Honourable Speaker
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
We deliver our Budget Vote today 33 years after the youth of our country stood up for their rights and helped pave the way to our new democracy. Many of them paid the ultimate price and gave their lives for our freedom.
In his Youth Day address, President Jacob Zuma noted the importance of promoting youth participation in democratic processes, community and civic decision-making and development.
The President also directed that our youth should “participate in programmes to promote our culture and heritage, promotion of the Constitution and the national symbols and various other mechanisms that will cement pride in being a South African.”
As part of a common national effort, the Department of Arts and Culture will do its part to create access to a rich and productive cultural life for our youth and all our people.
This is why we embrace the idea that there shall be arts for all and that in promoting arts, culture and heritage, we are deepening our democracy and helping to develop a people’s culture.
Fifteen years into our democracy our task remains to ensure the full equality of our people, to ensure equality between men and women, to bridge the divide between rural and urban, between rich and poor.
A fundamental condition for the full realisation of the freedom of all our people is the national effort to bring about transformation, to ensure that opportunities exist for those who have been marginalised to thrive.
Arts for all
We are building a culture rooted in the realities of our people and to instil a deeper consciousness of what it means to be proudly South African.
Libraries for all
As part of our efforts to bring the arts to all our people, we shall continue to ensure that community libraries are built in all our communities:
- The Department of Arts and Culture coordinates the implementation of the community libraries recapitalisation programme in partnership with provinces
- A new state-of-the art National Library of South Africa building has been completed and opened (it covers 33 000m and seats 1 300 users 10 times more than the old building)
- Together with the National Library we shall also support the formation of book clubs at all community libraries to encourage a culture of reading.
The development of the Library Transformation Charter initiated by the National Council for Library and Information Services and the department will be finalised in 2009.
The department will introduce a national community libraries Bill to set the framework for norms and standards in the provision and regulation of community libraries and information services.
The film industry
The department encourages the development of local content and supports the National Film and Video Foundation. Funds have been allocated to the foundation especially for training, skills development, growing the audience base in townships and strengthening South Africa’s international presence. The foundation is also funding animation features, which will produce interesting and innovative work.
Together with the foundation we are looking at the best ways of setting up co-operatives in rural areas that focus on bringing cinemas to our people and developing skills in areas related to film production.
The department has also established a partnership with Canada on cooperation in the film industry.
Arts and sustainable development
Investing in culture
Through its ‘investing in culture’ programme, the department aims to provide empowerment opportunities for unemployed people through skills development, training, and job creation.
To date this programme has funded 394 projects which have produced 10 938 job opportunities since 2005, with women, youth and differentially disabled people constituting 43 percent, 37 percent and 4 percent of the total number and with 70 percent of the projects in rural areas.
(I would like to mention that some of the beneficiaries of these projects are with us today among them are the community ceramics and Mosaics project from the Western Cape, the Disabead Project in the Northern Cape that includes people with disabilities, the Nkapeseng beadwork project in the Free State, the Nyoni Crafters in northern KwaZulu-Natal and the Tingwazi Art and craft project in Limpopo).
In the second phase of this Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) the aim is to produce 4 000 job opportunities. But in addition to this, the focus will be to identify projects that can become viable cooperatives and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs).
We are partnering with the Department of Trade and Industry in registering co-operatives, in terms of an export readiness programme and participating in national and international exhibitions including the Mzantsi stores.
We are also identifying niche markets that could become high impact job creation areas of growth in the near future by supporting translating and editing job opportunities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup as well as in the areas of digitisation of local content and the development of tour guides in South African heritage sites.
Women in the arts
As we focus on sustaining arts and culture development, part of our focus is also to promote meaningful participation of women in the sector:
- With this in mind, we shall set up a gender focal unit in the department in order to mainstream gender and women’s empowerment programmes in the department as well as in all our institutions
- In August this year we shall declare the graves of our great women leaders and veterans and freedom fighters Lilian Ngoyi and Helen Joseph a national monument
- Earlier this year, the department under the leadership of Deputy Minister Ntombazana Botha participated in commemorations in France in tribute to the life and work of the late Dulcie September who played an important role in our liberation struggle. In March next year we shall hold the first Dulcie September memorial lecture at the University of the Western Cape dedicated to her role in promoting human rights
- We shall continue to look at more concrete ways of recognizing the important contribution of women in our communities and in the liberation struggle, through awards (Mosadi Wa Konokono) women’s museums and women’s monuments.
2010 FIFA World Cup legacy projects
The Department of Arts and Culture is also supporting FIFA 2010 legacy projects through initiating and funding cultural histories of the host cities as well as cities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
We are also looking into rural communities benefiting from FIFA 2010 through the establishment of cinemas in rural areas as a legacy of the public viewing areas established during the 2010 event.
Literature for all
Through the National Library of South Africa, we have reprinted 24 titles of classics in African languages that have been distributed to libraries throughout the country and we are now embarking on the second phase of this project.
We are also helping to establish the South African Language Practitioners’ Council by the end of this year. We are awarding language bursaries to 90 students in this year to help build capacity in the language profession.
Name changes
In our work to ensure that the names we give to places reflect our national identity, the South African Geographical Names Council is currently conducting national public hearings on the important policy for changing names. The outcomes will determine the pace and focus of changes.
Social cohesion
In his State of the Nation address, President Zuma called on each and every one of us to help build a more cohesive society.
Building national dialogue through social cohesion conference
In the second half of the year we shall hold the first National Conference on Social Cohesion in KwaZulu-Natal. The theme of the conference is “building a caring society.”
Participation is invited from civil society, government, academics and communities mobilisation. The conference will contribute in developing a national strategic framework leading to a concrete national plan of action.
Heritage promotion
My predecessor announced in this house, South Africa’s intentions to ratify the 2003 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) convention on intangible cultural heritage, as well as developing a national policy on living heritage.
I am pleased to report that we have concluded drafting the national policy and will soon embark on consulting South Africans on this important instrument. We encourage all South Africans to participate by providing us with input.
Heritage contributes significantly to economic development and job creation. The Department will therefore be working with other departments on a study on heritage and economic development. This will help us in the sector to develop programmes and projects that will increase investments and economic activity in the heritage sector.
Robben Island Museum
I have accepted the resignations of both the Robben Island council and the interim CEO. The call for nominations for a new council as well as an advertisement calling for applications for a full time CEO have appeared in the national newspapers this past weekend.
In the meantime I have appointed an interim CEO, Professor Henry Bredekamp supported by the department. The interim CEO has already met with a variety of stakeholders and is working with a small team to ensure the smooth running of the Museum.
I am optimistic that we have learned from the past and that measures that we are putting together will address the current challenges.
Freedom Park
On 1 April 2009 Freedom Park became a declared cultural institution and a council was appointed in terms of the Cultural Institutions Act. We are working together with Freedom Park, Department of Public Works to complete the contribution of this important icon of our country.
Castle of Good Hope
The department is undergoing renewed discussion with the Department of Defence about the transfer of the Castle of Good Hope to us. The department has done a due diligence study with regard to the future use of the Castle and has a framework in place for the future management of this important cultural and historical institution.
Heritage month
I would like to single out the work of the National Heritage Council, which is doing important work especially in the area of heritage conservation and the development of the Heritage Transformation Charter.
The National Heritage Council is also initiating activities to promote the value of Ubuntu on Mandela Day on 18 July 2009.
This year’s Heritage Day commemoration focuses on the contribution of the craft sector to our national culture and the main celebration will happen in Limpopo. We shall work closely with the National Heritage Council and other stakeholders on this year’s commemorations to ensure that we meet our goal of ensuring that our heritage, arts and crafts belong to all.
Through the National Arts Council, we will host the prestigious International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies World Summit on Arts and Culture in September this year in Johannesburg. The theme of the summit is meeting of cultures, making meaning through the arts. This conference will also focus on the role of the arts in intercultural dialogue.
Through our participation we shall also highlight our ongoing support for the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
Legacy projects
Sarah Bartmann Centre of Remembrance
In the past year, we launched the Sarah Bartmann Centre of Remembrance Architectural Competition in Hankey, in the Eastern Cape. The second stage will take place in August 2009 with the winning design expected by the first week of September 2009.
Matola raid project
In January every year together with our Mozambican counterparts we commemorate the Matola raid. You will recall that 16 South Africans and a Portuguese citizen were murdered in 30 January 1981 by the South African Defence Force.
The Department of Arts and Culture is in the process of establishing a monument to honour the victims of this callous act. The Matola Municipality graciously donated land for the construction of the monument, which is located close to where the raid took place and the Department of Public works has drafted the terms of reference for the architectural design process.
The Department of Arts and Culture will continue using symbolic events such as the Matola Raid and Cuito Canavale to remind the people of Southern Africa about our common heritage and our shared destiny.
OR Tambo
We are working with the Mbizana Local Municipality in the OR Tambo District to commemorate the life of OR Tambo. We shall develop a statue of OR Tambo to be installed in the municipality so that we can share his achievements in bringing about our liberation, with the younger generation.
Afrikaans project
In the last budget vote speech, my predecessor announced a collaborative project with the Dutch on Afrikaans. An international seminar and festival will take place during Heritage month this year, here in the Western Cape.
The overall theme for the conference is speak, thetha, talk and we are approaching well known Dutch and Afrikaans speaking academics and cultural workers to participate in this event.
Access to heritage institutions
The Natal Museum has created a learners resource centre, which offers learners from the rural areas the use of information communication technology (ICTs) as a learning support. Through the learners resource centre, the museum has had more than 10 000 learners visiting. We shall extend this activity to other national heritage institutions as part of bridging the digital divide in the heritage sector.
International relations and job creation
We have seen the great success of the first New Partnership for Africa`s Development (NEPAD) cultural project in January this year, with the launching of the new library building for the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, Mali.
Our government must also do all it can to draw lessons from relevant international experiences. In Cuba, as early as 1959, several new cultural institutions were founded that became important to the development of arts and culture across Latin America. These include Casa de las Americas, the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Arts and Industry (ICAIC), the National Theatre, the National Ballet, the National Symphonic Orchestra and the National Folkloric Group, to mention but a few.
The national literacy campaign also raised Cuban capacity to fully engage in arts and culture. These developments enhanced the life of the Cuban people, but what has characterised cultural development in Cuba mostly, is the massive participation and access to art and culture that is available to the Cuban people. I believe that through our “art for all” campaign, we can achieve the same goals, working together with our artists and cultural workers.
In the area of international co-operation on cultural development, we are also promoting an African agenda. Over 100 South African artists will take part in the Pan African Arts Festival in Algiers in July 2009 and more than 200 will participate in the World Festival of Black Arts in Senegal in December 2009. South Africa-Nigeria 10th anniversary celebrations in October this year will showcase fashion Designers and our film industry.
Conclusion
Through all these initiatives and our work in arts, culture and heritage we aim to create a country where opportunities exist for all our people to expand their imagination and to use their creativity to create a better life for all.
I would like to thank the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture especially the Honourable Chair, Reverend Tshenuwani Farisani for their robust contribution to the work of the department.
My immense gratitude also goes to Former Minister of Arts and Culture, Pallo Jordan, as well as his Deputy Ntombazana Botha, for laying the foundations of a new ministry and department.
I would also like to thank my Deputy Minister, Mr Paul Mashatile, for his support. We now continue to build from where our predecessors have left off.
Finally I thank the Director-General, Mr Themba Wakashe and his team in the department for the smooth day-to-day running of our operations.
I thank you.
