2006/07 delivered by MEC Weziwe Thusi
4 May 2006
Chairperson
Honourable Members
It is my pleasure and privilege to present to this Honourable House the
Budget for the 2006/2007 financial year of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of
Arts, Culture and Tourism. As Honourable members are aware, I have been in this
Portfolio only a matter of weeks so in a sense I am carrying forward what was
initiated by my predecessor in office and I would like to take this opportunity
to recognise what he achieved in a little less than two years in giving the
Department organisation, direction and purpose. I believe I have inherited a
Department that is very much a going concern. I wish to express my gratitude to
the Honourable Premier for the confidence he has shown in me; also to the
Portfolio Committee on Arts, Culture and Tourism, the Portfolio Committee on
Finance and the Treasury itself for their assistance and support.
Chairperson, those of us who are involved in government have priorities of
nation-building, economic growth, job creation and poverty alleviation. Arts,
Culture and Tourism is no exception. And I am happy to be able to quote our
former President Nelson Mandela in this respect. âArts and Culture are also
important industries,â he said in 1994. âThey offer potential employment and
wealth creation opportunities. Investment in arts and culture provides a
stimulus for activity in the broader economy.â
Guiding principle
I take those words as a guiding principle for this Department. We seek to
use the Arts and Culture as a catalyst in the upliftment of our people,
especially as they contribute to the Tourism Industry, whether in celebration
of the Bhambatha Uprising or in other facets of our rich and colourful history
and culture.
I also believe we have a special responsibility toward our rural
communities. They are the custodians of our cultural heritage, and indigenous
artistic traditions that do so much to enrich Tourism. They need to be drawn
into full celebration of their heritage; to be drawn into the Tourism Industry
also and reap its rewards. They need access to capital, and in this respect I
believe KwaZulu-Natal needs to establish relationships with the various
cultural funds that are available, such as Investing in Culture, the Performing
Arts Council, the National Heritage Council, the National Film and Video
Foundation and the Lottery Fund, to name just a few.
I see Cultural Tourism as a catalyst for job creation. According to the
World Tourism Organisation it is one of the fastest growing sectors, at about
10 percent a year. Cultural Tourism also serves the desirable purpose of
instilling pride in the communityâs identity.
I believe it is also important to form partnerships with local government
where programmes of artistic and cultural development are funded in the name of
Local Economic Development.
Technical challenges
Chairperson, before addressing the operational activities of the Department,
I feel I should mention a technical area where work still has to be completed
to make us fully operational as a government department. This is
rationalisation of the legislation which provides the mandates under which we
operate. These come from a variety of sources which include: the pre-1994
national Parliament, the old Natal Provincial Council and the old KwaZulu
Legislative Assembly. Many of these statutes and ordinances need to be repealed
and replaced so that they can match the realities of today and be aligned with
our objectives and targets. It is a complicated and time-consuming task.
Eventually new legislation will be drafted and brought before this Honourable
House.
Financial management
I also mention that the Department is fully committed to national norms of
Financial Management, in spite of certain difficulties in implementation.
The Supply Chain Management legislation has meant significant changes such
as reviewing the structure, and training officials at higher and lower levels.
Realignment of the structure has required more funds than the Department has
available, and consequently it has to align within this constraint. These
impacts negatively on the implementation of Supply Chain Management.
The Department is required, as stipulated by the National Treasury, to set
up a Project Plan for the minimum requirements of an Assets Register. This
includes physical verification of all assets, loading the asset values from
April 1, 2004 until now and reconciliation between the Basic Accounting System
(BAS) and Hardcat for the same period. This is proceeding well but there still
has to be a handing-over of assets from the Department of Education in terms of
the excision process.
Gender balance
As far as other administrative matters go, the Department has achieved a
pleasing 38.1% of women at senior management services level; 45.2% at middle
management level; and 45.8% at junior management level. Our goal is, of course,
50%.
Skills development
In compliance with the Skills Development prescripts, where the target is 5%
of complement, the Department has managed to place 15 interns, which means
3.9%. The limitation here is funding, though the intention is to increase
intern enrolment where possible.
Accommodation
The Department has managed to find office accommodation for the Zululand and
Ukhahlamba Clusters. It also has possession of a number of halls and camps,
which I hope to see becoming vibrant arts and training centres and exhibition
venues.
I turn now to operational activities.
Arts and culture development
The Arts and Culture component is headed by a Senior Manager and has been
split into three sub-structures which are responsible for policy making at Head
Office and implementation at Cluster level. This includes the component of
Language Services.
Arts Development
In order to satisfy the artistic needs of its stakeholders, the Department
is responsible for the following activities:
Taking Arts to the People
A fully structured programme incorporating the different genres of
performing arts has been taken to various parts of KwaZulu-Natal to display
local talent and expose local communities to Art. Although four programmes were
planned for the 2005/2006 financial year only three were completed due to
budgetary constraints.
In the 2006/07 financial year four programmes are planned which will be held
in each Cluster.
A number of activities have been planned to empower local artists, aimed at
self-sustainability. These include recording of individuals and groups who
perform gospel, isicatimiya, maskanda and other traditional music.
Funds have been budgeted for the 2006/07 year to record approximately 11
groups that have qualified. In this way the artists will be able to generate
income from the sale of their recordings and become economically active.
In the same way drama (scriptwriting, directing, acting and other aspects
related to the film and video industry as well as theatre) will be pursued on a
vigorous scale as there are great demands from this sector.
A total of 30 workshops, seminars and other events will be held at our
different Clusters to expose visual artists, crafters, musicians, arts
administrators and other stakeholders to the latest trends, which affect their
line of work. These activities also provide an opportunity for artists to meet
and interact as they strive towards a common goal.
Cultural competitions
Cultural competitions will be held in all our Clusters which will result in
some of the winners participating in national and international events thus
bringing much honour to the Province.
Music, song and dance festivals
Three provincial and 17 district multi-disciplinary arts festivals are
planned for the 2006/07 financial year.
Art centres
Currently the department is providing infrastructural support to three Art
Centres the Stable Theatre, the Ntuzuma Art Centre and the Indonsa Art Centre.
We have extended funding to art centres to include independent arts
centres.
The vision is to provide Art Centres in every district, but this would
require greater funding.
Culture development
A number of programmes will be hosted as it happened in 2005/06 to preserve
the living cultures of the Province. These are showcased through events and
ceremonies such as Freedom Day, Womenâs Day, Heritage Day, the Reed Dance
Festival, Wildfeesdag, Eastern Rendezvous and King Shaka Day.
Public-private partnership initiatives
Chairperson, I mentioned artists being provided opportunities to make a
professional living. An encouraging start has already been made. The
Departmentâs Zululand Cluster has facilitated a programme in which bead workers
from the very remote Qweqweni district have been producing lapel badges
depicting the South African and French flags, in a contract with the Government
of France. A pilot programme also in the Zululand Cluster has seen the
organisation, over about a year, of unemployed school leavers into Arts
Co-operatives where they hone their skills across a range of chosen activities
music, dance, sculpture, pottery, sewing and so forth. The Cluster recently
facilitated their registration with the Department of Trade and Industry, and
they are about to be put on a database which will afford them opportunities to
sell their artefacts or perform. From a position of complete hopelessness, they
have been taken to a position where they have the opportunity to earn money.
This surely is progress.
Film/video
Film and video are highly promising avenues. The Russian version of the
television show Big Brother was shot recently in the Amatikulu district, the
location chosen ahead of Kenya. Indian film interests are currently dubbing a
Tamil film into isiZulu, with the assistance of the Department, and two Indian
directors were recently in KwaZulu-Natal, auditioning for voice-overs and music
for the sound track and scouting out suitable locations for future films. Only
last week, the cream of the international wildlife film industry was in Durban
for a conference, which is very exciting. Not only do locally made films
provide opportunities for local actors; they are a powerful marketing tool for
our Tourism Industry. My Department is ready to play a role in facilitating the
film industry.
Language services
I turn now to Language Services. The component is to embark on a week long
Language Awareness Campaign to emphasise the value of multilingualism and
encourage people to learn new languages and customs. The Campaign is likely to
include such events as the Prize-giving of the Provincial Literature Writing
Competition and the launching of Trilingual Term Lists.
International Mother Language Day
Linguistic and cultural diversity represent universal values that strengthen
the unity and cohesion of societies. In 1999 United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) decided to celebrate
International Mother Language Day on February 21 every year, throughout the
world. The Department celebrated the event with great success in February 2005
by staging a Provincial Language Indaba. The theme for the 2006 event was
âCelebrating Cultural and Language Diversityâ. The 2007 celebration will build
on these foundations.
A core function of the component is to promote multilingualism through
translation of all governmental documents from English into isiZulu and
Afrikaans. Translation and interpreting is accelerating as a career as it has
its own dynamics. In celebrating International Translation Day on September 30,
Language Services is planning to identify, develop and promote business
opportunities in this field.
The component has prioritised the translation of existing tender documents
into isiZulu and Afrikaans in order to ensure access to tender opportunities by
all the people of the Province.
It is flooded with requests from client departments and other institutions
for interpreting, including simultaneous interpreting. Simultaneous
interpreting costs an average of R57 000 per meeting/seminar per day. The
component has consequently identified the need to purchase its own simultaneous
interpreting equipment which will allow it to render his service
effectively.
Co-ordinating terminology development and dictionary development is one of
the componentâs main strategic objectives. It is therefore in the process of
compiling a wide spectrum of trilingual (English, isiZulu, Afrikaans)
specialised field term lists. It plans to finalise and launch a General Term
List at a special ceremony in 2006/2007.
The department and the Usiba Writerâs Guild staged a very successful
Literary Exhibition at the Sun Coast Casino, in Durban in July 2005. This is to
become an annual event, this year including works in English and Afrikaans.
Reading clubs are planned for establishment across the Province. They are
planned for all 11 districts of the four Clusters over the next few years,
funding being the limiting factor.
Writing competitions are also planned for various age groups, themes and
genres.
The component is also active on the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Geographical
Place Names Committee a provincial chapter of the National Council and provides
a secretarial service to the Committee. To accelerate the process of rectifying
place names in KwaZulu-Natal, the component plans a Provincial Conference on
Geographical Names.
The component is tasked with the promotion of multi-lingualism, which in
KwaZulu-Natal means equal status and usage for isiZulu, Afrikaans and English
in all official communiques, correspondence and discussions.
Chairperson, Honourable Members, the third issue of GIYA! official external
newsletter of this Department has been circulated to you. It appears in
English, hot off the presses, but I am glad to be able to say this third issue
will very soon be also available in isiZulu and Afrikaans, the translations
having been made by Language Services. This very Budget speech, which is
available in isiZulu and Afrikaans, is also available in Braille. Three
languages plus Braille - I think Language Services is excelling itself.
Archives
Chairperson, I turn now to the component of archives. It has been truly said
that a nation without records is a nation without a history. A nation without a
history is like a nation without a past, a present or a future. A nation
without a past or future is like a nation without a background, pride, heritage
and vision.
Records management
The Archives Service is taking a lead in improving the management of public
records by implementation of an Integrated Document and Records Management
System (IDRMS) which will assist public bodies in gradually making the
transition to an e-Government era. I see this as a highly significant
development.
Capacity building and monitoring programmes, including training, inspections
and appraisals of records systems, continue.
Oral history and public awareness programmes
Chairperson, Honourable Members, the history of the province has to be
verified, collected, documented and made accessible to the people of the
province to know, acknowledge, use and appreciate. There are many historical
gaps and the Archives have embarked on a programme of filling those gaps by
interviewing elderly people and recording their memories.
A programme to introduce learners, students and the community to the
Heritage sector is to be stepped up. In partnership with the Department of
Education, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and other heritage institutions,
various schools will be identified for visits to the repositories, where
learners will be introduced to history and research. During the Heritage Month
celebrations, archival displays will be taken to the less visited and profiled
parts of the province.
Public Library Services
Chairperson, I come now to the component of Library and Information
Services, a component that has a vital role to play in the upliftment and
progress of marginalised communities and which has a substantial impact for the
good. The achievements of the Public Library Service clearly contribute toward
addressing the key issues and priorities of enhancing co-operative governance
and developing community infrastructure.
Through its delivery of a public library service to 170 affiliated public
libraries, by the provision of library material and information services in
support of life-long learning, it continues to play a significant role in the
development and upliftment of the quality of life of the people of this
province.
Reading Culture Campaign
Towards realising the Departmentâs vision of creating and sustaining a
reading culture, the Provincial Library Services will continue in 2006/2007 to
improve and extend access to public libraries through its Library Development
Programme projects. In this financial year R19.9 million is budgeted to fund
the building, furnishing and equipping of new libraries and to extending and
uplifting many existing facilities.
Negotiations are under way to revise the existing funding model of these
building projects, which currently sees funds channelled through local
government. Our Departmentâs intention is to use independent service providers
working with the Department of Works to ensure that the projects are managed at
Provincial Government level.
At various stages of development in this financial year are new library
buildings at Izinqoleni, Impendle, Eastwood, Imbabazane (Ntabamhlope), Msinga
(Tugela Ferry), Hlabisa, Mtubatuba, Nkandla (Qhudeni), KwaDukuza, Ndwedwe,
Bulwer and Ixopo.
This infrastructural development in local authority areas receives
continuing support from the Public Library Services, which provide books,
magazines and library material in many audio-visual formats. In the current
year R20.3 million is allocated for the purchase of library material. New
libraries cannot open with empty shelves and our library material budget must
grow with the increased demands of new library users.
Promotion of reading is a continuous commitment and this financial year
plans for a special campaign have been formulated with road shows,
competitions, posters and media awareness. It is planned to run from September,
the month of Literacy Week. Funding of R500 000 has been allocated for this
purpose with books to support the campaign from the Library Material
Budget.
Our public libraries serve thousands of children, particularly in the
afternoon after school. Funding of R700 000 has been allocated for the purchase
and installation of computers for public use in affiliated libraries, affording
learners the opportunity to seek up-to-date topical information and to learn
essential computer skills.
Tourism and Corporate Strategy
Chairperson, Honourable Members, I turn finally to Tourism and Corporate
Strategy, a chief directorate I see playing an absolutely vital role as
KwaZulu-Natal taps into the international boom in Tourism and as we gear up for
the Soccer World Cup in 2010, which will see Durban hosting one of the
semi-finals. Many thousands of overseas people will be in our province for the
first time. We need to make sure they have such an enjoyable time and receive
such value for money they will want to return again and again and will spread
the message by word of mouth. We simply cannot afford to let this opportunity
slip.
Tourism in particular the surge of activity that will accompany the World
Cup also presents the opportunity to make real progress in making the
historically disadvantaged real participants in the economic benefits of
Tourism.
KwaZulu-Natalâs tourist attractions are self-evident: mountains, beaches,
pristine wilderness and big game. Not quite as self-evident, but real
nevertheless, is the appeal for visitors of new ethnic and cultural
experiences, the vibrancy of the provinceâs diverse cultures.
Tourism Indaba
These attractions will be on full display to the main players in
international tourism in a few days at the 2006 Tourism Indaba in Durban, and
it is my fervent wish that we will be told then that our bid to continue
hosting this prestigious event from 2007 to 2009 has been successful. The Bid
Document has been carefully prepared and submitted, the stakeholders being this
Department, Tourism KZN, eThekwini Municipality and the International
Convention Centre. We wait with bated breath for the announcement.
If we do win the bid, it will be an endorsement of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal
as major players in the national and international tourism markets, but it will
also mean we have to rise to the challenge of staying at the top.
Tourism Ambassadors
A feature of the Indaba again this year will be the presence of Tourism
Ambassadors, there to assist and advise delegates, tell them the doâs and
donâts and see to their general well-being and security. They were a great
success last year and in fact they are a service which we intend introducing
wherever we can at places where tourists gather. The concept is similar to that
of car guards. The Tourism Ambassadors are trained, uniformed and identifiable
and are there to advice and help. They performed good work at Ballito and
Tugela Mouth during the last December holidays, at beaches under the
jurisdiction of Ilembe Municipality, and I would like to see the system
extended, in collaboration with local government and the private sector. I
intend pursuing the programme as tourist safety and comfort are vital.
White Paper
By the end of this year the Department will have developed a White Paper on
Tourism in KZN which will outline the policy and strategic direction to ensure
sustainable growth, development and promotion of the tourism sector in our
province and assist in achieving the objectives of Accelerated and Shared
Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA), which highlights the potential of
Tourism to bring about economic growth.
We also intend going all-out for multi-sectoral participation in the Tourism
Industry through programmes such as:
* The Tourism Career Support Programme which is geared towards improving
public/private partnership while enhancing employment opportunities for
unemployed graduates and prospective graduates in Tourism. This programme will
also offer bursaries for HDI Tourism Students, and we want to work with the
Department of Education to support educators who teach Tourism in schools. The
Department plays its role with bursaries and the taking on of a limited number
of Tourism interns, who are included in the 3.9% mentioned earlier.
* The Tourism Mentorship Programme, which in past months has proved a very
useful vehicle for assisting and supporting Small Medium Micro-Economic (SMME)
in the Tourism Industry. We will be increasing the degree of participation in
this mentee/mentor programme and spreading it especially to rural areas.
* Implementation of Disabled Tourism strategy, which targets a potentially
significant market, at the same time providing opportunities for disabled tour
operators. I will also ensure that Disabled Tourism structures become part of
the mainstream where decisions are taken.
We also want to ensure that there is transformation in the Tourism Industry
by driving the implementation of the Tourism Black Economic Empowerment (BEE)
Charter and Scorecard, with a strong emphasis on women and youth, and here we
want to work with municipalities, given their constitutional responsibility for
local tourism.
Challenges
The challenges of 2010, of Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for
South Africa (AsgiSA) and of Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition
(JIPSA) mean we must do our best to ensure that there is awareness of the
potential benefits of Tourism throughout the province. My Department will work
with TKZN on such an Awareness Programme.
Another challenge is the question of the portrait of His Majesty the King
being displayed in public places where tourists gather â a question which he
himself raised at the opening of the Provincial Legislature. That is being
addressed in the appropriate quarters and I anticipate a decision being arrived
at in the months ahead.
I also see it as my responsibility, as Executing Authority, to ensure that
public entities linked to my Department deliver on their mandates. I will
therefore continue to ensure that TKZN and the Natal Sharks Board have
effective and efficient members on their Boards, who deliver on what is
contained in their Strategic Plans and Action Plans. It is my duty to ensure
that there is compliance with the Public Finance Management ACT (PFMA), the KZN
Tourism Authority Act and the enabling ordinance of the Natal Sharks Board. I
intend to play a visible supportive role to the Natal Playhouse Company and
assist them in carrying out their mandate particularly in reaching out to the
rural communities.
Chairperson, I see the Tourism Industry as an engine of growth in
KwaZulu-Natal and the means by which we can see to the economic upliftment of
the historically disadvantaged by expanding the overall Product and drawing
them into this activity in the most meaningful way. I also see Tourism as
complementary to Arts and Culture, and vice versa. They are two sides to the
same coin, both working for the upliftment of the province and its people. I
see it as the duty of Government to stimulate and facilitate this, in
partnership with the private sector and the different communities. But
unfortunately requirements always seem to outstrip resources.
This Department is again underfunded in terms of its core mandates â though
not as badly as last year â and difficult adjustments clearly lie ahead as we
have to tailor aspirations to what is available. Nevertheless, it is in a
spirit of optimism, and with confidence in the Departmentâs management team,
that I have pleasure in moving the adoption of the 2006/2007 Budget, as
follows:
Programme 1: Administration R40.194 million
Programme 2: Cultural Affairs R55.144 million
Programme 3: Libraries and Information Services/Archives Services
Programme 4: Tourism and Corporate Strategy R81.415 million
Grand Total of All Programmes R254.726 million
Issued by: Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial
Government
4 May 2006
