Madam Speaker,
Honourable members,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Business leaders,
Arts and Culture practitioners and administrators,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great honour for me to stand before this house to present the budget policy statement, Vote 15 of the Department of Arts and Culture.
Honourable members, this Budget Vote is presented against the backdrop of three historically significant occasions taking place this month. Firstly, the commemoration of the legacy of the sixth President of the African Nationa Congress (ANC) Dr AB Xuma, an academic par excellence and a strong proponent of social cohesion.
Honourable members, as part of the centenary celebration of the struggles of our people, the President and the Premier articulated in their respective addresses early this year that “the centenary celebration is not only for the members of the ruling party but, it is a celebration of all efforts and contributions by our heroes and ordinary people in pursuit of the ideals of freedom, non-racialism, non-sexism and democracy.
We celebrate nation building by strengthening the values that bind us together as a nation.” To promote common human identity and social cohesion, the department hosted the Africa Day Celebrations which will become a significant event in our annual calendar.
Secondly, during this month in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) we are also commemorating the legacy of the founding president of the ANC Youth League, Anton Lembede who was passionate about education. He spent most of his time educating the youth to become self-reliant so as to improve their socio-economic situation. Lastly, June is the month when we salute the heroic deeds of the 1976 youth who sacrificed their lives for the freedom we are enjoying today.
Before I proceed with the business of today, let me start by paying tribute to my predecessor, Hon Thusi for her sterling work while she was the MEC in this portfolio. Honourable members, In his state of the Nation Address, the President declared 2012 as the year for heritage. The KwaZulu-Natal Premier also reinforced this message in his State of the Province Address by announcing that the province will be embarking on major projects to elevate the province’s heritage treasures.
Apart from ensuring that our heritage is preserved, some of these projects will go a long way towards addressing the triple challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty. We are all aware that the current administration has committed itself to delivering on the five key priorities. Therefore the budget which I am going to table before this house today is responding directly to some of these five priorities.
At the same time, we will be playing an instrumental role in the advancement and promotion of social cohesion to ensure that the rights of all the citizens of this province are safeguarded.
Trajectory for prosperity of the KZN Arts and Culture sectors
The contribution of this department to improving the quality of life of the people of this province is often underestimated. It is common cause that the Department of Arts and Culture is one of the under funded departments in the province and this makes it extremely difficult for the department to deliver on its mandate. The arts and culture sector provides livelihoods and simultaneously creates jobs. In this process, it plays a vital role in the development and social transformation of our society which is still fragmented.
This department is acutely aware of the disparities in a transformative society such as ours and it plans to focus on the gradual and systematic increases of its reach through the development of appropriate skills, technologies and infrastructure to grow the sector. The new growth path identifies manufacturing and investment in the knowledge-based economy as a priority. To this end, we will expand our library and museum infrastructure. In the current financial year, we will also be implementing the prescripts of the language policy.
Honourable members, the programme structure of the Department of Arts and Culture is as follows:
- Administration
- Cultural Affairs
- Library Services
Programme 1: Administration
Madam Speaker, Administration Services, is responsible for the provision of support services to line functions of the department.
Organisational Structure
Honourable members, since its inception, this department has been plagued by a number of challenges. Among the critical challenges we are facing is that our organisational structure is not aligned to the mandate and vision of the department. According to our strategic plan, the department is supposed to have a staff complement of 800 people, but the posts that are funded are slightly above 400 due to lack of funds. As a result of the capacity problem, the
department is very thin on the coal face of service delivery.
Last year, the department conducted a climate survey among its employees. The preliminary findings revealed that most of our staff members are disillusioned because they are overstretched. The survey also cited the shortage of resources in the department as another contributing factor to the staff disillusionment as it impacts on their performance.
Employment Equity
Madam Speaker, the department filled 56 of the total of 61 advertised posts in the 2011/12 period and plans to fill 31 approved and funded posts in 2012/13. Our vacancy rate is 10 % which is within the national norm. At SMS level, the department has 81% African, 15% Indian and 4 % White and a percentage of 1.76 for people with disability. In the current financial year, the disability strategy will be implemented with the assistance of strategic partners in the sector.
Social Community Arts and Culture Infrastructure Pipeline
As part of the departments quest to address infrastructural challenges, we are going to roll out a massive infrastructure programme wherein community libraries and museums will be constructed. In the 2012/13 financial year, the department will not be constructing new art centres. However, the existing ones will be renovated and made fully functional.
Madam speaker, I have the pleasure of informing this house that the infrastructure programme that was rolled out in the previous financial year yielded Uthungulu and the Ladysmith Arts Centres which are now above 90 % complete. While Winston Churchill is in the process of being completed, the Stable Theatre has been completed. Renovations were completed at the two campsites which are Cathedral Peak and RS Skinner.
A total of three new public libraries were completed in 2011/12 at Ntambanana, Mbazwana and Kwandwalane, with the building of a combined library and museum almost completed at Qhudeni. We will begin the construction of a new library in Maphumalo this month. Libraries in Dannhauser, Camperdown and Steadville were extensively renovated with the upgrading of the Mpophomeni library completed in May. A further 15 museums are currently being renovated.
Going forward in the 2012/13 period, the department will be extensively renovating a building in Ndulinde in Mandeni Municipality to create a library facility and will begin construction of a new library in Maphumulo. A site has been identified to begin the planning of a new library in Vulamehlo next year. In the current financial year, we have allocated R16,3 million for the infrastructure of libraries.
In order to transform the heritage landscape in the province, new museums will be built in KwaDukuza and Newcastle with a budget of R 8,5 million. The Port Shepstone Cultural History Museum will be extensively extended and renovated. The Premier, in his state of the province address declared, and I quote “Plans are afoot to build two grand museums to commemorate the Heroes of our Struggle (The Heroes’ Acre, including a wall commemorating the Seven Days War) on the site where the remains of Moses Mabhida and Johnny Makhathini are buried, as well as the Battle of Isandlwana.”
To this end, the Department of Arts and Culture in partnership with the Office of the Premier, Department of Social Development and the National Department of Arts and Culture will be working together to realise these projects. The Department is in the process of developing the necessary technical specifications for these treasured sites which will be implemented over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
Over the 2012 MTEF, the Department plans to build a public library at Ndumo as part of a project driven by the Office of the Premier for a village of vulnerable kids. In response to the call by the government to intensify its infrastructure programme, a methodology of constructing an Integrated Facilities Complex in the form of library, museum and arts centres in a specific area is being explored.
This infrastructure programme will yield a total of 90 EPWP jobs over the 2012 MTEF period. Human Capital Development in the Arts through Internships, Bursaries, Learnerships to reduce the levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality, the department has established an internship and mentorship programme. Last year, the Department recruited 34 interns and over the next two years 82 interns at a total cost of R264 000 will be maintained. Since the beginning of the internship programme, 12 interns have been employed permanently within the department.
Operation Sukuma Sakhe
Operation Sukuma Sakhe is integral to the department’s plans and provisioning is in place to address the needs of the citizens in respect of arts and culture services. The MEC, the HOD have been deployed as champions to specific districts where District Task teams for OSS are located.
During the 2011/12 financial year, the 30 Senior Management Service members of the department developed a strong attachment to profiled households and approximately 250 households benefited from their interventions. The department continues to report to the cluster and COHOD with monthly reports being generated by the officials.
Madam Speaker, I now move to programme 2
Programme 2: Cultural Affairs
This programme focuses on the development of policies and strategies which seek to transform through their implementation, the artistic, cultural and linguistic landscape of the province. Development of a Comprehensive Arts and Culture Database Honourable Members, the department was zealous last year informing this house that it will establish a comprehensive electronic database for the arts and culture sectors in the province.
I can report that a great deal has been done in consolidating the existing systems and testing of the pilots at a regional level as part of Phase one in 2011. In the current financial year, we will be implementing Phase 2, which entails the rolling out of the database.
Using role models for messaging
There is clear evidence that attitudes amongst youth are shaped by modern media and high-profile personalities. Drawing on the magnetism and appeal of these celebrities, we will use platforms at our disposal in partnerships with popular artists and media celebrities to convey critical and important government messages that address behavioural change, curb drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy amongst the youth.
Art centres, libraries and poetry jams will be used to attract the youth to the key messages. The department has committed R1,38 million to the programme.
Provincial creative industries growth strategy
The department is alert to the fact that creative industries are fast becoming critical role players in the world’s economy. To this end, during the 2011/12 financial year, the department trained 2022 artists, across the province and allocated grants to 41 nongovernmental organisations.
Over the 2012 MTEF, a further 14 145 artists will be supported with a budget of R5.4 million. 120 arts and culture nongovernmental organisations will be receiving funding to grow the arts and culture sectors to the tune of R5,126 million over the next three years. Our cultural establishments such as Indonsa Arts Centre, Stable Theatre, Bat Centre, Ekhaya, Gobhela, Rorkes Drift, Jambo, Khula ,Osiweni, Uthungulu, Ladysmith, Mbazwana, Ewushini Art Centre and the Catalina will receive a funding of R6,million this financial year.
We have no illusion that collectively, this budget will make an impact on the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. The Flagship music and dance festivals have huge economic spin-offs for the province. This network of festivals also provides a platform for budding artists to promote themselves.
As a result, the Department has allocated R2,2 million to support the Gospel Crown Awards, Ugu Jazz festival, MTN Jazz Festival, Hilton Arts, the Ushaka Marine, Twist Theatre Development and University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Centre for creative arts and Umgababa Youth Festival. I have the pleasure of informing this house that the Ugu Jazz festival will be the signature music offering in the province and avenues are being explored to source additional funding for this event from the National Department of Arts and Culture.
The province of KwaZulu-Natal boasts the best choristers and finest choral traditions in sub Saharan Africa. The department will continue to support choral music by hosting the provincial adult choral music competitions which culminates in a festival with approximately 60 choirs. R380 000 has been set aside for this event. This year the department also collaborated with the Department of Education in the School Music Competition in its quest to nurture the talent of young choristers. The department is also planning to host a number of festivals which are non-competitive in the province.
Piracy
Madam Speaker, last year my predecessor the Honourable Mrs.W.G.Thusi informed this house about issues pertaining to intellectual property rights infringements, which affect the livelihoods of artists. I can report that much work has been done with the Justice and protection technical cabinet cluster on implementing a unified plan to eradicate music piracy in the Province.
During this year, the campaign will be intensified through the cluster with a budget of R300 000. Madam Speaker, allow me to inform our people that buying a pirated good is a crime. Apart from being imprisoned for trading in pirated goods, it also affects the growth of the music industry negatively.
The Playhouse Company and the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra (KZNPO)
The Playhouse Company and KZN Philharmonic Orchestra have been given a clear direction on the need to increase access to their facilities and services for the people of the province and to create opportunities for talent development and job creation. The Playhouse will receive R6,7 million and the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra R9,2 million for 2012/13. The KZNPO, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, is a formidable resource and an asset of the province in the promotion of peace and reconciliation.
Provincial Integrated Craft Hub
The department will continue with the implementation of the provincial integrated craft hub strategy in partnership with the Department of Economic Development and Tourism to grow the craft sector. During the 2012/13 financial year, the Department will train 390 crafters across the province and R600 000 has been allocated for this programme.
Outcome 2
In response to outcome 2 of A Long and Healthy Life for all South Africans, the department will implement a project that will focus on research and development of 60 000 copies (brochures and DVD’s of Ukukhuliswa kwengane ngosiko lwesizulu nesibhaca and other culture practices) existing in our province with a budget of R240 000. The Department’s series behavioural change programmes such as Love to Live, will be implemented with a budget of R780 000.
Provincial Events
The Department of Arts and Culture will support a number of key provincial celebrations that promote the cultural heritage of the province. We have allocated a budget of R9,090m for Umkhosi KaNomkhubulwane, Umkhosi Wesivivane, Umkhosi WeLembe, Umkhosi Wokweshwama, Reed Dance, Wildefees and Eastern Rendezvous.
Social Cohesion
Madam Speaker, the Honourable Premier in his State of the province address enunciated that the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) will be steering the advancement of social cohesion which will ensure and guarantee rights to every South African as well as foreign nationals residing in our province.
Recently, the department used the Africa Day celebrations as a vehicle for improving cultural and religious tolerance. Artists will continue conveying messages on the rejuvenation of Africa and its values through music in our regions this year with a budget of R1,240m. Umdwebo festival, an event which will promote social cohesion and boost the economy of the province through business networking, will be supported.
The Province of KwaZulu-Natal is part of the Eastern Seaboard of Southern Africa with a wonderful mixture of linguistic, artistic, cultural and religious diversities. Social cohesion will be taken to greater heights with cultural exchange programmes being enhanced with Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho and the Reunion Islands.
Madam Speaker, our constitution spells out explicitly that “all languages must enjoy parity of esteem and must be treated equally’, however there is little attempt by all spheres of government to realise this noble expression. Arguably, if the status quo does not change and if the choice of a particular language, either for political or economic reasons, forces indigenous and other non-preferred languages to remain at the periphery, undoubtedly communities will never co-exist harmoniously.
I am advancing this argument Madam Speaker from a premise that language is an integral part of culture and a cornerstone of our heritage therefore if languages are marginalised, we may never achieve social cohesion. The definition of social cohesion that I have employed for the purpose of this discourse is the one which presupposes that communities shall harmoniously co-exist when they share common sets of values which are based on mutual respect and tolerance.
By the same token, the tone of the Language Bill is geared towards respect of all languages, and individuals who speak and receive services in the languages of their choice. It is against this backdrop that my department has developed the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Language Bill which will be tabled in this house in due course.
Madam Speaker, it is common knowledge that there is always a dichotomy between development of policies or legislation and implementation. This dichotomy manifests itself in different ways inter alia, shortage of budget amongst many. I am raising this crucial debate in light of the limited budget allocated to my department, arguably this may have serious ramifications in the implementation of this bill.
Mobilisation of community to embrace national teams and national symbols
Madam Speaker, when we hosted the 2010 FIFA world cup, the country was filled with a spirit of togetherness and unity. With South Africa playing host to the 2013 AFCON soccer tournament, we will be working with the Department of Sport and Recreation and other structures to mobilise our sport-loving communities to support the event.
The Department of Arts and Culture will be promoting the Fly the Flag campaign and mobilise citizens to wear our national soccer team regalia on soccer Fridays. The Department has committed R135 000 for this campaign. The Department established a total of 85 multi-sectoral programmes aimed at embracing and celebrating our unity in diversity and promoting tolerance.
The programme will include cuisine demonstrations, community conversations and multicultural expose across the province. R2.14m has been budget for this programme.
Outcome 3
Madam Speaker, In direct response to outcome 3 , all people in South Africa are safe and feel safe, a two-pronged strategy is being employed by the department to tackle the erosion of the moral fibre in our society by educating our youth on good values and positive behaviour keeping.
We also provide inmates in correctional facilities with programmes aimed at preparing them for social re-integration. An array of skills development workshops in the visual arts, craft and performing arts will be offered to inmates. These workshops will culminate in District Festivals and Exhibition for Inmates and parolees with 410 participants. A budget of R435 000 has been allocated for this programme.
Collaboration with other entities
Our healthy and productive collaborations with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in training women and youth in the utilization of animal skins, horns, indigenous grass to produce ornaments as part of our job creation initiative, yielded positive results as we staged a major exhibition at Westville Pavilion last year. During 2012/13 financial year, the Department will extend its reach to 330 crafters across the province with a budget of R400 000 to ensure greater participation.
KZN artists television documentary targeting youth
Madam Speaker, June is the youth month and the contribution made by our youth to the liberation of this country is unequalled. The department has developed a number of programmes to support these young people. In the current financial year we will roll out a programme that supports KwaZulu-Natal artists who produce TV Documentaries. The department will be working with other key stakeholders in this project and has budgeted R 300 000.
Madam Speaker to entrench inclusivity, multilingualism and multiculturalism, the department will introduce the following:
Formation of youth clubs
The provincial government initiated the Youth Ambassador Programme and called upon every government department and agency to tap into this initiative and tailor-make it to suit their own objectives in line with their mandates. Ambassadors are now being organised to lead youth clubs focusing on various activities, such as reading and writing, thus complementing the work already being done by the department.
The provincial library services, through the network of 173 affiliated community libraries across the province will further support the campaign of reading and writing through the provision of new and appropriate library materials. Since 2010 the department has supported 29 reading and writing clubs and for this current financial year it will support a further 39 clubs to the tune of R100 000.
Indigenous Language
In order to promote indigenous languages, the department will be working with the Department of Education to dramatise prescribed literature books in schools. Existing art centres will be utilized for this programme which will receive an allocation of R200 000.
Funda olunye ulimi or learn another language
Madam Speaker, the Department introduced a unique project called “Funda Olunye Ulimi' or “Learn Another Language” in collaboration with UKHOZI FM in 2011. The project resulted in the production of a soapie using both isiZulu and seSotho in this script. The department will continue to support and improve this programme in 2012 with a budget of R 80 000.
I have commissioned the department to embark vigorously on Language Exchange programs wherein a space for communities to converse and debate on language related matters will be created. The language programmes I have referred to will be structured such that they accommodate two critical variables, namely, intergenerational and intercultural aspects of our communities.
The linguistic discourse will be both provincial and nationally focused with a potential of tapping into countries in the continent and beyond in the future, particularly those that we have signed a cooperative trade agreements with.
Geographical names programme
Madam Speaker and honorable members, you would note that recently the National Planning commission released its inaugural report which highlighted the enormous disparities that exist in the country. As the rainbow nation, we have a past that is so skewed and filled with anomalies such as the distortions in the names of places. The Provincial and District Geographical Names Committees will ensure that these anomalies are addressed.
A total of 120 name changes have been implemented to date. By 2014/15, there would be approximately 130 geographical name changes in the province. The Department has commenced with awareness campaigns on names changes in various municipalities. We are also in discussions with the National Minister to address the anomalies in the legislation.
Museum services
Madam Speaker, I have pleasure in informing this house of the exciting projects to be implemented by the Department during 2012/13 financial year.
Museum infrastructure programme
In our quest to transform the heritage landscape in the province, the department renovated a total of 14 affiliated museums, with contractors on site at the new Qhudeni Museum. During this financial year, the existing Kwa Dukuza, Hibiscus Coast and Newcastle museums will be revitalised. The KwaDukuza museum, condemned as structurally unsound and the Port Shepstone Museum, which is too small for its collection, will be replaced with a brand new custom-made museum buildings.
Further construction work will be done at the Old Parsonage Museum in Utrecht and the Mphopomeni Eco Museum in Howick with a budget of R1m. The overall infrastructure spend for museum services will be R 8,5m.
Madam Speaker, I also wish to inform this house that the Durban Cultural and Documentation Centre will be finalised in November and that research is still being conducted on the development of a fully-fledged School Museum to be established in Durban. A suitable site has been identified for this project in Durban at Loram Secondary School. Established in 1942, the school’s alumni included struggle icons such as Govan Mbeki and his wife Eppainette.
Revamp of museum collections
During the 2012/13, the museum services will revamp museum collections at Zululand Historical Museum, Gerard Bhengu and Qhudeni Museum. This will include displays on struggle icons and a commemorative Barbara Tyrell Exhibit with a budget of R231 000 this year.
In a bid to take museums to the people, the Department has initiated a process of purchasing a mobile museum. This fully fitted mobile museum will serve as a learning resource to educators and learners. It will also encourage the use of museums amongst diverse communities.
Time travel projects
Museum Services will continue to implement the “Time Travel” projects, which focus on the schooling of learners through dramatising selected periods in the history of our country, supported with live re-enactments, costumes and artefacts of the time. The department will roll out three time travel programmes during the 2012/13 financial year, establishing a provincial “Bridging Ages” structure as well as working with the Swedish Bridging Ages Association in the advancement of this concept.
Digitisation strategy
The Museum Services has commenced with the process of digitisation of provincial collections that are of national interest. A budget of R525 000 has been earmarked for this process to make collections accessible with a press of a button.
Provincialisation strategy
The department commenced with addressing its Constitutional mandate regarding museums by transferring R10.1m to 34 museums in the province in the 2011/12 financial year. The transfers were also made to museums affiliated to local municipalities and those managed by Board of Trustees. In line with its constitutional mandate, the department has engaged in a process of consultation with municipalities to bring all municipal museums under the provincial government.
Programme 3 (Library Services)
Madam Speaker. the people of this province are yearning for information that will develop and empower their lives. The snaking queues that have become a popular sight in our libraries bear testimony to this. This calls on us to take extraordinary measures and responses to ensure the development and growth of access to libraries.
Pre 1994 the Province of KwaZulu-Natal was assigned by the apartheid regime a function of being the centre of excellence in education and knowledge. As a result educational institutions in the province attracted people of note from various parts of the country. In the new dispensation we aim to improve access to the wider public and make the province an information hub for all.
KZN bridges the digital and information divide
The department’s provincial library service administers 53 % of the total budget of the department. We are committed to building the society which our torch bearers outlined in the Freedom Charter in 1955. To this end, the department is implementing a number of key interventions for the 2012/13 period.
In 2011, the department introduced a project to attract non library users amongst theYouth to the library. The main objective of this project is to encourage the constructive use of leisure time by the youth. As a result, the department rolled out the Gaming and Wii at Your Library Project to 20 libraries in previously disadvantaged communities.
Gaming enhances literacy skills, social interaction, competition, concentration and ICT skills to name just a few benefits. For the 2012/13 financial year, a further 10 additional sites will be established, targeting rural and township libraries at a cost of R330 000.
Provincialisation of Libraries
The Department of Arts and Culture has made great progress in addressing its constitutional mandate of the provincialisation of public libraries. Section 104 and schedule 5 Part A of the Constitution places the legal mandate and responsibility for the provision of public library and museum services with the provincial government. Funding to subsidise 50% of the staffing costs associated with public libraries was transferred to local municipalities in 2011/12 with the exception of the Ethekwini Municipality where an overall conditional grant transfer of R30,822m was provided.
In the 2012/13 financial year, R116, 555m will be transferred to all municipalities and a further R240 841m in the 2013/2014 financial year towards full staffing costs of 220 libraries. Funding for operational costs is currently budgeted for by municipalities and is not provided for as yet in the phasing- in process. The department continues to engage and consult with stakeholders on the process of bringing all municipal libraries and museums under the provincial government (Provincialisation) and has produced a draft policy to guide the legislative process.
Madam Speaker, 2012 marks a very important year for the KZN Provincial Library Service as it celebrates 60 years of existence. Displays on the transformation of public library services throughout this period and special promotional projects are planned to commemorate this milestone.
To address the needs of our ever-increasing readership, since 2010, the department has purchased a total of 432 362 new books for public libraries. These are added to a total resource collection of over 3 million items. The department remains on track to meet its acquisition of 285 000 new books over the 2012 MTEF.
Our 171 provincially affiliated libraries will acquire 100 000 new books this year which will contribute to improving access to up-to-date information for learners and simultaneously improving the quality of education.
Community library conditional grant
Madam Speaker, this year marks the 6th year since the inception of the Conditional Grant for Community Libraries, its purpose being to transform libraries through enabling communities to gain access to knowledge and information that will improve their social and economic situation. I can report to this house that the grant has funded 16 mobile library units and four mobile library trucks, servicing areas where there is no formal library infrastructure.
The department will establish a further six mobile library unit sites this year containing 1500 books per site and managed by volunteers funded with a stipend from the grant. These 22 sites are placed in prioritized poverty wards with a budget of R450 000. In an attempt to attract children to libraries and enhance their literacy skills, the department established 10 toy library collections in public libraries in the 2011/12 financial year. A further four toy libraries are planned this year.
New libraries were established at Ntambanana and Mbazwana with the new Qhudeni Library and Museum due for completion in July. A disused Tribal Court building in Ndulinde will be extensively renovated this year to create a functional and fully equipped library. New libraries will begin construction in Nkungumathe and Maphumulo with a site identified for the first library to be built in Vulamehlo.
The Nkungumathe library will be the first of a prototype “study library”. This cost effective design will focus primarily on study space and facilities for learners and students studying through correspondence at tertiary institutions. The overall budget for the library infrastructure programme is R16,35 m in 2012/13.
New Durban City Library
Madam Speaker, library services in central Durban are scattered between five separate buildings due to the lack of a single space available to house a central library collection. Rental for these premises costs the Municipality over R6 million per annum which is funding that, constitutionally, is the mandate of the province. In the future, there will be advantages to establish a consolidated centralised facility to optimise on operational efficiencies as well as to enhance service provision to the public.
Plans have been drawn to construct a 15,000-square-metre, state-of-the art library, able to accommodate all the current existing service points and to provide for a larger book collection, additional meeting and study rooms, a 250-seat cultural and performance space, and areas for computers and emerging technologies. It will blend the best of traditional library services with new and innovative spaces, making it a vital centre for learning and culture in the heart of the province.
Public libraries are inherently resource-sharing facilities and this flagship project will provide a library that will serve as the major information hub for the entire province. The estimated cost of the new library is R568 million. The department will provide R440 million from provincialisation and conditional grant funding over the MTEF budget cycle with an additional $3 million [US dollars] funding secured by the EThekwini Municipality from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The balance of costs will be provided by the eThekwini Municipality.
Internet access
To bridge the digital divide that still exists in the country, the department has installed 62 free internet access cafes’ in public libraries and will add a further 10 this year. As part of this free public access to the internet, cyber cadets with appropriate ICT skills are appointed to manage the sites and assist in training members of the community. A budget of R6,7m has been allocated for the internet cafes in 44 local municipalities.
The migration to the new SITA Library and Information Management System (SLIMS) is at an advanced stage with 40 libraries now fully automated. This system provides online access by the public to over 3 million library resources. In the current financial year, a further 40 libraries will be fully automated and the total of 80 sites will be supported with a budget of R5,2m.
Library for the blind
Madam Speaker, we are pulling all the stops to make sure that libraries are accessible to the people with disabilities. I have pleasure in informing this house that the department is in the process of signing a Cooperative Agreement with the South African National Library for the Blind to provide a specialized service in public libraries. The department will establish mini libraries for the blind in 10 libraries. The service will provide audio books, access to publications in Braille and a specialised computer service.
The department will also continue to provide audio books and books published in large print for the visually impaired in all libraries. A budget of R900 000 has been allocated for this service.
Mobile library trucks
In a bid to address illiteracy and to take library services to far-flung areas of KwaZulu-Natal, the department has launched its mobile library truck service in areas where there are no libraries. This innovative idea is the first of its kind in the Province with a fleet of four trucks serving all the regions within our department. These custom made trucks cost the department R4 million.
Each truck has a collection of 5 000 books, audio visual material, toys and three computers with access to the internet and other electronic information such as encyclopaedias and reference resources. They contain video facilities to show children DVDs to entertain and educate. Our official who operate these mobile units assist community members to download government information and forms with onboard photocopying facilities available for the copying of important documents.
The generator ensures that wherever the Mobile Library stops there is power to provide lights, and to make the computers, sound systems and air conditioning functional.
Library Archives, Museums and Language Services Conference
As part of our annual calendar, the Department will be hosting Library Archives, Museums and Language Services Conference at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in November. This annual event provides an opportunity for practitioners in the library, museum, archive and literature sectors to engage on various contemporary issues and to share best practices.
The department will also participate in the upcoming French Teachers Conference to be held at the Chief Albert Luthuli Convention Centre on 23 July. The conference will provide all stakeholders in education and training, media and culture, language and development, the opportunity to share information and create networks between countries and communities in Africa and beyond.
Archives records management
Honourable Members, the department will continue to emphasise the significance of records management in governmental bodies and the need to have proper management and care of public records for posterity. One of the prerequisites of an efficient, effective, equitable and development oriented Public Service is sound records management and to this end 300 records staff will be trained this year.
To further improve records management in the province, a provincial sectoral structure called the KwaZulu Natal Records Management and Deputy Information Officers forum (KRMDIOF) has been established and will be supported with a budget of R100 000. Plans to move the department into the domain of electronic records management are at an advanced stage. Investigations and explorations have commenced to identity suitable and appropriate tools for an electronic records management system in order to reduce the carbon footprint and to move closer to e governance.
Oral history programme
Madam Speaker, the department has commenced with oral history programs which include the following aspects:
- Interviews of struggle heroes, people of note and individuals who contributed remarkably to the liberation of South Africa.
- Indigenous Knowledge System where we will identify people that use Indigenous Knowledge Systems in curing and healing themselves (Izangoma neziNyanga)
- Family Tree: Project where we trace the genealogy of an individual. We believe that this programme will help in encouraging positive human values and behaviour among people and contribute to nation building.
- Interviewing artists across all genres who have made remarkable contribution to music
- Interviewing Amakhosi and African Independent Churches to establish the succession lineage.
The department will partner with COGTA on this programme which has a potential of resolving a number of succession disputes in the province.
Honourable Members, this programme, which will culminate in the publication of material and exhibitions has been allocated a budget of R500 000. Honourable Members, the challenge of inadequate funding I highlighted earlier also has a huge impact on our archives. As the custodian of the heritage of the nation in the province the department has a responsibility to conserve and preserve archives.
Due to lack of financial resources, the department is using a building which is not suitable for the storage of archivalia. This situation compromises the quality of service the department is rendering in this area.
Besides these challenges, the department’s Archives Services is to launch a brand new concept of recording interviews with individuals primarily youth and women where they will have an opportunity to express their views and feelings about the achievements and the changes that they have experienced since the attainment of democracy.
This will advance the edifice of citizen participation and inclusion in the archiving of our collective memory. Department is looking at possibilities of constructing a provincial archives building with new technologies meant to protect our archivalia.
Family tree project
The family tree project will be given greater impetus with the introduction of learners to the genealogical programme. This concept creates a platform for intergenerational dialogue to exist and is an avenue for the youth to be able to engage and understand the lineage of family traditions, cultures and the development of memory boxes to promote the preservation of archivalia.
The intention is to encourage our young people to take pride in participating in their own heritage and history. A budget of R60 000 has been allocated.
Digitization of records
The department is moving steadfast into the field of digitization of its records with approximately 150 000 items digitized with the assistance of the Genealogical Society of Utah. In 2012, it is anticipated that 300 000 items will be completed. The process of digitization is advancing the basic archives function of preservation and promotes accessibility to information.
This will keep our archives services on par with the rest of other countries and will be ahead of many.
Conclusion
Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I want to assure this house that the Department of Arts and Culture is on course to demonstrate the real power of working together to achieve a better life for all. I have pleasure in tabling the budget of the Department of Arts and Culture for 2012/13 as follows:
- Programme 1: Administration: R 88,640m
- Programme 2: Cultural Affairs: R 132,035m
- Programme 3: Libraries and Archives Services: R250,177m
- The grand total of all programmes is R 470,852m
I wish to thank and express my gratitude to the Premier, uKhabazela, for the faith and confidence he on me to lead this department. May I also take this opportunity to thank the Honourable members of the Arts and Culture and Finance Portfolio Committees, Chairperson, our stakeholders and partners for the constructive inputs they continue to make in the arts and culture sector.
I am also grateful to my fellow MECs for their support as well as the Acting Head of Department and the team for their excellent work in devising plans for us to deliver quality services to the people of this province. Finally, I want to thank my family and the ANC for the support and encouragement they continue to provide.
I thank you!
