Budget vote and policy speech for the year 2022/23 delivered by the MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Hon. Fezeka Nkomonye, Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature
Speaker of the Provincial Legislature, Premier of the Eastern Cape Province, Members of the Executive Council, Chairpersons of our Portfolio Committees, Honourable Members of the House, Leaders of faith-based organisations, Government officials present,
Members of the media, Ladies and gentlemen, Greetings to you all.
1. Introduction
Honourable Speaker,
Ndiyalibulela elithuba lokudakanca phambi kwalendlu yowisomthetho, umgaqonkqubo nezicwangciso zalonyaka-mali Zesebe Lezemidlalo, Ulonwabo, Ubugcisa, Nenkcubeko kwiphondo LeMpuma Kapa. lsebe elithwaliswe uxanduva lokwakha isizwe esimanyaneyo, esiphumelelayo, esizidlayo ngemvelaphi nenkcubeko yaso.
Somlomo Obekekileyo, the National Development Plan - Vision 2030 outlines a plan for the country which envisions the elimination of poverty, significant reduction of inequality and unemployment by 2030. Chapter 15 of the NDP, asserts that the Sport, Arts, Culture and Heritage sector is a powerful driver in creating a sense of inclusiveness and encouraging interaction between South Africans from different social backgrounds.
Furthermore, the NOP highlights the economic value and contribution of Sport, Arts, Culture and Heritage sector and that strategies must be developed to exploit this economic potential on a global scale.
The National Development Plan aspires to arrive at a situation in which South Africans will be more conscious of what they have in common, rather than the differences that separate them, united in our diversity. This implies that interventions need to facilitate an experience by all South Africans that cuts across the divisions of race, gender, and class. Accordingly, our central focus should be on creating opportunities that equalise the life chances of South Africans.
The mandate of our department is very broad and diverse but can be summarised into building a united, socially cohesive, intellectually and physically active nation, that is proud of its heritage, with a vibrant social culture and a thriving creative economy. At times, maybe because of its intangible nature many have minimised the importance of this mandate, especially when comparing it with the tangible deliverables like roads, water, electricity, hospitals, education, agriculture, etc. Somlomo obekekileyo, ewe isocial cohesion ayonto unoyibamba ngesandla okanye uyibone ngamehlo, kodwa ukumanyana koluntu kwehlisa izinga lezixholoxholo, ukuxhatshazwa koomama nabantwana, ukusetyenziswa gwenxa kotywala neziyobisi, neminye emininzi imikhuba emibi ekuhlaleni.
We cannot overstate the importance of the work we do as a department, an active nation is a healthy nation, a reading nation is an intellectually developed nation, a creative nation is an innovative nation. The creative and sporting industries are recognised worldwide as important contributors to the economy and a number of people derive their means of livelihood from these industries. Arts, Culture and Heritage is way more than just its economic contribution but speaks right to the soul of who we are, it is an expression of our collective identity as a people.
Honourable Speaker it is not our intention to suggest that our department is more important than others, but to say the work we do is of equal importance. We are simply restating our mandate as both the context of the plans we are tabling and as a justification of the budget we continue to receive, of course we would be grateful for an additional budget given how extensive the mandate is.
The economies of the future will rely on creativity and innovation to create jobs and foster economic growth. To be competitive in the country and the world, as a department we are investing in the cultural and creative industries in order to create the conditions for success; develop and sustain our talent here at home. Our plans for this financial year chart a course for policy tools that support our creative industries and the heritage sector. We seek to strengthen and renew our existing cultural and heritage policy tools, and to introduce new initiatives that will help our creatives succeed in the global marketplace.
Our toolkit includes legislation, funding programs, policies and the work of our associated institutions like the Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council (ECPACC), Mandela Bay Theatre Complex (MBTC), EL Guild Theatre, Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (ECPHRA), Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee (ECPGNC), the Provincial Councils for Libraries and Archives.
As we move forward to implementation of these plans, we will do so in a manner that is consistent with our values, our approach will continue to support the creation of a domestic market for Eastern Cape content. It is through firstly building a solid base here at home that will we succeed nationally and internationally, it is through playing to our strengths, by telling our unique stories, that will we stand out in the national and global marketplace.
Across the diversity of local and community facilities, parks, schools and open playgrounds, the people of the Eastern Cape play sport or participate in physical activity every week of the year. It is for these reasons and more, that supporting sport and active recreation remains a high priority for us. Maintaining and building on existing participation and programming opportunities, and our existing network of community sport and active recreation infrastructure requires a strategic and coordinated development approach. Municipalities and sport councils at all levels, government departments, sporting associations, schools, and local community clubs and hubs all play a key role.
Through our plans we seek to provide a framework for partnerships with these organisations in order to increase participation, create quality spaces to be active and ensure that every resident has an opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle. A study conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2002, found that lack of physical activity is one of the main contributory risk factors to chronic disease associated with lifestyle such as cardiovascular, diabetes, obesity, colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, depression, and anxiety. It is through their participation in physical activities, that our residents will improve their health, their fitness, improve and make new social connections.
Through the implementation of the Provincial Social Cohesion Strategy we will drive various campaigns against racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and gender based violence. We will use the arts and sport to ensure the sharing of common spaces across race, class and gender including the promotion and distribution of art forms that facilitate healing, nation building and dialogue. Our decisions around where to invest resources is strongly guided by community needs, our strategic principles, a clear evidence-base and trends impacting service delivery at a ward community level.
2. Arts, Culture and Heritage
Our investment in the cultural and creative industries seeks to unlock the potential of this sector, to create the conditions for success, to develop and keep our talent here at home. Our investment in this regard is anchored on three areas namely; funding for projects, training and capacity building, platforms and access to markets. This investment is intended to stimulate and support the emergence of creative enterprises with a focus on women, youth and the rural areas. Our investment in the cultural and creative industries is critical in supporting our collective attempts towards a post Covid 19 economic recovery.
As a department we are continually evolving our role from being primarily, a provider of arts, culture and heritage opportunities to providing greater support to programmes initiated and driven by communities. Over the coming years we are investing in our institutions like the Art Centres, Theatres, Museums, the Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council (ECPACC) etc. to ensure that these institutions are fully functional,
well governed, have modern equipment and the necessary capabilities to support community-driven arts and culture initiatives.
Our approach is further underpinned by partnerships and collaboration with local artists, community organisations, academic institutions, entrepreneurs, private enterprises, the different spheres of government and other public agencies.
Development and Promotion of Creative Industries
We have, since the beginning of our term in 2019, been working to consolidate our two main theatres and the art centres into the Eastern Cape Performing Arts Institute. We are happy to report that we have made significant progress in this regard. The former Port Elizabeth Opera House has now been officially declared as the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex (MBTC), and forms part of the National Cultural Institutions for Performing Arts in South Africa. The MBTC is the first of its kind in the province, it joins five other such institutions in the country; those being Artscape (Western Cape), PACOFS (Free State), Market Theatre, State Theatre (both in Gauteng) and Durban Playhouse (KZN). This declaration is a huge milestone in that the Eastern Cape will now for the first time since 1994 be part of the national performing arts programme with a significant financial injection allocated from the National Department.
The declaration of the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex is a crucial step in our ambitious goal of creating the Eastern Cape Performing Arts Institute (ECPAI). In this financial year, we will work to integrate the workings of MTBC, the Guild Theatre and our 17 Art Centres across the province. This is to ensure that the national resources injected into the MTBC serve the entire province with a particular focus on our under-serviced rural areas. The MTBC will also house the Stage-world Performing Arts School, which is a subsidiary of the MBTC entrusted with training and development of artists.
In this financial year, as part of our drive towards moving the arts into the digital era, we will equip the East London Guild Theatre with state-of-the-art digital equipment to record, edit and upload arts programs online. As part of the continued resourcing of Art Centres we launched the Eastern Cape Community Arts Festival on the 05th of March 2022, this programme will be an annual signature festival of all the Art Centres across the province. The festival is a platform for emerging artists to develop and showcase their craft. In this financial year we will provide infrastructure support to the EmaXesibeni and Komani Community Art Centres through the upgrading of sanitation facilities and the refurbishment of the roofs from thatched to aesthetic.
In terms of market access and platforms for creatives, we currently have six signature departmental festivals across the different districts in the province, namely; Maskandi Fesitival at Emaxesibeni in Alfred Nzo, lsingqi Sethu Festival in Port St Johns, Komani Jazz Festival in Chris Hani, Sondela Youth Festival in Maletswai, Joe Gqabi and the OR Tambo Choral Festival in Buffalo City. We will redesign and remodel these festivals into must-see signature festivals that will attract audiences and artists from across the province.
We will continue our support to the National Arts Festival in Makhanda to ensure that the festival continues to be the prime platform for creatives from across and beyond the province. Our financial support to the Eastern Cape Showcase will ensure that Eastern Cape artists have an opportunity to be part of this national festival that is held in their province, thus ensuring local beneficiation. This year the festival will be hybrid; that is part physical in Makhanda-which is a welcome relief for the people of Makhanda and the province at large - and will also continue online as this has proven to be an important platform in expanding the festival, especially internationally.
The National Arts Festival has continuously proven the value of the arts in terms of economic contribution with around R350 million contribution to the provincial GDP. This latent potential of the arts must be spread across the province particularly in the small towns where it can have significant contribution to local economic development. In this regard, we are inviting municipalities and other government agencies to partner with us in realising this potential.
We have taken a decision to disinvest from the Eastern Cape Audio Visual Centre (ECAVC), this decision was painfully arrived at after almost three years of attempts to turn the institution around. In its place we have launched the Eastern Cape Music Excellence Programme which aims to continue with the original objective of investing in the growth and sustainability of the music industry within province. The Eastern Cape Music Excellence Programme will work to develop both Eastern Cape based Music Producers and Musicians, to ensure that we develop a pool of Music Recording Labels/Studios in the province. We will also continue with the Artists in Schools
Programme in partnership with □SAC as one of the initiatives to develop artists in the province.
The ECPACC Siqaqambisa Ubugcisa Fund will continue providing financial support to emerging artists in Audio-Visual and Interactive Media, Cultural and Natural Heritage, Music, Performance, Visual Arts and Crafts. The Eastern Cape Arts and Craft Hub through the Craft Training and Development Programme provides capacity building workshops in various art forms inclusive of Computer Aided Design (CAD). The Hub also houses the Fashion Design Innovation Centre (FDIC} which is implemented in partnership with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (□TIC} and the Council for Science and industry Research (CSIR). This project is targeting newly qualified fashion designers to close the digital skills gap that exists between them and the job market. The re-engineering of craft hubs is underway in line with the review of the ECPACC Legislation to better serve the creative and cultural industries in the Eastern Cape, the process is anticipated to be completed in October 2022.
Film Development
Over the past two financial years through the Provincial Stimulus Fund we have invested about R38 million in the development of film within the province. This investment has resulted in the funding of 23 films and documentaries whose storylines showcase the theme of the Home of Legends. These include the long awaited 13-part signature drama series that will be on your screens before the end of this year. This investment has also ensured that the province continues to be a hub of filming activities, attracting various international and national production houses to shoot films in our beautiful locations
We are still very much committed to establishing the Eastern Cape Provincial Film Commission. The limitation of resources has meant that we need to take a step-by-step approach in putting together the key elements as building blocks towards the Commission. In this regard, we have concluded the development of a Provincial Film Policy and this financial year our focus will be on establishing the Eastern Cape Provincial Film Office which will be a one-stop shop, which will be housed at ECPACC, and will be a coordinating centre for all film activities within the province..
Transformation of heritage landscape
We will continue to embrace and celebrate the broad scope of the province's rich history and heritage legacy, our past, present and future will be connected through the conservation of heritage resources, celebrations of community history and traditions, and the creation of community heritage partnerships. We recognize the value of the Eastern Cape community's unique history, the promotion and conservation of our heritage {both tangible and intangible heritage) will enrich citizens, and offer opportunities for education and awareness.
The Province of the Eastern Cape is endowed with some of the oldest museums in the country, dating as far back as 1855. These facilities need refurbishment as some of their buildings have dilapidated and their structural integrity is not sound, thus pose a danger to staff and visitors. A number of our museums had to be refurbished, repurposed and remodelled in order to meet the necessary occupational safety standards and to modernise these institutions. In this regard we have completed the refurbishment of the Barkly East Museum, the refurbishment of the Fort Beaufort Museum and Kariega (Uitenhage) Museum is projected to completed by the end of this financial year 2022.
In the 2022/23 Financial Year, the Province is poised to celebrate the centenary of Reverend John Knox Bokwe with a view to renew awareness of the province's unique history and heritage legacy. He was a prolific writer, journalist, educator, music composer, religious leader and community developer who worked closely with other early modern African intellectuals to advance the struggle for national liberation.
The Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route (RLHR) project is a national memory project aimed at commemorating, celebrating, educating, promoting, preserving, conserving and providing a durable testament of South African's road to independence. Over time the vision is for the sites to form a massive network of physical narrative of our history. In this regard, The Department will work closely with municipalities, and the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (ECPHRA) to restore and protect culturally significant sites that had been damaged by stray animals and vandals.
These include burial site of uKumkani uNgqika at Burnshill and that of Nkosi Jongumsobomvu Maqoma at Ntaba kaNdoda. These and many other heritage assets will, through the partnership the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), be packaged as sustainable tourism products capable of promoting local economic development.
We will also continue to assist in healing the soul of the nation by working closely with the relevant government departments and social partners on the restitution and relocation of mortal remains of victims of conflict. In this regard, the remains of uKumkani uHintsa will be relocated from the banks of Nqabarha River to Nqadu Great Place, of uKumkani uHlanga from Efutheni Mountain to Mthatha. We are also working on tracking the remains of AmaQwathi traditional leader Nkosi Stokwe Ndlela who led the Stokwe Rebellion against the colonialists in Cacadu (Lady Frere) 1881.
ECPHRA
The Department is working closely with the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (ECPHRA), the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) and the Department of Environmental Affairs to prepare a submission to UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to declare the Klasies River Caves in Sarah Baaartman District a World Heritage Site. The Klasies River Archaeological Site is a series of caves located to the east of the Klasies River Mouth on the Tsitsikamma Coast in Humansdorp.
On the Qhemera Fossil Site in Sterkspruit where dinosaur fossils were discovered in 2018, a multi-disciplinary team of local and international archaeologists and palaeontologists have worked closely with local communities to protect the site with a view to preserve the precious heritage site. The fossils have since been taken to the University of the Witswatersrand for scientific examination and preservation while a feasibility study on the excavation of the entire landscape is being attended to. The Department in collaboration with the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (ECPHRA) has conducted further public participation sessions with local communities, including traditional leaders in Senqu Local Municipality, in a bid to take them into confidence and seek their active participation on the next steps that are going to unfold.
ECPHRA has fast-tracked the processing of permit applications through the establishment of effective and efficient Permit Committees comprised of town planners, archaeologists, palaeontologists and architects. The Permit Committees have since fast tracked the application backlogs and new applications swiftly, particularly those that activate economic activity and local economic development, including big wind energy projects.
In an attempt to enhance the operational efficiency of ECPHRA, a process of integrating the administrative component of the heritage body back to the Department has started. The Department will recruit and appoint capable and experienced officials including archaeologists, architects and administrators to provide administrative support to the ECPHRA Council. The ECPHRA Council will retain its autonomy in line with the provisions of the national heritage legislation, and the new move is aimed at supporting them to discharge their responsibilities effectively and efficiently.
ECPNGC
The ECPGNC will continue to standardise place names in the province in order to promote reconciliation and social cohesion. Focus will be on the approval and publishing in the government gazette standardised names of towns with colonial legacy or historical distortions. The building of a united nation requires a deliberate programme to redress and transform the divisive legacy of our colonial past. Apartheid symbols, names and other artefacts continue to represent the exclusion and discrimination of the past.
This is not just about the names, but it speaks to our identity as a nation, we have a task to construct a common identity that affirms the culture, language and symbols of the indigenous people of this country. We must never shy away from correcting the injustices of the past, and the affirmation and inclusion of the previously marginalised. The name changes are about restoring dignity and making visible all those who were made invisible by apartheid-colonialism.
In this financial year ECPGNC plans to attend to standardization of the following place names: Cradock, Cala, Tarkastad, Tylden, Sterkstroom in Chris Hani District, Algoa Bay, Colchester in Nelson Mandela Bay, Gompo and East London in Buffalo City. The ECPGNC will after completing stakeholder engagement sessions embark on public hearings in May 2022 focusing on Buffalo City, Raymond Mhlaba, Nelson Mandela and Chris Hani Districts respectively.
Promotion and development of multilingualism
The Development of Manuscripts Project will continue, with 100 authors targeted to be assisted and relevant platforms to showcase the works will be increased so as to encourage EC writers to continue writing. We will again host the Provincial Literature Festival which will preceded by district literature festivals. Through these festivals budding and emerging writers will have an opportunity to interact with established authors and also benefit from capacity development programmes.
During the district literature festivals panellists will decide on the best performers in poetry, story-telling etc and those whose works have been selected will go and showcase their literary skills at much elevated and exalted platform - the National literature festival Translation of government documents will continue in the 2022 financial year as translation plays a huge role in making government publications accessible to the general public.
The department intends to vigorously engage government departments, entities and government business enterprises to establish their Language Units - as Language Regulations stipulate. Under the Literary Icons Project the department will once more team up with the Steve Biko Foundation and the Amazwi National Literary Museum in Makhanda. This programme seeks to identify, profile and documents the wealth and rich heritage of literary tapestry we have in the province. Literary icons who have made a telling contribution in the advancement and elevation of indigenous languages will be celebrated.
Social Cohesion
The Department has recently hosted a successful Social Cohesion Dialogue at the Guild Theatre in East London on 10 February 2022 whose purpose was to promote nation building, unity, peace, reconciliation, and social cohesion in the Eastern Cape. National Days, Significant Events, Festivals and Community Dialogues will be utilized as platforms to promote and foster nation building and social cohesion as many community members partake therein in different capacities as participants and consumers of those programmes.
Inculcating a culture of reading and lifelong learning (Libraries)
For automating libraries, rollout of SLIMS will continue in libraries and 35 more libraries have been identified. Access to eBooks is targeted to increase and utilisation of the platform will be pushed up by providing a diverse collection including learner support.
Detection system will be awarded. Roll out and maintenance will commence to libraries. The Department will continue to support the Council as an advisory body to the MEC. We will continue to work with municipalities in the provision of Library services by transferring subsidies to all municipalities of the province. The South African Library for the Blind will receive a subsidy to continue with the establishment of new mini - libraries and maintaining the already existing. We will continue to support local writers by setting aside budget for procurement of their works and in terms of infrastructure this year we will finalise, Cookhouse, Jeffery's Bay and Fort Beaufort libraries
Archives and Record Management
The Department will strengthen its efforts in improving governance and accountability within governmental bodies by providing the required support to the EC Provincial Archives and Records Services. The Provincial hosting of the National Archives Awareness Week in collaboration with the national department will contribute in the awareness and use of archives by communities. We will continue with the processes of digitisation of records in the custody of archives repositories. The project will increase public access to archival records and enhance preservation of the deteriorating documentary heritage, sustaining accessibility by future generations. It is envisaged this will ensure that the actual conversion of paper records into digital format takes off the ground focussing on Land Allotments of the former Victoria East records that are critical for research purposes.
3. Sport and Recreation
The Covid 19 pandemic has significantly affected the sport and recreation sector with almost all activities being placed on hold with exception of professional sport. As a department that is mostly focused on the development side of sport this has affected our own operations significantly. As a response to the pandemic, we modified our plans to prioritise the provision of sporting equipment and apparel. This was to ensure that sporting clubs are better resourced and prepared for when sporting activities resume.
Our approach to sport is developmentally focussed on investing across the entire system but with a priority on grassroots level and the previously marginalised areas like townships and rural areas. Our delivery model is anchored on school sport, club development, sport administration and governance, sporting excellence and professional sport. This delivery model enables us to support sport development across the system, from early ages to professional and international competitive levels.
The aim is also to get those who are already active to continue or increase their levels of participation in sport and active recreation. For those who want to achieve their highest potential in a particular sport we will work collaboratively with our partners to ensure that there are pathways to national and international participation. For those who are more interested in the social aspect of physical activity participation, we will work collaboratively with other partners to ensure that non-competitive or less competitive options are available.
The community-based organisations run by volunteers that provide many of the physical activity opportunities in our communities will be supported and upskilled. Wherever possible we will make their job easier through improved management models, training, assistance with promotion, technology and resources. It will be through such an approach that real connectivity for the sport and recreation sector will be gained and the true worth of active lifestyles to EC community will be realised. These interventions will include, increasing interaction and collaboration among the various levels of government particularly local government, the Departments of Education and Health.
Move for Health Campaign
This year working with the Provincial Department of Health we will launch the Move for Health Campaign. Through this campaign our aim is to encourage all adults, children and young people who are currently not physically active to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day. The Move for Health Campaign seeks to bring people together in the spirit of fun, inclusivity and support to healthy active living. Communities and workplaces will be encouraged to host regular walks, aerobics and various physical activities as part the campaign. We will engage government departments, municipalities and private organisations to participate in the campaign by dedicating days for employees to participate in physical activities, challenge or any other activity that engages people in the celebration of being active.
Schools Sport Development
We will support the hosting of the four mandatory national tournaments (Winter, Summer, Indigenous Ga mes a nd Autumn Ga mes) which will be jointly orga nized with the Department of Education. The Department of Education will support participation from circuit to district level and DSRAC will take care of provincial and national games. In the organisationof these games, regular engagements between the two departments will take place.
Development of Sport Clubs in Communities
The province is targeting to reach 120 sporting Clubs to be supported with equipment and attire at a ratio of 15 clubs per district, this is an ongoing programme with different clubs receiving support each year. The provision of equipment and or attire was accelerated during 2021/22 financial year as there was less participation in the field of play by Federations due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. All the identified Clubs will be selected down after a consultation process with the relevant Federations
A total of 119 Local Leagues will be organized and supported through the Conditional Grant with special focus to the 16 prioritized sporting codes. The Department has developed clear guidelines and requirements for the support of local leagues that will unearth the potential of the local communities throughout the different areas of the province. Sport Structures and provincial federations shall be strengthened by the continuous engagements at various levels in collaboration with the Eastern Cape Sports Confederation. We are also reviewing the Club Development Framework to put more emphasis in club structure for optimal participation of our Athletes and development of clubs.
Hosting of Major Sporting Events
The Eastern Cape is aspiring to be a destination of choice by hosting Sport Major events and as such would want to position itself to achieve this milestone through the resumption of our Sports Tourism Fund. In partnership with Municipalities, the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Authority (ECPTA) and various partners we seek to position our cities and towns as sporting destinations.
Transformation of Sport and Recreation
Youth - We will again revive the Steve Vukile Tshwete (SVT) Games as multi-coded project which emanates from competitions at municipal level. The SVT Games covers both for males and females of different ages, this programme is anticipated to assist in the quest to get Athletes who will represent the country in the 2024 Olympic Games.
Women - Netball has been identified as the number one women sport in the country. In this coming financial, Netball will receive a special attention since South Africa will be hosting the 2023 Netball World Cup. Capacity building programmes and support to active participation are included in our plans to ensure increased participation of Eastern Cape Athletes in the 2023 Netball World Cup.
Honourable Speaker, as part of the 2023 Netball World Cup Legacy programme, we have launched the Netball Fridays campaign which seeks to gunner support for our girls as they prepare for the world cup. We are lobbying corporates to come on board and help us build at least 8 netball courts across our districts. We will have Netball Fridays activation in all our districts and will be handing over netball equipment to schools and clubs as we roll out this program. We call on the provincial legislature, MEC's, Municipalities, corporates and individuals to purchase and wear the official Netball World Cup T-shirts every Friday.
Women Football is also climbing in the sport map as already in the previous season, Thunderbirds Football Club from eGcuwa was the only team participating in the Hollywood Bets Super League and has since been joined by City Lads Football Club from Gqeberha after qualifying during the SASOL League National Playoffs held in January 2022.
The Border and Eastern Province Rugby Women teams are a force to be reckon with as they won a number of trophies in the national rugby tournaments organised by the of South African Rugby Union.
People with Disabilities - Eastern Cape Province has kept the flag high in all National participation Tournaments by collecting medals in all categories (Physically Disabled, Deaf, Intellectually and Visually Impaired). This year working with the Provincial DISSA we will work towards closing the gap between federations and schools' structures as this has been identified as one of the areas for improvement.
Rural Sport Development- Our Province is mostly rural and as such higher percentage of resources should be biased in that angle. Our Rural Sport Development Programme is a targeted intervention that is rolled out in collaboration with traditional leaders through our sporting hubs that we have initiated in a number of Traditional Councils across the province. The Rural Sport Development Programme provides capacity building, equipment and attire to rural sporting clubs.
Provincial Academy of Sport
The Provincial Academy of Sport system will make provision for the following programmes to support sport excellence and high performance
- Individual Athletes Programme annual intake will be 300 athletes in all districts of the province. They will be supported with sport scientific specialist assessment and treatment, preparation of nutritional, training and participation plans to prepare them for national and international participation.
- Sport Focus Schools is at the entry level of the academy of sport system. The young sport talented athletes receive similar support within the identified sport focus schools. The plan is to expand the existing sport focus schools by incorporating the surrounding schools into the programme.
- Training of high-performance coaches, scientific support and technical officials is important to ensure that the athletes that are identified receive the appropriate and focused training and guidance to reach their individual peak in sport performance.
International Partnership with Lower Saxony (Germany)
We have a vibrant cooperation with the State of Lower Saxony in Germany, through this partnership we implement a number of sport exchange programmes including the following: Volunteer Exchange Programme, Women Football Exchange Programme, Youth Exchange Programme. This year we will jointly host the Open Boxing Nelson Mandela Challenge, which is an amateur boxing tournament between Eastern Cape Boxing Team and the Lower Saxony Boxing Team.
4. Administration
We have had set ourselves targets to transform the public service for effective and efficient delivery of services to the people of the province. To this effect, the Department will continue with the transformation programmes adopted in the previous financial years to address the gaps identified in the attainment of good governance. We have achieved a clean audit for the 2020/21 financial year, which is a goal we had set in 2019. I know some people will say 'people don't eat clean audits' but it is testimony that imali zikarhulumente siziphethe ngendlela eyiyo. This is extremely important for our department with its very small budget which continues to shrink.
We have also managed to stabilise the administration and management of the department through the filling of all vacancies in the executive management level. I am also proud to say that out of six members of the top management, four are women, signifying our commitment to transformation and meeting our employment equity targets.
Good Governance and Ethical Leadership
To heed the call of instilling an Ethical Culture within the department once again, all officials within public service are obliged to register for the Ethics Course by the end of this financial.
Women Empowerment
Through our Accelerated Women Empowerment Programme, we have been able to increase capacity and employment opportunities for women. The programme has resulted in a percentage increase of women in the SMS and managerial levels of the department. This programme is rolled out through short course programmes, bursary awarding, leadership development programmes such as the Emerging Management
Development programme (EMDP) and the Advanced Management Developmental program (AMDP).
Through the implementation of the employment equity plan and Women Empowerment Programme the Department has improved in the employment of Women at SMS level, for example at the Top Management level there is 67% women representation and at the SMS level the department has improved from 41% female representation to 43%. We intend to use the remaining vacancies to reach the 50% target this year.
Modernisation and Automation of Business Processes
We have made significant progress with the automation of our business processes, we are now focusing on the adoption of the implemented new business processes as the Department moves towards a modern workplace. As we moves into the digital future we will be seeking to leverage modern collaboration technologies to empower employees, optimize operations and better engage with the citizens of the Province.
5. Conclusion Honourable Speaker,
I present to this House and to the entire Eastern Cape community our 2022/23 Annual Performance Plans, Operational Plans and budget summary for both the Department and the Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council (ECPACC). Our plans for this current financial year, provide a vision for the Province where citizens will have equal access to services; strong community connections, improved leadership, stakeholder engagements, governance and accountability. Within this framework we will ensure that there is greater collaboration and coordination, through the district development model. The planned programmes of the department will benefit women, youth, people with disabilities and diverse communities, thereby contributing significantly to nation building and social cohesion.
Programme Medium-term Budget Estimates,
R'OOO
2022/23
Administration 323 963
Cultural Affairs 232 458
Library and Archives Services 267 804
Sport and Recreation 166 506
Total 990 731
2023/24
Administration 324 405
Cultural Affairs 231 062
Library and Archives Services 270 114
Sport and Recreation 165 147
Total 990 728
2024/25
Administration 327 972
Cultural Affairs 241 431
Library and Archives Services 282 088
Sport and Recreation 172 861
Total 1024352
I, Thank You
