Budget Vote presentation by MEC Lebogang Maile for the fiscal year 2012/13

Madam Speaker,
Deputy Speaker,
Premier Mokonyane,
Members of the Executive Council,
Leaders of political parties,
Honourable members,
Head of Department Ms. Namhla Siqaza,
Acting CEO for Gauteng Film Commission Mr Mzwandile Masina
Executive Management of the Department
Chairpersons of all statutory bodies
Leaders of sport, arts and culture organisations,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen:

Today we have the singular honour of standing before this august house to present the budget vote for the Department of Sport Arts, Culture and Recreation for the 2012/13 fiscal year.

This affords us the opportunity to present our programmes for the year, reflect on the allocation of resources and the articulation of our long term policy vision and we are most appreciative to the house for affording us this privilege.

Given the nature of this occasion, and in keeping with the principle of accountability, we will, in the course of the presentation, reflect on the work we have done as part of the five year programme of the current administration.

Madam Speaker,

Today marks a milestone in the history of the global calendar as we observe International Children’s Day. This year’s theme ‘’Every Child in School’’ underscores the importance of education as the cornerstone of a healthy and productive society and is an affirmation of our own commitment to ensuring quality basic education as reflected in our provincial outcomes.

Yesterday also marked the 33^rd anniversary of the formation of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS), a progressive student movement that has over time played a critical role both in the struggle for free and fair education, as well as in forming an integral part of the national democratic liberation movement. We remain firm in our belief that education is a catalyst for human development and is thus essential in ensuring a progressive and balanced society.

The struggle for better education must continue - education that is accessible, free and dynamic. The state remains a vital player in ensuring that we overhaul the physical infrastructure required for learners to succeed, provide improved knowledge services through the provision of libraries, books and access to ICT services.

We are therefore making a call to our communities, the teaching profession and learners themselves, to work hand in hand to ensure that we improve upon the quality of education that our children receive within the ambit of democratic dispensation. We call upon these groups to show mutual respect for one another and to safe guard the freedoms that we have already won, as well as continually strive to better the educational environment for all young people.

It is also apt that this day marks the start of national Youth Month which will culminate in a national day of commemoration and celebration on June 16. As much as this day remains a stark reminder of a brutal and shameful period, during which education was a privilege for a minority, we also draw inspiration. We are inspired by those who made huge sacrifices so that today we could stand here and celebrate our freedom.

We are inspired by those who would not be moved, those who taught us that united, anything is possible and that they sky is the limit. We are inspired by those who taught us that tomorrow belongs to us, but that in order to achieve this we must work together today.

Many challenges remain. These include:

• Access to education
• Access to employment opportunities
• Access to business opportunities
• Skills development
• Development of social and economic infrastructure

Despite the many challenges we continue to face – strides are being made to ensure that we have greater numbers of youth into schools and universities. We have embarked on a number of initiatives such as the National Youth Service among others and opportunities provided by the Sector Education and Training Authorities that are aimed at skills improvement.

We therefore pay tribute to the achievements of the youth of 1976 whose mission it was to collapse a system that perpetuated underdevelopment and economic neglect.

Our mission as this generation must therefore be to build on the solid foundation they have laid so that indeed conditions are created for greater numbers of our young people to lead meaningful lives.

Madam Speaker,

We take this opportunity to welcome and acknowledge the presence of all our Gauteng based athletes, teams, actors, artists and filmmakers who continue to excel and perform well in their areas of trade.

Let us also acknowledge our partners in the upcoming Gauteng Sports Awards: Telkom, SABC and Emperors Palace. They have agreed to be associated with brand Gauteng and by extension contribute towards the kingdom of excellence that we are building.

The awards will take place on the 30th of June in Ekurhuleni and we are proud to announce that this event will be broadcast live on SABC 1 at 20h00.

• We welcome our Gauteng Sport Awards Ambassadors who have agreed to partner with us to promote and celebrate excellence in sport. We are grateful to them for having agreed to walk through this journey of excellence and great sportsmanship alongside us.
• We would also like to acknowledge the delegations from the Blue Bulls and Golden Lions rugby clubs. They are our partners in the important work we are doing of nation building, using rugby and sport in general as part of achieving greater levels of social cohesion.
• We are also pleased with the performance of the Gauteng based teams playing in the various leagues for having made us proud. We congratulate Orlando Pirates for winning the PSL championship for the 2011/12 season; they have additionally managed to clinch the MTN 8 and the Telkom Charity Cup.
• We also congratulate Supersport United for winning the Nedbank Cup for 2012. We are also elated at the elevation of the AmaTuks to the elite league, another testimony that
• Gauteng is indeed a Home of Champions.
• Please join me as we wish our Comrades Marathon athletes well in their endeavours to bring home the medals. We also wish Mr Thato Makhafola and Mr Thapelo Madiba from Monument High in Mogale City well as they represent the country in the 800m race at the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) in Barcelona (Spain), in July 2012.
• In the same spirit we would like to acknowledge and congratulate our artists who have performed well and have had accolades bestowed upon them in various ceremonies. They include DJ Sbu, DJ Cleo, Zahara, MiCasa, AKA, Spikiri and Somizi. All of these artists have won accolades in the SA Music Awards and the Metro FM Music Awards respectively.
• Lastly, we would also like to pay tribute to one of South Africa’s pioneers of classical choral music, Professor Mzilikazi Khumalo, who turns 80 years old on the 20th of June. In order to pay tribute to the man that has become known as the doyen of this genre, a series of “Sing Africa Sing” concerts have been organised in his honour. To him we say “unwele olude Mzilikazi Mashobane!”

We are grateful to you all for your presence here today. We share in your joys and victories. You are living testimony that indeed Gauteng’s pioneering spirit resonates with these magnificent achievements.

It is these achievements that must serve to inspire the younger generation to aspire to excellence and realise that it is only through dedication and hard work that such rewards are received.

Madam Speaker,

We are highlighting these achievements and acknowledging our distinguished guests in the gallery to underscore two important points.

1. We believe that Gauteng must take the centre stage in striving for excellence. We must take a lead in pioneering the spirit of hard work, where being the best is a culture and a way of life.
2. We are building on the work we started last year. There is now a greater focus on the economic contribution of the arts and culture and sporting sectors. As such, we recognise that government has a critical role to play by creating an enabling environment for these sectors to thrive for the betterment of our economy and the nation. Consequently, there is an inherent link between development and the competitive levels of both sectors. Therefore our focus is on building partnerships that will be vital in our ability to deliver.

Madam Speaker,

As with life and nature, death is also much a part of our lives as all the things that the material world has to offer. In this regard I wish to pay tribute to the following fallen heroes:

• Kwaito exponent and prolific musician, Simphiwe Mpamile, known to many a music lover as Brown Dash.
• Talented midfielder, Thabang Lebese, known to soccer lovers as Chillies or Banda.
• Jeffrey Ntuka, one of the most talented football players to grace our professional league.
• Moroese Mokoatsi, Reneilwe Lesenyeho, Given Mills, Isaac Tlale and Nomvula Dumako - all of whom met their tragic death when they were preparing for last year’s Soweto Marathon.

May their souls rest in peace.

Madam Speaker,

From where we stand and from the things we have done and endeavoured to do as part of discharging our responsibilities as public servants, we are confident that we are on the right path and the results are beginning to show.

To this end some of the proposals with regard to shifts in policy perspectives are part of the ongoing drive to better position the department to do the things it is supposed to do, whilst at the same time enabling us to create an environment that makes it possible for our stakeholders to carry out their tasks without hindrance or let.

We are pleased to advise that we have been able to finalise the following policies and strategies:

• The Gauteng Sport Policy and Plan, aimed at ensuring long-term and sustainable development of sport in the province. Our aim is to increase participation in, and socio-economic impact of sport in the Province.
• The Gauteng School Sport Strategy was developed to ensure that sport is offered in all schools in Gauteng Province and that all learners in Gauteng are able to access and participate in sporting activities at school level.
• The Provincial Heritage Resources Policy, in response to our constitutional mandate, to properly manage and preserve Heritage resources in the Province.
• The Revised Provincial Language Policy recently tabled at the Executive Council will also be a key strategic component that drives the development of our languages at all levels. We will work cohesively to ensure that we realise the incorporation of other languages in the work of municipalities.
• Indigenous Knowledge Systems Policy Framework (IKS) developed for protection and promotion of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Gauteng Province.
• The Archives Policy to create an enabling
• environment for the management of provincial archives and records.
• Following the approval of these policy instruments and in pursuance of their implementation:
• The Department is at an advanced stage with the review of the Competitive Sport Strategy. This review must take us beyond the achievements of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup and help us improve and consolidate Gauteng’s position as the preferred destination for major sporting events.
• We are currently consulting on the Gauteng Sport Bill, which when enacted into law, will be a measure through which we seek to standardise planning, resourcing, governance and skills development.
• In our efforts to promote empowered citizenship, we have started drafting the Archives Legislation on the basis of the approved policy.
• We are at advanced stages of developing the Library and Information Services Policy, which will be instrumental in monitoring the libraries for compliance to the Library and Information Services transformation agenda.
• We have begun developing the Heritage Legislation in order to raise awareness and build capacity to properly position heritage within public policy and developmental plans.
• The Gauteng Arts and Culture Council Act is under review. We are assessing whether we are making the necessary impact and achieving the set outcomes. We have taken a view that the Council needs to be empowered to make strategic decisions relating to the implementation and monitoring of our policies in this area. We want to focus on the reduction of financial dependency on government given that we are faced with a severe shortage of resources. We must therefore find a way to create sustainability in the sector so that we create more job opportunities and allow for new entrants into the market.

The work going forward include the re-engineering of the Statutory Bodies and Committees such as the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority, the Gauteng Arts and Culture Council, Gauteng Geographical Names Committee, and the Provincial Language Committee, to make sure they are best positioned to implement the constitutional and provincial legislative provisions in their quest to fulfil their respective mandates.

Madam Speaker and honourable members,

We have recognised that our efforts may not bear the desired consequences if we seek to move alone in implementation. In keeping with the articulation of the ruling party whose rallying call is “Working together we can do more’’, our approach is that we must bring to the fore a wide range of stakeholders so that indeed the will of the people finds expression in the programmes of the department.

Accordingly, one of the areas that we have identified as requiring attention is the matter of the Intergovernmental Relations dispensation. This is intended to assist government across all spheres to leverage on our collective resources through joint planning, budgeting and programme implementation for greater impact. We are on course in terms of meeting our objective of ensuring that we have an intergovernmental relations regime that is effective, contributes to the vision of building a sporting and cultural sector that works by contributing to job creation and economic development.

We are pleased to inform the house that there is work that we are already doing jointly. We have developed a joint plan which has been approved by the MEC/ MMC IGR Forum. The plan identifies areas of partnership and collaboration in terms of specific programmes and projects. We will conclude the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the province and municipalities by the end of June 2012.

A number of technical and political meetings have been held to agree on implementation plans that will form the basis of Service Level Agreements. These agreements will be signed by the Department and each municipality and will serve as a tool for managing and monitoring the implementation of the Joint Plan.

Cultural Affairs

Madam speaker,

We have made the point that arts and culture remains a vital cog on our agenda to build a nation state that is united, non racial, non sexist and democratic.
Our approach to matters of heritage must be premised on a comprehensive strategy that seeks to tell the South African story in its totality. We must take a leaf from the Cubans who, in their recording of the Cuban Revolution, have also reflected on Cuba under the Batista regime and how it was defeated when the revolutionary forces led by Che and Castro marched to victory in Havana.

Similarly, the initiative by the City of Tshwane to have some of the street names changed is most welcome. In all conscience, these changes are necessary, and all progressive thinking people of our country and province must embrace them. In her State of the Province address, the honourable Premier pronounced on the need to accelerate the process of renaming Commissioner Street in Johannesburg to Albertina Sisulu Street. In partnership with the City of Johannesburg, we are also pursuing the process of changing the name Sauer Street in Johannesburg CBD. The headquarters of the oldest liberation movement in this country, the African National Congress, are located on this street. It is therefore imperative that, as we celebrate its Centenary, the renaming of the street is put high on the agenda.

We are also inviting Gauteng citizens to engage in what we hope will be a national dialogue on the observance, commemoration and celebration of our national days. This dialogue is part of the ongoing nation building effort, aimed at allowing all South Africans an opportunity to engage in conversation and express their aspirations truthfully in a climate of friendship and universal brotherhood.

As part of recording and preserving the history of our country, a number of initiatives involving communities across the length and breadth of the province have been undertaken. Among these was the hosting of the Oral History Conference, whose principal objective was to allow individuals and communities to tell their stories of the liberation struggle.

In the last financial year, the Department launched the National Symbols project aimed at providing learners with a platform to explore the meaning of values in their lives as young South Africans. The project involved distribution of the publication “My Country South Africa: Celebrating our National Symbols and Heritage” which was distributed to 211 schools in the Johannesburg North District and 220 schools in the Johannesburg East District.

We have also made a call to communities to help us identify heritage sites and monuments as part of the development of the National Liberation Heritage Route. This is an important initiative aimed at ensuring that our country preserves its heritage, tells its story truthfully and moves courageously towards a common future. The project will also stimulate, regenerate and sustain research into the liberation heritage of South

Africa. It will further raise global awareness of South Africa’s liberation struggle and contribution to social justice. More than 40 sites have already been identified and we are targeting a total of 100 sites by September 2012.

Heritage is widely recognised as having a critical role to play in nation building and social cohesion. The province has identified flagship heritage projects which have been prioritised for implementation. This is in keeping with the national declaration of 2012 as the Year of Heritage.

Our focus will therefore be on the following projects:

• Women’s Monument: this is aimed at commemorating different roles played by South African women across the country during the freedom struggle. The Lillian Ngoyi Square in Tshwane has been identified as the site for the development of the monument. We are currently in the process of undertaking a feasibility study for the project. The project will be launched on 09 August 2012.
• June 16 Youth Monument: This includes the development of an Exhibition centre and Youth Institute. The project is already in the construction phase and will be completed in August 2012.
• Boipatong Memorial and Youth Centre: the project includes an exhibition on the significance of Boipatong as a site of struggle and it includes a Youth Centre. Construction is at advanced stages and is expected to be completed in September 2012.
• Kagiso Memorial Park and Youth Centre: This project is aimed at recognizing the contribution of struggle veterans in their communities and to encourage the youth to get involved in developmental programmes. It will comprise of an exhibition area, multi-purpose hall, conference rooms and a memorial park. A site has been identified and business and design planning work has commenced.

All Youth Heritage Living Monuments are funded through the Gautrain Corporate Social Investment programme and are implemented in partnership with the Department of Infrastructure Development.

We will during the course of this month release a discussion paper on “The Commemoration of National Days in South Africa – Towards an inclusive approach”. We believe that this will help start a necessary dialogue among fellow South Africans.

As such, the dialogue must help us overcome such tragic scenes as we saw in Sharpeville when the human rights commemorative events were moved to Kliptown. We acknowledge that the decision to move the commemorative events caused discomfort to the people of Sharpeville and for this we apologise to the people of Sharpeville and the nation.

The Creative Industries Development Framework guides us in actualising the Mzansi Golden Economy strategy. The Executive Council has approved the sub sector strategies and implementation plans for music, performing arts, visual arts and craft. We will commence with the implementation thereof during the course of this financial year.

We are implementing the Gauteng Craft Strategy whose central pillars include product development, enterprise development and market access initiatives. The Department has established three craft hubs which facilitate product development programmes and local market access initiatives. These craft hubs are in Sedibeng for the glass beads project, Mogale City for the ceramics project and Tshwane for the recycling and local market access projects.

The art market is often difficult to enter for the emerging artist. Mostly coming from environments that are resource deficient, these emerging artists do not always have a full and clear understanding of the business when it comes to exhibiting their pieces in galleries. This year the Department provided R450 000 in financial support to the Joburg Art Fair and 23 Visual Artists received exposure and learned how Art galleries operate.

The live music performance industry is an integral part of local economic development as it stimulates economic activity and creates jobs for artists and related industries. Live performances further contribute to the character and liveability of city regions.

We will give targeted support to at least 7 Premier events. These premier arts and culture events have proved to immensely contribute to the creation of jobs in direct and indirect related industries, improved domestic tourism and social cohesion and nation building. A combined amount of R11 million is allocated to such events as the Joy of Jazz, Summer Splash, Music of the 80’s Extravaganza, Spring Day Music Explosion, Back to the City Hip Hop Festival, Feather Awards, Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition.

The 100% Mzansi Live Music Jams are part of the next level of this initiative. The market access drive will see musicians who are products of 100% Mzansi Music programme showcase their talents to live audiences. This will be a continuation of the work we are doing in partnership with both KayaFM and YFM.

As part of the efforts to support and provide platform for emerging artists to showcase their talent, we will continue to implement the Puisano Live Music Showcases, which focus on the finest, unsigned and emerging live performing music bands to participate in the auditions and live showcases across the province.

For 2011/12 financial year, 177 musicians participated at the auditions and 154 musicians participated at the showcases. The Department will strengthen this programme in the new financial year. The support for the development of creative enterprises by the Department will further ensure that Gauteng remains a hub for the creative economy and promotes broad based economic empowerment. The Creative Arts continue to focus on a developmental trajectory aimed at giving young practitioners an opportunity to showcase their talent, and participate at competitive level.

We have taken a decision that Soweto, Mofolo Park, will remain the official home of the Gauteng Carnival. The Gauteng Carnival has been a pioneer in showcasing diverse cultural expressions while at the same time contributing to skills development and the creation of job opportunities. The 2011 Carnival created a total of 1837 jobs and saw 18 000 carnival participants. 12 000 of these were young people and 200 were people with disabilities. The Carnival showcased months of artistic preparation through colourful large, medium and small costumes, traditional music and dance. The Carnival was preceded by a Children’s Carnival, which saw a total of 60 schools participating.

This year, we are repositioning the Gauteng Carnival as an international premier event. This will involve participation of other provinces in the country. We are also pursuing the participation of neighbouring countries including Lesotho, Mozambique and Botswana. Fellow Africans will soak up in the South African rhythms, Brazilian drummers, Nigerian singers, and a bit of Caribbean right here in the streets of Soweto. We have expanded the parade route from Mofolo to Orlando Stadium due to the envisaged increase in the number of participants.

We are on a drive to get more of our people to take part in the art forms of dance, music and theatre through our Mass Participation programme. We will host 24 Ishashalazi theatre auditions focusing in rural areas such as Hekpoort, Sokhulumi, Devon and Bantu Bonke. In this regard, we will be hosting auditions which will culminate into two dance festivals.

The Ishashalazi Theatre programme ran 24 auditions from May 2011 until August 2011 across Gauteng. 922 males and 1151 females and 8 people with disabilities participated in comparison with the 667 females and 756 males in 2010. The winning dance group will be representing us at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival later this year. Some of the leading actors on popular TV productions came through the Ishashalazi programme. They include Mduduzi Mabaso (Rhythm City), Molobane Mbatha (Home Affairs), Israel Makoe (Yizo Yizo and Zone 14), Kere Nyao (Zone 14) and Thulani Didi (Zone 14).

On 27 March 2012 which was International Theatre Day, we hosted the Ishashalazi Theatre and Dance Awards at the Carletonville Civic Theatre. This was in collaboration with Merafong Municipality, Gauteng Theatre Practitioners Committee and Gauteng Dance Manyano. Merafong will now be the host municipality for these annual awards.

In the music arena, we will continue with our programmes including the Gauteng Gospel Festival hosted in Sedibeng. The Sivum’ ingoma choral programme had auditions last year with more than 5000 choristers across Gauteng. The Sakhile Mayibuye Youth Choir from Ratanda in Lesedi Municipality were the overall winners. We wish to congratulate them as they will be representing us in the prestigious Summa Cum Laude Youth Choir Festival in Vienna in July.

We are allocating R3.83 million for the mass participation programme. This programme will be implemented collaboratively with municipalities. Cultural Affairs has been allocated R81.994 million this year.

Gauteng Film Commission

In line with the commitment by the Premier to realign government functions for better efficiency, the Gauteng Film Commission has been successfully migrated to the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. The migration is part of our commitment to streamlining and consolidating creative industries in the province. Gauteng has a vibrant and growing film industry and is gradually emerging as a competitive and global player in the international industry. According to the HSRC Creative Industries Sector report, it is 40% cheaper to make a movie in Gauteng than it is in Europe or the US and it is up to 20% cheaper here than in Australia.

An estimated 80% of registered producers in South Africa are based in Gauteng. An estimated two-thirds of national television production houses are based in Johannesburg. Gauteng is home to major broadcasting corporations including the SABC, DSTV, Top TV and eTV, collectively accounting for over 47 TV channels. Seven out of the Top 10 television shows in South Africa are produced and set in Gauteng. These include Egoli, Scandal, Rhythm City, Isidingo, Generations and 7de Laan.

In 2011, at least 253 commercials were produced and shot in Gauteng. This figure constituted 40% of commercials produced nationally. In the past financial year the Commission funded 23 short films, feature films, documentaries and television productions collectively worth R2.8 million. Through the GFC filming permit facilitation service, 192 films were shot in Gauteng in the last financial year. Overall, the GFC has contributed to 7091 permanent and temporary jobs through film project funding and filming permit facilitation. Pursuant to the transformation agenda, the commission has provided skills development opportunities in the film and television sectors to 843 film makers.

Consequently, we have recognised that film forms part of the broader creative industries sector and as such we will be working towards the creation of an all-encompassing agency for creative industries to create and maximise value. This new Agency will incorporate film, television, music, fashion, interactive digital media, books and magazines. This initiative will be preceded by a legislative process through the normal legislative channel.

The Commission will continue to implement its programmes as per its current mandate, including supporting emerging filmmakers, promoting the province both locally and internationally as a preferred film destination, conducting ongoing research and development initiatives, as well as delivering professional film commission services as outlined in its Annual Performance Plan.

Furthermore, we have started work on the conceptualisation of the Gauteng International Film Festival, a signature event that will see industry players come together to share knowledge, skills and ideas about how to take the sector forward. We will also initiate the establishment of the Gauteng Audiovisual Resource Centres as part of our bid to improve access to content and educational resources for upcoming filmmakers. It is envisaged that these will be located in the public library spaces.

We are therefore on track in our drive to consolidate Gauteng’s position as a hub of creative industries. We will be moving speedily to enhance the capacity of the commission to enable it to execute its broader mandate.

The commission has been allocated a total of R23.4 million this financial year.

Libraries, Archives and Information Services

Madam Speaker,

We remain seized with the task of ensuring that ours is an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship. This is keeping with global best practice where economies are now dependent on knowledge and innovation in order to grow and create more job opportunities and by extension alleviating poverty, underdevelopment and economic neglect.

Madam Speaker,

Our government recognises the right of South Africans to protest, however we will not tolerate the destruction of public amenities, such as libraries in the process of people raising their concerns regarding service delivery.

Our Libraries, Archival and Information services are the nucleus that helps us to strive towards the vision of a knowledge society. Many
of the successes we have registered are a result of the cooperation between the provincial and local spheres of government.

During the past year a total of R54.716 million was transferred to various municipalities for the purposes of revitalising community libraries infrastructure.
In addition to this development, we have been able to deliver on the following:

• Five new libraries have been completed in the Simunye, Mohlakeng, Soshanguve, Khutsong South and Blybank.
• We have conducted upgrades in libraries in Sebokeng, Evaton Rensburg, Edenpark and Olifantsfontein.
• We are implementing a communication and information training centre in the Meyerton Library.
• Residensia and Sharpeville libraries are also eLearning Centres and 160 young people have successfully completed their studies through utilising these facilities
• 41 548 new books were added to our libraries

We have launched the Born to Read programme In Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, a family literacy programme aimed at encouraging parents to read to their children at an early age.

A total amount of R37.287 million will be transferred to the municipalities in the current financial year for the following programmes:

• Reading campaigns in libraries
• Training and development of municipal library staff
• Upgrading of ICT infrastructure
• Compensation of technical staff in the community libraries
• Procurement of new books and subscriptions

In order to increase the access to libraries, we intend to build 20 new libraries by 2014. During the first phase of this project three libraries will be constructed in the current year in Mogale City, Emfuleni and Tshwane. The department, assisted by the Gauteng Funding Agency, is in the process to complete the feasibility study and the business plan for the construction of the 3 libraries.

We are also continuing with the feasibility study and business plan for the establishment of the Gauteng Archives Centre in partnership with the Gauteng Funding Agency. The Gauteng Archives Centre will be a centre where documents with archival value will be preserved and made available to the public for generations to come.

For the current financial year an amount of R69.234 million has been made available for the Library, Archival and Information services.

Madam Speaker,

We would like to take this opportunity to make a call to the people of Gauteng to protect and safe guard all public facilities

Sport and Recreation

Last year we committed to introducing some programmes aimed at changing the face of sport and, essentially showcasing the talent that Gauteng has to offer.

In line with the Premier’s pronouncement during her State of the Province address, we are proud to announce that we will be hosting the inaugural Gauteng Sports Challenge. The Gauteng Sports Challenge will be introduced in phases. This year, we will launch The Gauteng Cup where Gauteng based PSL teams will participate in a three game tournament in late July 2012.

We will also launch the Gauteng Marathon, which will see participants take part in the various races ranging from 5, 10, 21, and 42 kilometres. The race will be hosted by Mogale city and the City of Johannesburg. These races (10 + 5km) will also form part of the healthy life-style, social cohesion and wellness programmes adopted by the Executive Council recently.

Lastly, we will also launch the Gauteng Rugby Benefit, which will be hosted in Orlando Stadium and this will see the two leading unions – the Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Golden Lions take part. The benefit will be held in August.

The Gauteng Sport Challenge receives R10 million.

The Gauteng under 17 Future Champions is now in its fourth year. We have since introduced the Schools Cup as part of the tournament and this is being implemented in partnership with the Departments of Education and Economic Development. The tournament focuses on the training and development of future champions and coaches through an international skills and development training programme.

The Future Champions tournament receives R4 million.

As part of our commitment to the development of boxing, we will by the year 2013, complete the refurbishment of at least 3 boxing gyms/clubs in Soweto, Alexandra and Katlehong. This is part of a partnership between the department and various players within the boxing fraternity. This partnership has seen the staging of various international bouts, thus contributing to the hospitality industry and other related sectors in tourism. We have allocated R3 million for the project.
Last year the province of Gauteng hosted the SA Open golf tournament in Ekurhuleni’s Serengeti Golf Estate. This is one of the premier sporting events around which we are positioning Gauteng. Last year the tournament attracted at least 20 000 spectators over the four day period.

The partnership has a strong developmental component which has seen the participation of 93 junior golfers from Hammanskraal, Alexandra, Mabopane, Daveyton, Tsakane, Soweto and KwaThema.

The Africa Cup of Nations is coming to South Africa. As you would be aware, Gauteng has been selected as host to the opening and closing ceremonies. We are pleased that the opening and closing games will be contested in the home of champions. Despite the challenges that have emerged with regard to the bidding process and related matters, we are confident that the tournament will be a resounding success.

As the province, we will work together with the City of Johannesburg, National Government, the Local Organising Committee to coordinate community mobilisation, public viewing, volunteers and provide stadium and technical support.

The Executive Council adopted the Gauteng School Sport Strategy in November last year. In this regard, an amount of R33 million has been allocated through the national DORA Grant to facilitate the school sport projects in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education during the 2012/13 financial year. The Top Schools League Project will form a major part of the school sport delivery this year, introducing five core sporting codes including Athletics, Netball, Football, Rugby and Cricket and later extending it with another six (6) additional codes, Volleyball, Basketball Chess, Gymnastics, Tennis and Aquatics.

The aforementioned mentioned codes will be introduced incrementally at schools and will culminate into a Provincial Top Schools league project in September 2012. Thereafter, we will be selecting Team Gauteng to participate in the national Top Schools League in December 2012.

In addition, we will, parallel to the above, consolidate and strengthen the school sport structures across the Province through the Lead Schools Project, the focused school Rosina Sedibane and the overall participation of young people in sport and recreation in schools.

Much of our competitive level does rely heavily on various components that involve development. Through our Sport Development programme, we have set aside R16 million in order to facilitate access for those clubs that are not in the mainstream. Our focus will be in women’s football, netball, rugby, athletics – specifically field events and hurdles, including tennis, pool, swimming and sport for people with disabilities.

Out of this programme, we have seen 10 players being selected for the national under 15, 17 and Banyana Banyana. The Soweto Rugby Club has now been promoted to a higher division of the Golden Lions Rugby Union. This is testimony that with focused development, we can achieve greater things even in codes such as rugby.

The Water Safety Programme remains critical to our efforts of contributing to the development of swimming. We continue to work systematically with the Department of Education, Swimming SA and its provincial affiliates to roll out this programme. R1.5 million is set aside for the programme this year.

The programme has created jobs for 71 young people who have received training as Learn-To-Swim instructors. They are responsible for conducting water safety and educational programmes. We have conducted swimming lessons in 86 schools and 24 swimming sites in the province.

We are working with federations to implement a SASCOC aligned Sport Academy Programme focusing on the 7 priority codes. The 7 federations are responsible for identifying talented athletes through their competition programmes and coaching clinics.

The athletes take part in provincial competitions and are then placed in a high performance programme where they are taken through a holistic development and coach driven approach. This project receives R2.4 million. We have registered progress towards the establishment of the Gauteng Sport Village and it remains part of our multi-pronged approach to development. As part of the consolidation of our academy dispensation and ensuring that we cement our position as the home of champions, we are in the process of concluding a partnership that will ensure that work begins on the first phase of the Gauteng Sport Village.

This partnership will be concluded once all due processes have been followed. We have also resolved all the legal issues and land availability as per the instruction of the Premier in her State of the Province Address. Discussions are at an advanced stage with Provincial Treasury, Mogale City and the Gauteng Fund with regards to appointment of a Transactional Advisor to assist with technical feasibility for the project. The aspect of Mass Participation is central to our agenda of creating increased access to sport programmes, promotion of healthy lifestyles and identification of talent in our communities.

Through this programme we have attracted at least 74 695 participants through various programmes ranging from Indigenous, Golden Games, fun runs and walks, black pool, gymnastrada and the spirit games.

These games are coordinated by our hubs, whose role remains critical in the delivery of mass participation programmes.

• The Provincial Gymnastrada took place on the 29th October 2011 at Carletonville Recreation Centre. The programme has enabled the participants, together with the choreographers, to expand their knowledge in the field of arts and culture. The festival gave our choreographers and participants a clear picture on Gymnastrada requirements. Through this programme, the Department took a Gauteng Team to participate in Gymnastrada Games in Switzerland in July last year;
• It is now the second year that the Blackball Pool development programme has been running across the 15 identified hubs. The popularity amongst Gauteng youth is evident from the number of youth that have participated during the year. A total of 15,481 participants was registered, 10 932 of which were male, 1927 female, 60 people with disabilities and 322 were elderly.
• The Provincial Games were hosted on the 3rd December 2011 at the Pretoria show grounds. The games were part of the Premier’s celebration of the International day of people with disabilities and had 3500 participants. North cluster as a host had to mobilise structures, centres and schools to attend the event.
• The Department will be reconfiguring the Community Hubs in line with the Municipal Boundaries. The focus will be on ensuring that recreation programmes are delivered through all wards in a phased process. The hubs will be made centres of community service for sport, arts, culture and recreational programmes in collaboration with regions in the Metros, District Municipalities in line with Local Municipalities. This will form part of the IGR agenda between the Department and the Municipalities.
• For the current year an amount of R132.076 million has been made available for the Sport and Recreation programme
• We have a responsibility towards the promotion of healthy lifestyles within Gauteng Provincial Government. The Executive Council recently approved the establishment Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) League.
• The purpose of the GPG League is to:
• Ensure that both employees and the employer mutually benefit from a healthy workforce whilst at the same time fully recognizing that service delivery may not at any time be hampered or negatively impacted;
• Ensure that participation in sporting activities are well managed so that there is an improvement in interdepartmental/ collegial partnerships as well as assisting in social cohesion;
• Foster friendly relations amongst officials, clubs, teams and players of the GPG League;

Conclusion

Madam Speaker,

We have registered tremendous progress in the task of executing our mandate as a department. We are also certain that with continuous improvement in organisational capacity we can deliver and take both sectors to greater heights.

There is greater consensus among decision makers that we need to strengthen partnerships and mobilise each social player around a set of objectives that will ensure that there is predictability in the policy space, that we define a long term vision that seeks to build on excellence and ensure that all are given an opportunity to showcase their talent.

The tripartite partnership of government, business and civil society is, in our view, a nucleus that will guide us in our forward march. Most importantly, we must draw into our sectors people who are guided by a passion for development and the general progress of humanity. In this regard I wish to thank all those who continue to make sure that we do our work and we do it well.

We would like to thank the Premier and members of the Executive Council for the continued political stewardship, support and the great enthusiasm they have demonstrated towards our work. We would like to thank the chairperson of the portfolio committee, honourable Nompi Nhlapo, and all members of the committee for continuing to engage us constructively in a robust manner.

Our sincere gratitude to the Head of Department, Ms Namhla Siqaza, for her sterling work in driving the administration towards implementing our programmes

Madam Speaker,

We thank you and all honourable members for the support and oversight.

Thank you