Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker;
Members of the Legislature and National Council of Provinces (NCOP);
Honourable Premier Cassel Mathale;
Members of the Executive Council;
Executive Mayors and Mayors of the respective municipalities;
Councillors of Sport, Arts and Culture of the respective municipalities;
Director-General and Heads of Departments;
Leaders of opposition parties;
Our esteemed Majesties and Your Royal Highnesses here present;
Former MPs and MPLs;
Stalwarts and veterans of our struggle;
Representatives of religious formations, business and labour movements; Leaders of chapter nine institutions;
Youth, Women and Community leaders;
Members of the media;
Distinguished guests,
Comrades, Ladies and gentlemen;
All protocol observed.
Every time the opportunity arises to speak in this august House, one marvels at how far we have come as a nation. It feels like only yesterday that we first hoisted the new South African flag and proudly sang the new national anthem. These are the symbols of our appreciation towards those who came before us; those who were prepared to die for the true freedom of all South African people.
Their vision was such that we continue to fight for a better life for all South Africans, as we close the gap that had been created by decades of separation, inequality, intolerance and imbalance. They have seen the possibility of uniting our people – diverse in culture but united in the love of a free and prosperous South Africa. As our dear friend and poet Don Mattera says in his epic poem Keepers:
“Our rivers may vary because of the cultures and history we carry, still, we converge in the current to define the banks of co-existence. We are the mighty ocean the gush and rush, the ebb and flow, gathering particles of memory and shards of dreams, like gems glow keepers of the legacy of life is who and what we are.”
Honourable Speaker,
There is, however, no greater achievement than seeing your hard work come to fruition. Even more rewarding is when the intended recipients of your efforts, show true appreciation for the fruits of your labour. It is much like a farmer or a gardener, growing plants that will one day produce the best fruit or the prettiest flowers. All pests such as weeds, insects and diseases have to be warded off, to ensure that the plant has ample opportunity to grow to its fullest.
History has taught us that the road to success – just like a farm or garden - is full of the weeds of previous mistakes that grew from the seeds of doubt and over- eager or misinformed decisions. However, time has made us wise to first rid the path of those weeds and then to never allow them to be sown again. Only then, can we truly move towards ultimate success.
Honourable Speaker,
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, in its quest for social cohesion; in its efforts to maintain nation building; promote the arts and crafts; protect our heritage; ensure a literate nation; building language bridges and getting the nation and especially the youth active and participating in sport, had to face many challenges in the 2011/2012 financial year. However, we are proud to report that we have continuously found innovative ways of renewing our thinking and benchmarking the implementation of projects and programmes.
As a nation still moving forward towards unity and social cohesion; as a nation still rooting out the weeds of an unjust past and of marginalised communities, we tend to look toward every great cultural or sporting event to reinforce this positive feeling of togetherness.
We have seen what the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup had done for our nation. We have noticed how our people unite behind our national teams when they compete in international competitions. We acknowledge the selfless way in which our people participate in the 67 minutes of community service on Nelson Mandela Day. What an honour therefore, to be the Department that delivers such exciting programmes, projects and events to the people of Limpopo!
Honourable Speaker,
In 2011, these objects of excitement and nation building were abound in Limpopo. In fact, we viewed every project, regardless of its size and scope, as an opportunity to unite our people. On the sports scene, Limpopo and more in particular Polokwane, was the host of the 2011 SA Games. Even though Team Limpopo did not excel at the games, we were once again blessed to host the best of South Africa’s school sport athletes.
As far as Team Limpopo is concerned, we are investigating the reasons behind the local team’s under-performance and we are building up the momentum towards the next Games, when Team Limpopo will surely show their improvement. Special mention has to be made of our intellectually impaired athletes, who once again flew the Limpopo flag high at this event.
2011-2012 was once again the year of sport and South Africa once again united behind our national teams as they competed in World Cup competitions.
In what was renamed Magnificent Fridays, the whole country united behind first the Proteas, the National Netball Squad and then the Springboks, as they jetted off to India, Singapore and New Zealand respectively, for the ICC Cricket World Cup, World Netball Championships and IRB Rugby World Cup 2011.
None of our national teams made it to the final round of their competitions, but once again the girls and boys in green and gold managed to unite us – even in our misery! We remain proud of their achievements and while we were disappointed that they did not bring the trophies home, we will keep on supporting them enthusiastically.
Honourable Speaker
In preparation for the National Sport Indaba, the Province hosted its own Indaba in August 2011. Limpopo’s sport loving community came out in numbers to prepare for the National event and some lively debate and valuable input marked the two-day Indaba. The contributions proved invaluable as we moved to the National Indaba in November. It is clear, from deliberations at national level, that the National Sport and Recreation Plan is a much-needed guideline for sport, sport development and recreation in South Africa.
Honourable Speaker
Allow me to point out that some of the problems identified, that seem to be facing sport and recreation, is the ambivalence of some in leadership and administration in the fraternity, which needs to be drastically altered to be in line with the National Goals.
The National Sport and Recreation Plan has in mind to close the disparities between the previously disadvantaged and those living in affluent conditions. Further to this, the importance of compulsory physical education in our schools was highlighted and the quote system in national teams was robustly deliberated on.
Having alluded to compulsory physical education: no time was wasted in the launch of Magnificent Wednesdays – the School Sport Leagues Programme.
The Province rolled out this programme officially in February this year. It is time to stop talking about getting our children active and putting words to actions. We will be closely monitoring this programme to ensure that it reaps the desired benefits.
We have already seen this Programme being used as an innovation to unite, to develop and to build. Oosskool Primary School in Polokwane, together with business entities, have recently partnered with Mponegele Primary School in Seshego, in terms of rugby training. On Wednesday 7th of March 2012, 45 learners of Mponegele Primary School were bussed to Oosskool, where all participated in a rugby clinic before having the opportunity to match their skills on the rugby field.
Oosskool has further undertaken to keep up with the development of rugby at Mponegele and will be providing them with rugby training on a more permanent level. Honourable Speaker, Honourable Members of the House, this effort by Oosskool needs te be applauded, as this is the spirit of Ubuntu and the unifying power of sport, that we need to see more of in South Africa.
Honourable Speaker,
The cultural landscape of Limpopo remains one of diversity and complexity. We have, in the past financial year, managed to carefully blend all these diverse cultures, traditions and practices into the melting pot.
The year was ended off aptly with the Mapungubwe Arts Festival, where, in a never-before-seen phenomenon in Limpopo, the world and the country’s best classical artists shared the stage with artists from a myriad of genres on the 30th of December. On the 31st of December, festival-goers welcomed the New Year with an exciting line-up of artists.
We know that the Festival will continue to go from strength to strength, as every year there is a new surprise for loyal Mapungubwe supporters. The Film and Video industry remains an important factor in the expression of our people’s creativity as well as an excellent opportunity for job creation. Limpopo has a number of talented potential short film and documentary makers.
The Department therefore forged a partnership with the University of Limpopo’s Media Studies Film Production Programme. The programme is a prerequisite for students to complete a Media Studies honours degree. Students attended a workshop, during which they were exposed to some of the biggest names in film production in South Africa. Seven short films were produced in the process. The hope is that the project can be on-going, if funds permit in the new financial year.
Honourable Speaker,
One cannot help but stand in awe of the raw, unearthed talent in Limpopo. The “I can sing” talent search project never seizes to amaze audiences. It is with pride that the Department invites the “I can sing” winners to perform at Departmental and Provincial events, because their performances are of world standard.
All “I can sing” winners received their CD’s this year to truly help their careers take flight. We will keep on supporting them and following their progress with interest.
I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate those Limpopo Artists, who made the province proud at the SATMA Awards. They are:
- Best Tshivenda Artist: Jininka;
- Best Xitsonga Artist: George Maluleke na Van’wanati Sisters;
- Best Sepedi Artist and Best Cultural Organisation: Mafoloshe Nkwe Ntabeng;
- Best Traditional Dance Group: Dikwena Tse Botse Tsa Ga Matsepe;
- Best Ethnic Soul Artist: Malondolo.
Honourable Speaker,
Artist Malondolo is a product of the department’s “I Can Sing” Talent Search Project. It is an immense achievement for such a reasonably new Limpopo artist.
It further pleases us to inform this esteemed House that an artist from Limpopo, DJ Choice has been nominated for Best Song in the South African Music Awards. DJ Choice, or Kgethego Chokoe, was born in Lebowakgomo and matriculated at Settlers Agricultural High School in 1997. He studied an International Communication Degree at the Tshwane University of Technology, where he started entertaining audiences as a DJ.
This talented DJ, producer and song writer’s hit Casanova has been nominated for song of the year and his album with the same name has gone Gold. This worthy son of the soil is humbly requesting the support of the people of the Province. We wish DJ Choice well at the SAMA’s!
Honourable Speaker,
The annual Ku luma vukanyi event is the forerunner to the Marula Festival and is an age-old tradition of the Limpopo Province. The department has in mind to ensure that this event is taken to all the people of Limpopo and we therefore commenced with the process of rotation among host Districts.
In 2011, at the event in the Mopani District, the Waterberg District was randomly selected as the next venue and in 2013, the Vhembe District will host the event. This will not only ensure that all people are included in the festivities, but also that more people enjoy the economic spin-offs in the form of brewing co- operations. The ultimate goal is that every year, during Marula season, our people will take own initiative in celebrating the Festival of the First Fruit in their respective areas.
Also, on the subject of heritage, the Province hosted the Limpopo Provincial Chapter of the Liberation Heritage Route Public Hearings in this past financial year. This marked the start of this on-going project which has in mind to honour the heroes and heroines of our liberation struggle, to map places of historical significance in terms of the struggle and to educate the nation about the events in history that lead to our democratic dispensation and a free society. The project will require a lot of public input and careful research before it is completed.
Honourable Speaker,
The Department continues to ensure that our nation becomes literate and has access to study and reading material, with the construction of community libraries, in areas accessible to the people of the most rural parts of the Province. The Thulamela and Fetakgomo libraries have been completed and are awaiting hand- over. Libraries under construction are the Musina- Nancefield Library in the Vhembe District, Ga-Molepo in the Capricorn District, Saselamani in the , Sephaku (Vlakfontein) in the Sekhukhune District and Mulati in the Mopani District.
Nearing completion are: the Mutale Library in the Vhembe District, the Bakgoma and Rapotokwane Libraries in the Waterberg District and the Shiluvane Library in the Mopani District.
Honourable Speaker,
In our endeavour to strengthen our relationship with our arts and culture stakeholders and in the quest to move forward towards ensuring that arts and culture indeed become our golden economy, the Department brought before this august house, the LACC Validation Bill, which has to date been gazetted. It ensures that our forward march is accounted for in all spheres.
We all know the famous quote of Tata Nelson Mandela, that:
“If you speak to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you speak to him in his languages, that goes to his heart”.
The department herewith again makes a clarion call to all institutions of Government, the private sector and our esteemed colleagues in the meda to promote the indigenous languages of our Province in line with the Provincial Language Policy, that seeks to bridge the communication channel divide in service excellence and allow for every citizen to engage and contribute to all efforts of Government in the languages of his or her choice.
Honourable Speaker,
These are the ways in which the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture is improving the lives of the Limpopo people. This then brings us, without further ado, to the presentation of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s Budget for the 2012/2013 year.
The Department has received an allocation of two hundred and eighty eight million, four hundred and forty one thousand rand [R288,441 m].
That is a 3% increase from last year’s allocation of two hundred and seventy eight million, eight hundred and fourteen thousand rand [R278,814 m].
This total allocation is made up of one hundred and twenty five million, five hundred and fifty five thousand rand [R125,555m] or 43% of the total budget for Conditional Grants and an equitable share of one hundred and sixty two rand, eight hundred and eighty six thousand rand [R162,886m], or 56% of the total allocation.
Conditional Grants vs. Equitable Share
Honourable Speaker,
The allocation for the Library Conditional Grant has increased by 3% from sixty six million, four hundred and ninety seven thousand rand [R66,497 m], to sixty eight million, eight hundred and twenty two thousand rand [R68,822 m], for the current financial year. This grant is utilised for the building, servicing and stocking of libraries in Limpopo.
The Mass Sport and Recreation Conditional Grant has increased by 3% from last year’s allocation of fifty three million six hundred and thirty six thousand rand [R53,636 m] to this year’s allocation of fifty five million, seven hundred and thirty three thousand rand [R55,733 m]. The Mass Sport and Recreation Conditional Grant aims to keep the nation actively participating in sport.
The equitable share has increased by 2% from the previous year’s one hundred and fifty eight million, one hundred and forty five thousand rand [R158,145 m], to the new financial year’s one hundred and sixty two million, eight hundred and eighty six thousand rand [R162,886 m].
Compensation of Employees
Compensation of employees amounts to one hundred and twenty seven million, three hundred and thirty seven thousand rand [R127,337 m] or 44% of the total budget. This item is sub-divided into compensation of employees under the Conditional Grants, amounting to thirty million, one hundred and forty two thousand rand [R19,140m] or 15% of the total compensation allocation, and compensation of employees under the equitable share, amounting to one hundred and eight million, one hundred and ninety seven thousand rand [R108,197m] or 84% of the total allocation for compensation.
Goods and Services
A total of one hundred and twenty two million, nine hundred and sixty three thousand rand [R122,963 m] is budgeted for goods and services. This amounts to 43% of the total budget.
Once again, this is divided into the equitable share’s allocation of fifty three million, five hundred and thirteen thousand rand [R53,513 m] or 44% of the total goods and services allocation.
The conditional grant’s allocation of goods and services amounts to sixty nine million, four hundred and fifty thousand rand [R69,450m] or 56% of the total goods and services allocation…
Transfers and Subsidies
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has a legislative mandate to establish statutory bodies and transfers and subsidies to these statutory bodies of the Department are made accordingly. The transfers we make allow most of these bodies to perform only administrative duties. These Statutory bodies are the Limpopo Arts and Culture Council (LACC), Limpopo Heritage Resources Authority (LIHRA), Provincial Language Committee (PLC), the Provincial Moral Regeneration Movement and the Geographical Place Names Committee (GPNC).
The total of transfers amounts to two million and thirty three thousand rand [R2,033m] or 0.7% of the total budget.
Capital Assets
The Department will, in the 2010/11 financial year, be spending thirty six million, one hundred and eight thousand rand [R36,108 m] on payments for capital assets. That is 13% of the total budget.
Programmes
Honourable Speaker,
In terms of budgeting, the Programmes of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture are divided into four, namely Administration, Cultural Affairs, Library and Information Services and Sport and Recreation.
1. Administration
The Administration of the Department will receive one hundred and five million, seven hundred and forty seven thousand rand [R105,747] or 37% of the total allocation, towards the efficient, effective and sustainable running of the Department’s daily activities focused on customer service to both internal and external clients. Of this allocation, forty seven million, three hundred and ninety thousand rand [R47,390m] or 45% will be spent on goods and services and the remaining fifty eight million,three hundred and fifty seven rand [R58,357m] or 55% on compensation of employees.
2. Cultural Affairs
The Programme of Cultural Affairs is responsible for the promotion of social cohesion and nation building as well as for those activities that promote reconciliation, positive values and a national identity, to address the social ills of crime, domestic violence, moral decay and xenophobia, among others.
Under Cultural Affairs there are the sub- programmes of Arts and Culture, Museum and Heritage Resource Services and Language Services. Significant days of celebration under Cultural Affairs include Freedom Day, Africa Day and Heritage Day Celebrations, Ku luma vukanyi/Go loma morula/U luma mukumbi, International Mother Tongue Day Celebrations and International Translation Day.
The sub-programme of Arts and Culture is also aided by the National Department of Arts and Culture’s investing in Culture Programme, which has in mind to develop artistic disciplines into creative industries.
Cultural Affairs will be allocated thirty million, six hundred and sixty one thousand rand [R30,661 m] or 11% of the total budget.
Honourable Speaker,
3. Library and Archives Services
The Library and Archives Programme will receive eighty one million, five hundred and fifty four thousand rand [R81,554 m] or 28% of the total allocation.
Of this total, twelve million, seven hundred and thirty three thousand rand [R12,733 m], or 16% of this total is from the equitable share and sixty eight million, eight hundred and twenty two thousand rand [R68,822 m] or 85% is from the Conditional Grant.
4. Sport and Recreation
Sport and Recreation is sub-divided into Sport Development and School Sport and Recreation. The Siyadlala and School Sport Mass Participation programmes are funded by the sport and recreation conditional grant and are administered by the School Sport and Recreation sub-programme. This programme will, among others, ensure the roll- out of Indigenous games, recreational events targeted at all age groups and support the School Sport League Programme.
The sub-programme of Sport Development will be utilising its allocation in projects such as the on-going training and development of coaches, technical officials, administrators and volunteers and the support of sports federations.
The Programme of Sport and Recreation has been allocated seventy million, four hundred and seventy nine thousand rand [R70,479 m] or 24% of the total budget.
Fifty five million, seven hundred and thirty three thousand rand [R55,733 m] or 79% of this total is from the Mass Sports and Recreation Conditional Grant and the remaining fourteen million, seven hundred and forty six thousand rand [R14,746 m] or 21% is from the equitable share.
Honourable Speaker,
On an infinitely sadder note, allow me to take this opportunity to bid farewell to some of our icons in the sport, arts and culture industries, who passed on in the previous financial year.
I thank you! Ke a leboga! Ndzi khensile! Ndo livhuwa! Ngi ya thokoza! Baie dankie! Shukran!
