the eight (8) public buildings were named and renamed.
The department is planning to name and rename 200 names in 2018/19 financial year. Part of the 200 names that we have planned to change is Kaffirsvlei which is a farm in Welkom and the name of Branford town. The name Kaffirsvlei is not acceptable in South Africa. Branford is named after the 4th President of the Orange Free State Mr. John Henry Brand from 1864 to 1888. Brand is his surname and a ‘FORT’ is a castle.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano
Lebitso lena Brandford ha o le toloka ka Sesotho le bolela Qhobosheane Ya Monghadi Brand. Re se re qadile ho buisana le baahi ba Majwemasweu ka ho fetolwa ha lebitso la ‘Brandford’. Re tla tswelapele ho buisana le bona hobane re batla ho fihlella motho e mong le emong wa Brandford. Ke ya tshepa hore baahi ba Majwemasweu ba dumellana le nna hore toropo ya bona ke Qhobosheane Ya Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela, eseng ya John Henry Brand. Ho fetola lebitso la Brandford ke tsela ya ho leboha Mama Winnie ka melemo ya hae ho batho ba Majwemasweu, Foreistata le Afrika Borwa ka kakaretso. Monghadi Jonn Henry Brand o ne a ikabile ka Freistata. Toropo ya Zastron e rehelletswe ka mosadi wa hae, Isabella Johanna Zastron, a rehella mmila mane Mangaung a o bitsa Zastron street, a boela hape a rehella mmila o mong ka lebitso la hae mane Mangaung a o bitsa President Brand Street. Monghadi John Henry Brand ke yena a lwantshitseng Morena Moshoeshoe le setjhaba sa Basotho mme a nka karolo enngwe ya naha ya Morena Moshoeshoe a etsa ya hae. A ba a seha moedi pakeng tsa Foreistata le Lesotho.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano
Ho etsetsa hore bahahlaudi ha ba batla ntlo ya Mama Winnie, ba botse hore Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Town e hokae, ba tobetse ‘navigator’ e hlahise Winnie Madilizela Mandela Town. E tlaba monate taba yeo. Tjhelete e kana ka R1 million e behelletswe ka thoko bakeng sa ho fetola mabitso ka 2018/19.
Centenary celebrations
The year 2018 has been declared as the centenary of the former first President of a democratic dispensation President Nelson Mandela. His legacy inspires us to strive for human rights, reconciliation and justice for all. Alongside the celebrations of Tata Mandela, we will celebrate the centenary of our liberation struggle heroine, Mama Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu who selflessly stood for human rights and education.
As the department we will stage exhibitions which depict the lives and times of Tata Nelson Mandela in all the five (5) districts of the province.
The department will further work with the Department of Education to support learners to write assays about Tata Nelson Mandela and Mama Albertina Sisulu. Best learners who will be on position 1 to 3 will receive a price which I am not going to announce today.
The department will also organise a cultural activity called Winnie Mandela Cultural Fest. On that day people will dress in African outfits. It will be a ‘Dress To kill Day’ because Mama Winnie dressed to kill every day. The event will be on the 04th November 2018 in Manyatseng Ladybrand. We will invite the Lesotho people to join us in Ladybrand on that day.
The Mine Dance hosted by the department annually will be incorporated into the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Cultural Fest. The department will collaborate with the national Department of Arts and Culture and SAMSA in staging this festival. A budget of R1.5 million is allocated in 2018/19.
Social cohesion and nation building
Our national identity is our sense of belonging to one state and one nation. As part of our programmes of promoting nation building, in 2017/18 the department has rolled out four (4) social cohesion programmes with the objective of fostering national identity and patriotism.
2784 national symbols and orders, 2799 South African national anthem and African union anthem brochures, 1500 desk national flags, 2658 preamble of the Constitution and 1800 national identity brochures were distributed to 103 schools across the province. 16 senior citizens and disability centres around the province also received national identity brochures.
The project of nation building will continue in 2018/ 19. We will continue to provide the National Identity Symbols to the Free State Community to promote patriotism. The department will work with the department of education to organise debates on the “Beauty of a United Society and the Ugly Face of Racism”. This debate will be part of our efforts to teach the youth that racism derails the building of a United, Non-Sexist and Non-Racial Society as well as teach them that our different skin colours means nothing. An amount of R350 000 has been allocated for this program in 2018/19.
Promotion of languages mainly spoken in Free State
Honourable Speaker
Language is basically a system of communication where sounds and signs convey objects, actions and ideas. The Free State Legislature adopted ‘The Use of Free State Official Languages Act’ which prioritises the languages spoken in the Free State. These languages are: Sesotho, Afrikaans, IsiXhosa, Setswana, IsiZulu and English. The adoption of this Language Act reminds us of the clarion call made by our stalwart Tata Nelson Mandela when he said, I quote: “Speak to a man in a language he understands and you speak to his head. Speak to him in his own language and you speak to his heart”, close quote.
The department conducted workshops for all the departments and entities on the implementation of ‘The Use of Free State Official Languages Act’. In 2018/19 we will intensify the implementation of the Act and ensure that all departments and government entities in the province appoint officials that will be responsible for the implementation of the Act. A budget of R100 00 is allocated in 2018/19.
Working through the Free State Writer’s Forum the department supported a total of 25 writers through a workshop in Creative Writing.
We held a successful Macufe Wordfest 2017, attended by more than 200 writers from across the whole province. At this occasion we honored our literary veteran, Professor Malefetsane Lenake, who was a member of the national committee that produced the final version of our National Anthem as we sing it today. We will continue to support creative writing and book publishing among our Free State writers. We will ensure that quality in terms of content and packaging is maintained at all times. For 2018/19 a budget of R400 000 will support book writers to publish their books.
Support and development of artist
Honourable Speaker
The programs of Arts and Culture which are organised by the department support many artists financially or in kind, hence we are reporting that we supported a number of 35 826 artists in 2017/18. When we organise events, we pay the artists who perform in all our activities. We pay them as individuals or as groups.
The department presented nine (9) Visual Arts exhibitions at the following activities: Annual Mines Cultural Dance Festival, MACUFE, Heritage Day Celebrations, National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, Decorex in Midrand, Xhariep National Arts Festival, at the O.R. Tambo Memorial Lecture in Welkom, at the Youth Exhibition in Phuthaditjhaba and Photography Exhibition in Welkom. During these exhibitions the department provided transport, accommodation, stalls and catering for Free State Crafters. The department will continue to support the artists of the Free State on a rotational basis. In 2018/19 budget of R1 million will be spent to support and develop Arts and Culture genres which are not covered in other programs.
Integrated EPWP Arts And Culture programme
In 2017/2018 the department received a Conditional Grant from the National Department of Public Works to facilitate an Integrated EPWP Arts and Culture Programme in the environmental and culture sector. The department appointed 95 EPWP arts and culture fieldworkers who worked all over the Free State in the various programmes. In the 2018/2019 financial year, the department will extend the contracts of the current 95 EPWP Arts and Culture Fieldworkers until 30 November 2018. They will continue working in the various arts and culture programs and an allocation of R2 million has been made for this purpose.
The department will organise visual artists who will embark on identifying various iconic buildings in their areas in the Free State to create murals and related artworks by painting, drawing, creating ceramic and mosaic artworks and/or sculptures. In the 2018/19 financial year an amount of R1 million has been set aside for Fine Arts and Exhibition.
MACUFE Festival
The Mangaung African Cultural Festival (MACUFE) celebrated its 20 years anniversary in 2017 since its inauguration in 1997. The socio- economic impact of this festival continues to be felt in our Province. A total number of 139 hawkers benefit from MACUFE annually. About R28, 5 million is spent annually on SMMEs and Free State Based Companies on various services such as catering, security, transport and cleaning.an economic impact study was conducted in 2016 and its outcome was part of the 2017/18 budget vote.
A total of 120 000 people attends MACUFE on an annual basis. The 2018 edition of MACUFE promises to be much more bigger and better as we celebrate the coming of age of this festival on its 21st anniversary. An amount of R37 million is budgeted for this festival in 2018.
Support to festivals
The department continues to support festivals that are privately organised because festivals give a platform for artists to benefit and also contribute to the economy of the area where a festival is concerned. In 2017/18 the department will have spent R1.1 Million to support festivals privately organised. In 2018/19 we will spend R1.5million to support privately organised festivals.
Honourable Speaker
The department will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding of three (3) years with the festival organisers that will be supported so that the festivals become self-sustainable.
Free State Reconciliation Carnival
In 2017/18 financial year the department hosted the first edition of the Reconciliation Carnival in Welkom. The objectives of the Carnival are to bring together people from all races and talk about what unites them more than a painful past. The Carnival will take place during the weekend of the O.R Tambo Games in the 2018/19 financial year as the 2nd edition of the Carnival.
The department will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Matjhabeng municipality for the hosting of the Annual Reconciliation Carnival. The services or a service provider will be procured for organising the festival.
The service provider that will be appointed will be expected to raise sponsorships for more funds to be used for the carnival to grow bigger. An amount of R1.7 million has been allocated for the Carnival in 2018/19.
Support to Photographers
In the 2016/2017 financial year, the department trained 38 photographers. These photographers were utilised in the various events such as MACUFE and National Days of Significance to create work opportunities for them. They also had access to work on their photos at the various Arts and Culture Centers. This financial year, we will support five (5) photographers trained by the department in 2017/18 to establish professional photo studios or strengthen their existing photo studios to be professional. An amount of R1, 250 million for the five (5) districts has been budget in 2018/19 Financial Year.
Support to Community Radio Stations
In an endeavor to ensure a sound working relationship with our Community Radio Stations, the department has taken the initiative to support Annual Community Radio Stations Awards which are staged in February annually during National Community Radio Week. In 2017/18 we supported these Awards with R250 000 and in 2018/19 we will continue to support the Awards with R500 000.
One of the most important tool for government to interact sufficiently with the community it serves is through communication. For this reason, the department will continue to work with Community Radio Stations to update, inform and educate our communities about services that we are delivering to them. Community Radio Stations become reliable vehicles in this regard to be used and we are delighted to announce that in 2018/19 we will support Community Radio Stations with an amount of R1.2 million for them to remain on air and to keep on reaching out and conveying government messages on the ground where the majority of people are found.
We are aware about the intention of SENTECH to close down Community Radio Stations because of community radio stations being unable to pay subscriptions. Community Radio Stations will not be able to financially sustain themselves if not supported by Government Institutions. It is therefore our clarion call to all Government Institutions to place adverts at Community Radio Stations for their financial sustainability.
Community Print Media
Print Media is not only meant to provide information to our people on what is happening in our country and globally, they are also meant to inculcate the culture of reading amongst our communities. In 2017/18 the department supported community print media so that they are freely available to our people without any costs. In 2018/19 the department will continue to support the Community Print Media as part of promoting reading amongst our communities.
Community structures support
The department continues to provide support to Community Structures to enable them to carry out their responsibilities aligned to Arts and Culture. A financial support of R200 000 will be provided to the Lengau Choral Music Association (LECMA) while the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA) will receive an amount of R300 000 in 2018/19.
Honorable Speaker,
The total budget allocation for Arts and Culture in the 2018/19 financial year is R 166.661 million, which is an increase of 8% compared to the previous financial year.
Programme 3: Library and Archives Services
Honourable Speaker
To promote the culture of reading and writing, the department will roll out programmes in the 180 libraries in our Province which currently have a total of 539 580 registered library users. During the year under review, 44 libraries received 135 computers, 47 laptops and 87 tablets as part of the Mzansi Libraries Online Project. In 2017/18, 15 ICT interns who were unemployed graduates were appointed.
In 2018, 24 of the libraries identified for the Mzansi Libraries Online will be equipped with stations to assist unemployed youth to find jobs. 107 Library Workers also received training on various topics such as Train a Trainer, Advocacy and Impact Assessment. R2.5 million was spent on the Mzanzi Libraries Online project in 2017/2018. This project will come to an end in July 2018. We will continue to equip new libraries with ICT connectivity, including computers, tablets and Wi-Fi connection.
African Publishers and Authors Support:
The total amount of R 5,063 million was spent on African book suppliers in 2017/18. This investment continues to serve as one of avenues for the advancement of radical economic empowerment of the previously marginalised. We continued to accept written works from local authors. A total number of 58 884 books covering a wide spectrum, were procured. These books included publications on the history of O.R Tambo, African history and South African culture.
In 2018/19 financial year, the Department will spend R6 million on procurement of 43 000 books which will focus on the legacy of the liberation heroes and heroines as well as books covering a wide spectrum of subjects according to diverse needs of communities.
Reading Festival
As a means of enhancing education in our society, our public libraries have an obligation to inculcate the love for reading among youth and adults. Libraries are also poised to contribute towards improvement of literacy levels in the country to address the appallingly low reading levels among children of school going age. The International Progress Reading Literacy Study report released in December 2017 indicated that reading scores in South Africa have not improved since 2011. Furthermore, this report also placed South Africa last out of 50 countries in which the study was undertaken. According to the report, 80% of Grade 4 learners could not read with understanding. The role of libraries therefore continues to be central in addressing this challenge.
Our annual Reading Festival programme, which includes Spelling Bee, Reading Aloud, Public Speaking and Reading Quiz, is one of the programmes through which we promote the culture of reading in our communities. Participants in this programme are learners and community members. In 2017/18 a total of 3 623 learners from 98 schools participated in this programme. The top three winners during the provincial finals of this festival received two (2) IPads loaded with electronic books and one (1) smart phone. In 2017 the Festival was staged to celebrate O.R Tambo’s life and times. We welcome these top three winners who are part of today’s budget vote.
Library Week programme:
Library Week Programme is also staged as an annual programme which aims to promote a culture of reading in the communities. In 2017 the programme was staged from the 18 to 26 March under the theme, “My Library, Your Library” Children between the ages of three and five years participated in Story-times while young people and adults were engaged in Read-Aloud programmes. 36 libraries implemented the program and the number of participants was 4550.
Provincialisation of Libraries
According to Chapter 14, Schedule 5 of the South African Constitution, Libraries are a functional area of exclusive provincial legislative competence. The department started the process of implementing its constitutional mandate of managing its libraries since 2012. To date, out 180 libraries, 103 libraries have been provincialised. The department will prioritise libraries to be provincialised three (4) four municipalities, which are Maluti A Phofung, Dihlabeng and Matjhabeng, and Mangaung.
Transfer of funds is done to two (2) municipalities, which are Maluti A Phofung and Dihlabeng Municipalities. An amount of R5 million was transferred to the two (2) municipalities (R2,5 million each) as a refund on Library functions performed by these municipalities. R2 million is transferred annually to the Mangaung Metro Municipality.
Free State Archives:
The archiving of historical records for the benefit of future generations will forever remain an important mandate that we as the department has to fulfill.
Our Archives Repository continues to attract interested individuals and institutions who are involved in research work on historical materials. In 2017/18 a total number of 2000 individuals visited the Archives of the province
The total budget allocation for Library and Archives Services in the 2018/19 financial year is R 217.717 million, a decrease of 0.13% compared to the previous financial year
Program 4: Sport and Recreation
For the 2018/19 financial year, the total budget allocation for Sport and Recreation is R247.646 million. This is an increase of 9.1% compared to the previous financial year. R143.4 million is for Infrastructure projects and R13.994 million is for transfer.
Honourable Speaker,
Sport and games are very important for us. They keep us healthy and fit. They offer a change from the monotony of daily life. It is useful means of entertainment and physical activity. Sport and games help in character building, they give us energy and strength. During sport activities we come to learn many things. We learn how to maintain mental balance in the midst of hopes and despair. Sport is a tool that we can use to create a united non-racial, non-sexiest prosperous nation.
President Nelson Mandela once said, I quote: “Sport can create hope where once there was only despair; it is more powerful than Governments in breaking down racial barriers; it laughs in the face of all types of discrimination,” close quote. The department has continued to implement programs on Community Sport, School Sport and High-Performance Sport.
Community sport:
Through Community Sport programmes, during the 2017/18 financial year, we implemented the following programmes:
Youth Camp
The Youth Camp engaged 250 school learners for grade 9 -11 on Community outreach programme, Leadership, Outdoor Engagements and Social Cohesion.
O.R. Tambo Games
The O.R Tambo Games were staged in October 2017 at the time when we were celebrating the birth month and the centenary of this stalwart. These games have gained momentum and all municipalities continue to play their role in ensuring full participation by young people from local to provincial level. Our Sport Federations play their important role of searching for talent using these games as a platform. We will continue to stage this games in 2018.
Rural Sport Development Games
The Rural Sport Development Games are staged in partnership with the House of Traditional Leaders in the identified town of Phuthadithjaba, QwaQwa. Athletes are chosen from a set criterion by the Department of Sport and Recreation to participate in Athletics, Netball and Football. In 2017 the National Games were held in Polokwane.
We are proud to report that two (2) athletes from the Free State team were identified from Football to participate in the under-13 School of Excellence of Mamelodi Sundowns The Department will continuously identify young people in rural areas to participate in this programme.
Indegenous Games
Freedom and democracy does not mean we must abandon our heritage. Hence the Department continues to stage indigenous games annually. The games focus on nine (9) disciplines: dibeke, iintonga, morabaraba, khathi, Juskei, Injuva, diketo, khokho and driestokkies. As a province we are always proud of our Kho Kho team as they remain the champions in this discipline.
Golden Games
The Department has a partnership with the Department of Social Development and Health in the hosting of the Golden Games. The objective of the games is to promote healthy lifestyles amongst the senior citizens. The Free State will host the national games in 2018.
Delivery of sport equipment and attire:
In line with the Conditional Grant Framework and Objectives, the Department has a responsibility of providing sport equipment and attire to Community Clubs at amateur level, 50 clubs were supported in 2017/18. In 2018/19 we will continue the programme and provide sport attire and equipment to 70 community clubs. During this financial year, the Department will continue to intensify the roll-out of the above Community Sport Mass Participation programmes. In addition to those programmes the following programmes will be implemented:
Youth in conflict with the law programme
As part of our contribution towards nation building and rehabilitation of young people who are in conflict with the law, the Department will work together with the Departments of Correctional Services, Health, SAPS and Social Development and organised Ex-Convicts to provide sport attire and equipment for clubs.
Pioneers holiday sport competitions
Honourable Speaker sport especially football is a common denominator in all our towns and townships. Young people between the age of 7 to 16 are found playing Soccer during weekends and school holidays on self-made fields in our townships. The department will implement a sport talent development program for youth between the age of 7 and 16 years of age. The program will be named Albertina Sisulu Pioneers Holiday Sport Competitions. The objective of the program will be to develop talent and to keep young people actively involved in sport and recreational activities with an objective of taking them away from the streets.
An amount of R1 million will be spent to procure sport attire and equipment for this programme. The four (4) districts of our province will each receive 30 football sport attire and equipment. Xhariep district will receive 24 football sets and attire for its 24 wards.
A total budget of R32 442 has been allocated for Community Sport in 2018/19 financial year.
School sport:
Honorable Speaker,
Of the 1249 schools in the Free State, 900 participate in our School Sport programme. A total of 10 611 learners participated in our School Sport Mass Participation Programme in the last financial year. Of that number, 711 represented the Province at the National Schools Sport Winter Championships
In Durban in July as well as the National Schools Sport Summer Championships in Pretoria Gauteng. 16 Provincial School Sport Structures as well as 56 District School Sport Structures were supported in the 2017/18 financial year.
A total of 100 schools received Sport Attire and Equipment from the Department worth R825 000 in order to enable those schools to participate in Sport and Recreation.
Learn-To-Swim and Water Safety Programme
The Learn How to swim program in schools is still continuing in partnership with Free State Aquatics and the Department of Education. 7 learners from Heidedal and 14 from Bloemanda participated in the Inter-School Learn-to –Swim Gala held on the 14 February 2018.
Another 14 participated in the lifesaving competition at Masselspoort and qualified to attend National Life Saving in Port Elizabeth on 27 March 2018.
15 Educators from Botshabelo and Heidelal have been identified to be trained as Learn-to-Swim instructors. We will continue to expand the Learn-to-Swim programme by training 20 additional instructors and increasing the number of children participating in the programme. A further 300 educators and volunteers will receive sport specific training in order to help in the roll-out of the School Sport Programme.
- Netball Girls team obtained bronze medal and 5 players were selected into the National Squad for the COSSASA Games
- Maletsatsi Monyaki a Volleyball player from Lenyora la Thuto in Mangaung was selected into the South African Volleyball Squad.
- Rugby Boys team from Gymnasium in Welkom obtained a Gold Medal at the National School Sport Championships
- Table Tennis Deaf Boys team won a Gold Medal
- Table Tennis Deaf Girls team and the Goalball Boys team both received Bronze Medals
- The Free State Gymnastics team deserve a special mention: They won 10 medals which comprised of 6 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze
- Pinky Setsiba won 3 Gold medals in Rope Skipping
- Teboho Twala won a 1 Gold and 1 Silver medal in rope skipping.
During the 2018/19 financial year, the Department will introduce the Careers in Sport Campaign, the purpose of which is to introduce grade 11 and 12 learners to the different types of careers that are available within the sport industry. As part of celebrating the centenary year of Albertina Sisulu, there will be an increased effort to promote and increase participation of the girl child in sport. The targeted codes are Athletics, Hockey, Football and Netball. In addition to the targeted 100 schools in 2018/19, an additional 30 schools will receive sport equipment and attire to assist in attaining this goal.
A total budget of R27 731 434 million will fund the school sport programs in 2018/19.
Honourable Speaker,
The department successfully hosted the O.R.Tambo Marathon in Bloemfontein in April in 2017/18, where provincial, national and international runners participated. In 2017/18 in Bloemfontein. In 2018/19 we will continue to host the O.R.Tambo Marathon on a date that will be announced in due course. We will build on the successes and address the challenges of the past two years, we will also involve strategic partners in the field of long – distance marathon to ensure the escalation in the stature of this marathon. A budget of R2.5million has been allocated in 2018/19.
High performance sport:
In the previous financial year, through the Elite Athlete and Coaching Support Programme we assisted 18 sport federations and 328 full time high performance athletes. 3,337 high performance sport science services were rendered to support and enhance the performance of our top athletes. 329 sport practitioners received high performance capacity building training.
Furthermore, 19 Schools were assisted with the Sport Science Support Services whereby 122 educators were also capacitated. The previous financial year a Rope Skipping Programme was all rolled-out to get the youth active and fit – 154 active participants had already joined the programme.
Through the Elite Athlete and Coaching Support Programme we contributed to the excellent performance of the following athletes and teams:
- Sandile Makwali (Karate) defended his SA title for the 3rd consecutive year at the SA National Karate Championships
- Juandre Jenkinson and Juanelie Meyer (Disability Sport) is selected in team SA for the Commonwealth Championships in April in Australia
- Wilco Nienaber (Golf) exceled with his performance by winning 3 national and 1 international title
- Phillip Henning (Tennis) represented SA at the junior Wimbledon Championships and progressed to the 3rd round
- FS Crinums (Netball) was 4th out of 10 teams which participated at the National Netball Premier League
- Mosa Thetsane and Preston Davids (Judo) won gold medals at the National Judo Championships
Honourable Speaker,
The previous financial year we stated the process to reinstate the Free State Academy of Sport to be in-line with the National Sport and Recreation Plan of 2012, South African Academies Strategic Framework and Policy Guidelines of 2013 – the new Academy will be launched at the end of June this year.
To improve the delivery of sport science services the Department is also in the process of obtaining the assistance of the Department of Education to support the Free State Academy of Sport with the roll-out of Sport Science Fitness Programme for schools. Educators will be capacitated to design conditioning programmes for their teams and athletes not having formal gym facilities. The Academy will also introduce its unique Play for Fitness Programmes that they designed to increase the fitness levels of our youth utilising various fitness activities in a playing environment.
For the new financial year, the Department in collaboration with the newly re- instated Free State Academy of Sport will support the following programmes:
- Sport Science Support. 18 Sport Federations as part of the Elite Athlete and Coaching Support Programme.
- Education and Training Programmes. For this financial year 250 coaches will be trained on special sport science topics for coaches.
Further the training of coaches the Academy will also launch its “Football Legends Education Programme”, whereby football players between the ages of 25-40 with vast playing experience will be identified and placed on an education programme and while studying, the football legends will also be utilised as assistant sport coaching consultants at our Sport Focus Schools and on Albertina Sisulu Pioneers Football holiday programme.
Honourable Speaker,
The Department will embark on two new projects for this financial year:
- The first one will be to celebrate the love that Nelson Mandela had for the sport of boxing. The Department with the Free State Boxing Federation will host the “Nelson Mandela Amateur Boxing Championship
- The second project our Department in collaboration with SA Cycling will support a 250 km International Cross Border Mountain Bike Race Challenge. The duration of the event will be over 3 days where international mountain cyclist will be invited. The event will be included on SA Cycling Calendar.
A total budget of R9, 997,263 million has been allocated for High Performance Sport for the 2018/2019 financial year.
Infrastructure projects
Honorable Speaker,
The total budget for infrastructure projects for 2017/18 was R170 million.
The following infrastructure projects were completed during the 2017/18 financial year: OR Tambo and Fidel Castro Statues; Sechaba Mahobe library in Botshabelo as well as Adelaide Tambo Library.
The total budget for infrastructure projects in 2018/19 is R191 million.
The department will complete the following projects during the 2018/19: Smithfield, Soutpan, Luckhoff, Wepener and Van Stadensrus libraries including Free State Recording Studio.
The following infrastructure projects will be under construction during the 2018/19 financial year: the three (3) statues which were mentioned earlier on; a roof and a pitch at Fezile Dabi Stadium to be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure; Batho Dual Purpose Public Library; Allanridge and Majwemasweu Outdoor Gyms and Children’s Park; an interpretative Centre alongside the statue of Mama Albertina Sisulu; Upgrading of Manyatseng Library in Ladybrand; Majwemasweu Library in Brandfort and Sedibeng Library in Kroonstad and Cornelia Library.
Conclusion:
Honourable Speaker, allow me to extend my gratitude to my party, the African National Congress, for its unconditional support in the performance of my responsibilities. The Premier, comrade Sisi Ntombela, all the best in your new position. Chairperson of the portfolio Committee Honourable Thabo Meeko and members of the portfolio committee; HOD and the committed staff of the department, thank you for the good job you do for the people of the Free State.
My husband, who is always supportive to me, who takes care of the household and especially our boys whilst I am doing the community work. Re ya leboha Motaung Namane e tshehla. Nka lebala jwang
The Leeto Quadro, my four (4) boys: Sipho, Thabo, Soko and Lehana Junior. Be strong my boys wherever you are. Bophelo ke ntwa!
To my church the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, thank you very much for your continuous prayers. They give me strength to soldier on. Una Bantu Bakho Thixo, Xa be tjhiswa yi Mililo.
I thank you.
