agreement
12 September 2006
South African Minister of Arts and Culture, the Honourable Z Pallo Jordan
and his Mali counterpart Honourable Minister Cheick Oumar Sessoko this
afternoon signed a cultural co-operation agreement to further cement the
relationship already established between the two countries. South Africa has
played an active role in contributing to efforts of the preservation of the
Timbuktu manuscripts and the building of the library in Timbuktu where the
scripts will be housed.
Minister Sessoko reminded the gathered observers to the signing of the long
standing relationship between the two countries from the days of South Africa's
struggle against apartheid and Nelson Mandela's visit to Mali soon after
liberation to thank the people of Mali for their support.
Briefing notes on the bilateral relations between the Republic of South
Africa and the Republic of Mali:
The South Africa (SA) - Mali Project on Timbuktu manuscripts was officially
launched by president Mbeki and president Konare on 25 May 2003 in Cape Town. A
Board of Trustees has been formally constituted and consisted of Minister in
the Presidency Dr E Pahad, Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture Ms Ntombozana
Botha, Ms Mary Slack, Mr Rick Mennell, Mr Tokyo Sexwale, Dr Snowy Khoza and Mr
Sinaly Coulibaly, the Malian Ambassador to South Africa.
For three years since April 2003 the National Archives has hosted a group of
five Malian conservator trainees for approximately eight weeks annually. This
has been followed with training workshops with the same five including a
boarder group of Malian trainees at the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu,
Mali.
Ongoing academic research is being co-ordinated by Dr Shamil Jeppie from
University of Cape Town (UCT) Department of History, also employed by the
Department of Arts and Culture. A conference on the manuscripts was held in
August 2005 in Cape Town bringing together major experts in the field.
An exhibition of 16 manuscripts was held at the Standard Bank Gallery from 1
â 8 October 2005 that drew widespread media attention and attracted record
numbers of visitors.
Many banquets and fund-raisers were held towards the project and an
estimated R22 million has been raised towards the construction of the building
to house the manuscripts. Construction was started in April 2006.
Recent discussions with Tunisia have also taken place regarding further
specialized manuscript conversion training. In December 2005 Minister E Pahad,
the project manager and the conservator from National Archives visited Tunis
and Kairouan to investigate the facilities and discuss collaborations on the
training of the Malians in conservation. It is envisaged together with this
collaboration in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Training of Malian
conservators was to take place in Mali and Tunisia.
There is a private sector (institution-to-institution) collaboration between
the Sogolon and Handspring Puppet companies in the field of puppetry. The
collaboration entitled AT ARMS Length, an encounter between South and West
Africa and between traditional and the contemporary was mounted. The exhibition
took place 17 February â 15 April 2006 at the Courtyard Gallery of the World
Financial Centre in downtown New York. To broaden and strengthen relations
between the two countries the parties have negotiated and finalised an
agreement on co-operation in the fields of Arts and Culture, specifically in
literature, exchange of study and lecturer, music, dance, drama publications
and art exhibitions.
With regard to film the two parties' collaboration will include exchange of
technicians, co-production training, participation in various film festivals in
either country.
Enquiries: Sandile Memela, Media Spokesperson for the Ministry of Arts and
Culture
Cell: 082 800 3750.
E-mail: sandile.memela@dac.gov.za
Issued by: Meropa Communications on behalf of Department of Arts and
Culture
12 September 2006
