Honourable Speaker, Ms Lindiwe Maseko, and Honourable Deputy Speaker, Mr Steward Ngwenya
Honourable Premier, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane
Honourable MECs and members of the provincial legislature
Stakeholders in the Sport, Arts and Culture sectors
Comrades and colleagues
It is a great privilege and honour to present to this house the 2009/10 budget vote for the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation which is the first of a five year term. It is in this sense that we recognise the opportunities as well as challenges presented by this budget, firstly the opportunities to advance the vision presented by the Premier in her State of the Province Address, and secondly the challenges to reshape the existing programmes into new provincial priorities.
We are pleased to announce a budget of almost R315 million for this financial year, a nominal decrease of R33 million (12 percent) compared to the previous financial year. The decrease in this year’s allocation is as a result of the reduction in the capital budget geared towards infrastructure improvement and upgrading for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
We are proud to announce that Gauteng has hosted the successful 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in the newly renovated Loftus Versveld and Ellis Park Stadiums in Tshwane and Johannesburg, respectively.
Honourable Speaker, may I take this opportunity to draw the house to note that historically and traditionally, the department primarily fulfilled an important social developmental function with a focus on sports, arts, culture and recreation as a mechanism for promoting social stability, creating and fostering identity and deepening democracy. Since 1994, we have sought to create a united cohesive society out of a fragmented past; laws were created to ensure that our people could not feed themselves, and thus forced to seek employment away from their places of residence, urbanisation and its concomitant social-economic ills were unleashed upon us. This government is committed to tackle the social-economic ills through the social cohesion programme which is led by the department, where our sector plays a significant contribution to social regeneration, unity and reconciliation.
Honourable Speaker, We have identified the popularisation of natural symbols, national commemorative days and the standardisation of the geographical names in Gauteng as pillars of our strategy to foster national identity. We will be installing the flags in 100 schools identified in the National Symbol Campaign, and promote the proper singing of the National Anthem. “Our children, from an early age, must be taught to pay allegiance to the Constitution and the National Symbols and know what it means to be a South African citizen.”
Fellow members, sports is indeed an effective catalyst for social cohesion, it is capable of evoking national solidarity in mourning and in lifting the spirit of a nation to unprecedented height, that’s the power of sports in society. As we celebrate the success of events that we have hosted, let’s do so mindful of the lessons we can learn from them and their impact on the youth. We should also be mindful of the role of those who support them through thick and thin, administrators, coaches, referees and participants themselves. All of them contribute to the health of our sports and recreation. It is also important to appreciate the economic spin-offs for both individuals and the country.
Our department will promote oral history as part of our efforts to ensure that our Heritage landscape is indeed reflective of our national memory and contributes to nation building and identity. This will unfold, especially in the marginalised communities whose heritage and history has been ignored for many years. The department has supported the Mandela Day which will be implemented on an annual basis.
Honourable members, the ANC-led government are committed to the principle of universal access to the arts as stated in our Constitution. This means that we must provide the necessary infrastructure to enable people in the rural areas to practice their art. We currently have a lot of art centres throughout the province, but some of them are not fully functional to responds to the needs of our people. It is therefore an imperative for us as a province to focus our programmes towards Small, Medium Micro-Economic (SMMEs) development and co-operatives promotion within the creative industries with particular emphasise on craft centres, music and performing arts sectors.
We have established the Gauteng Craft and Development Centre, together with the related satellite craft centres, which will ensure that products reach markets and market information reaches producers. The first of these centres is established in Sandton and was officially opened in April 2009, in partnership with the City of Johannesburg. In partnership with Gauteng Enterprise Propellor (GEP), the enterprise development programme will support the development of successful craft entrepreneurs and growth of sustainable craft and enterprises. The other four craft hubs will be located in Sedibeng, Ekurhuleni, Metsweding and Mogale City in partnership with respective local government institutions, Department of Trade and Industry, and other stakeholders.
In the development of music in Gauteng, we are partnering with Moshito, a music market that is an industry trade show comprising of music exhibitions, sales of music products and services, music business seminars and live music events. By supporting this music market, we aim to enable local Gauteng musicians to effectively market their music within Southern Africa and internationally. The 6th Annual Moshito Music conference will take place in September 2009.
Honourable Speaker, choral music continues to be one of our main forms of cultural expression. Every community has some form of a choir and this art form is regarded as participatory in nature because it is practiced by the youngest and oldest members of our society. As the province, we will start a process of identifying choral societies across the province. We will further establish youth and adult choirs that are truly representative of our people ensuring that they enjoy government support.
In the support for live music events the department undertook to grow and market special events like the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz and the Moretele Park Jazz Festivals to achieve international status and to attract domestic and international visitors. It also provides musicians from the Puisano Jazz programme with the opportunity to perform on an international stage and grow their fan-base. The Gauteng Jazz Orchestra youth section, will be fronted by major established musicians on a rotational basis. The Gauteng Jazz Orchestra senior section will perform on a regular basis.
Honourable Speaker, it is further important to mention that the department launched the carnival project in 2005 with only 3000 participants and R2 million creating over 350 jobs for dancers, visual artists, designers, welders, construction, etc. The carnival has grown in 2008 with more than 17 000 participants from across Gauteng. This year there will be 50 troupes from the 50 hubs across the province together with the 50 troupe from the People’s Republic of China. During this year the department will register the Gauteng Carnival Commission who will take ownership of the carnival and ensure that the carnival is driven by stakeholders from all communities.
During this financial year the Gauteng Arts and Culture Council Act, Act 11 of 1998 will be amended and the promulgations of the regulations thereto which will review the scope of the Gauteng Arts and Culture Council (GACC) with regards to the services it provides, focus activities explicitly in support of the creative industries development framework and improve accountability and corporate governance by explicitly incorporating Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) guidelines within the Act.
The department has revised the approach to the celebration of the national commemorative days. This will result in a more varied approach such as planning for a number of smaller localised events over a period of a month rather than a single provincial event. The commemorative month projects have been realigned to address issues of social cohesion, patriotism and nation building.
Honourable Speaker, it is of significance to indicate that 2009/10 is the third year of receiving the conditional grant for libraries. The goal of the grant is to recapitalise community libraries and information services and to improve library infrastructure and services in rural and urban communities. Of the R46, 043,000 that is received as a grant, R45,500,000 will be transferred to municipalities for the following projects:
* To increase access to services, four communities will receive new libraries, namely Mohlakeng, Roodeplaat, Simunye, and Vischkuil. Five existing libraries will be extended or upgraded to provide for the ever increasing demand of learners and students for better library facilities and study space. The libraries that will be extended are Randvaal, Rayton, Randgate, Bronkhorspruit, and Sebokeng.
These capital projects will create local jobs in communities. Ekurhuleni will purchase another mobile bus to be used for the rendering of outreach library services to informal settlements. Emfuleni will purchase four smaller vehicles to be used in outreach services to under serviced areas, to the housebound, the disabled and old age homes and pre-school day care centres. These services are earmarked to be implemented from the Bophelong, Boipatong, Sharpeville, Evaton and Residentia Libraries. Services will also be extended to the youth in prisons in the Lesedi and Nokeng-Tsa-Taemane Municipalities.
* Access to internet services stimulates economic growth in communities. The projects to increase access to internet services and other electronic services will therefore continue. The youth in particular make very well use of the computers in the libraries for developing their curriculum vitas, job seeking, applying electronically for jobs and in general just to improve their computer skills. The municipalities that will upgrade their information communication technology (ICT) and internet services in libraries are Nokeng, Kungwini, Tshwane, Randfontein and Johannesburg. Unfortunately with all the new technology in libraries, some libraries are becoming targets of crime, and libraries are therefore also upgrading their security measures at libraries.
This year Mogale City will put a palisade fencing round the Krugersdorp Library and Tshwane will implement a books security system to curb their losses. (R4,378,000)
* A high focus is placed on reading and library programmes. The programmes range from Adult Literacy Programmes, Early Childhood Development Programmes and developing reading writing and debate skills. Most of these programmes for the learners are implemented as a partnership between the schools and the local libraries. Examples of these are the Story Skirmish, Battle of the Books, Jolife Awards, Psyched four Science, the Strongest Link Ready to Read, Born to Read, etc. Funds will be provided to Nokeng, Kungwini, Emfuleni, Lesedi and Randfontein, and Ekurhuleni for reading and literacy programmes.
Gauteng will host a competition to generate content for more books in indigenous languages. (R1,430,000)
* The information resources in libraries will be upgraded by the purchasing of new books, subscription to periodicals and newspapers, and subscription to South African e-journals. A special focus is placed on resources supporting the outcomes based education, study material and material to be used in early childhood development programmes. (R2,744,000)
* 81 staff members will be employed in community libraries at urban and rural libraries to appropriately respond to community library and information needs. Skills programmes to capacitate community librarians are also in place. (R11,742,000)
* The process of policy development for libraries will be started with the aim to promulgate legislation. All policy initiatives currently approved like the library transformation charter, norms and standards for libraries will be consolidated to be taken further in the next financial year (R100,000)
* Monitoring and evaluation of the services rendered will be done by provincial staff and a user satisfaction survey will be launched later in the year. (R93,000)
Honourable Speaker, may I further indicate that the process of policy development, drafting of legislation to establish the Provincial Archives and Records Management Service as required by the Constitution of South Africa is currently being done. Metrofile has been appointed to complete the process. (R446, 000)
Since 2004, the grants in aid programme of the department has made huge strides in moving away from awarding grants on an ad hoc basis to various arts and culture and sport organisations to ensuring that the funding that they receive is aligned to the various strategies of the department. During 2007 we established a grant in aid unit to administer all funding for arts and culture, sport and recreation as well as for HIV and AIDS programmes.
As a result the department has grown the amount of money available for grants in aid, as well as the number of grantees and has achieved better distribution of grantees outside the main metropolis.
Within the arts and culture sector, the Gauteng Arts and Culture Council is the primary vehicle through which the department identifies and develops young talent. The GACC is responsible for awarding bursaries for young artists and cultural workers; supporting the development of emerging groups and programmes which focus on training and developing artists and supporting artistes in activities aimed at showcasing their work at arts and culture festivals.
This year's convention of soccerex will be our last in Gauteng. The project became a launch pad for the metered taxi industry supported by the Department of Transport.
It will also leave a Diambars Football Academy in Ekurhuleni and a multipurpose sporting facility in Mapetla which are legacies supported by Soccerex linked private donors. 2009 is the final edition of Soccerex in Gauteng after which it moved to Rio-Brazil.
Honourable Speaker, in line with the renewal and the current political mandate, the competitive sport business unit has reviewed its deliverable and focused itself in applying the global city region spirit of ensuring that the local government structures are aligned to one bidding and hosting strategy that will ensure equitable and standardised process of attracting major events to Gauteng informed by a uniform strategy.
While South African is currently enjoying the global sports limelight, on 12 July 2009 focus will immediately move to Brazil and therefore timeous decisions and intervention became the guiding light in our undertaking this study.
The department will thus set the tone, using among other things the findings of the study to develop the provincial strategy and provide seed funding that will allow the utilisation of the upgraded infrastructure. The study has already begun to identify which of these events are suitable for which city based on existing infrastructure and resource. The recent pronouncement by the Minister of Sport that South Africa should consider bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympics was already anticipated by Gauteng hence the study.
This will ensure one entry for bidding and hosting in Gauteng via bidding and hosting virtual or physical body which will include business, civil society, relevant agencies as well as government formations.
Additionally, the department will, in partnership with municipalities, ensure there is continuity in terms of programme delivery that will use the stadium that has been built at legacy. Realising the resources invested in the legacy stadium, the department will continue the facilitation of lease agreement between the municipality and the PSL based team with the view to ensure that there are anchor tenants at these stadium which still allow the community reasonable access to such venues. This will ensure that there is a sustainability and maintenance resources coming from other sources and therefore free government funds for the development of specific sport programmes.
As it pertains to assisting municipalities during the football’s major international event, especially the non-host cities, the department will assist municipalities in ensuring standardised hosting of at least one public viewing area per metro and district. This will be supported with process, strategy, human resource and in some instances financial resources. It is however important to note that the department will seek to provide seed funding and municipalities are expected to lead and host these events. It is further advisable that these Public viewing sites are focused in our peri-urban and rural area; are supported by private businesses and be based on realistic environmental and economic factors, where they will be most valuable.
The department will therefore renew its focus from programme and project implementation to policy and strategy development that will assist municipalities to standardise and align themselves to the new mandate of government. We will focus our attention to developing and maintaining relations with private business with the view to minimise government spending on events but continue to enable the environment that will grow tourism, investment and utilisation of infrastructure in Gauteng in the context of the global city region.
Honourable Speaker, may further state that there is a need to ensure that the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR) and Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is strengthened to respond to the School Sport Mass Participation Program (SSMPP) and Competitive School Sport (CSS) programs. The SSMPP programs include implementing the identified school codes in the 325 pilot schools within the province. There are 12 schools for Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) in the 325 schools.
The programs in the SSMPP are cricket, football, athletics, rugby, volleyball, chess, netball and basketball. The program has to also address the establishment of school leagues within the participating schools:
* Tshwane region: 43 Primary, 33 secondary and 3 LSEN = 79
* Ekurhuleni region: 37 Primary, 28 secondary and 2 LSEN = 67
* Sedibeng region: 36 Primary, 17 secondary and LSEN = 54
* Jo’burg region: 32 Primary, 18 secondary and 2 LSEN = 52
* Jo’burg 1 region: 47 Primary, 22 secondary and 4 LSEN = 73
* Primary schools = 195
* Secondary schools = 118
* LSEN = 12
SSMPP also has nine schools that are part of the exchange program between the province and the United Kingdom (UK). These schools engage on cultural and leadership exchange matters known as dreams and teams. The department also has a partnership with Picardie province in France. This partnership is about the transferring of skills in coaching and administration between the two provinces. The leading institution from France is known as the CREPS and provides the required human resources.
The department co-ordinates competitive school sport within the province. The province co-ordinates tournaments from regional level, provincial and national level. The tournaments are categorised into summer games ;( basketball, cricket, softball, baseball, table tennis) autumn games ;( athletics and aquatics), winter games; football, netball, volleyball, rugby, tennis, hockey) spring games; (gymnastics, chess and baton twirling), farm and rural games LSEN games.
The province is further responsible for the selection and delivery for team Gauteng at national events. In the nationals events some of the participants in athletics, netball, football and basketball are selected for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) games. The SADC games are co-ordinated by Confederation of School Sport Associations of Southern Africa (COSSASA). The directorate in both programs co-ordinates capacity building courses for educators and contract workers. The training is mainly on coaching, sport administration, life skills and first aid.
The province has a partnership with the British Council, which is a partnership that is led by Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA). Through this partnership and the expertise that lie with the UK, the British Council is co-ordinating a school sport indaba. The purpose of the indaba is to find solutions and commitments for the rekindling of school sport in the province.
Honourable Speaker, the mass participation programme is one of the pillars of the integrated sports strategy. It is a point of entry for communities to have access to recreational facilities and participate in various sport, arts, culture and recreational activities in masses. It is a programme that enables the implementation of all SACR programmes where young sporting and artistic talent can be identified and developed. During the financial year, 250 volunteers are appointed throughout all the 50 hubs with a stipend of R1 200 per month. This also stimulates redistributive economic development.
The appointed volunteers participate in training programmes that capacitate them in various sporting codes and arts and culture programmes. These capacity building programmes makes them marketable as they exit the programme, which increases their chances for future employment and which would lead to sustainable livelihoods. With increased hubs per cluster, senior and activity coordinators will increase as well. As from 2011 volunteer posts will be transformed into one additional activity coordinator’s post in order to create decent jobs, enhance sustainable livelihoods and reduce income inequality.
Through the various sporting, arts and culture and recreational daily activities in the hubs, the culture of healthy living is inculcated within communities and creative artistic skills imparted and enhanced. Community safety is reinforced mainly during the school holiday programme where children participate in the hub programme. The adventure course: this programme for vulnerable youth is also instrumental in achieving the above as it equips vulnerable youth with life skills, with the aim of achieving behavioural change.
This is an integrated programme which encourages effective partnership within the social clusters of the Gauteng government (SACR, Health and Welfare, Community Safety and Education)
Sport and Safety: this is another initiative that will see the promotion of safety within communities through sports. To be run in conjunction with the Departments of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Furthermore, we will be forming a partnership with local government and Swimming South Africa with regards the learn to swim project, ensuring that we afford communities to be safe around water areas and swimming pools but also that the swimming pools are used optimally as a resource.
We will be participating in a number of fun run projects, viz. Human Rights Day, 702 Walk the Talk, City-City, Soweto Marathon and the Comrades Marathon, where hub communities participate on a yearly basis are catalysts towards the achievement of social cohesion, nation building and deepening democracy within the communities of Gauteng.
A new project for the aged, called the Golden Games will be implemented during this new term. This project with the theme active ageing will see our older persons participating in active sport throughout the province and competing with other provinces at national level.
These games will take place every year during the month of October to celebrate the international month for the aged. It will give our older persons the opportunity to participate in 17 sporting codes nationally, and will be targeting older persons from the age of 60 upwards, depending on their state of health. The project will be run with the provincial Department of Health and Social Development from community level up to national level.
Cluster festivals that are held twice a year with the hub communities as participants play an integral role towards achieving this strategic objective so are the indigenous games, which are played from hub to international level. The yearly carnival has the hubs as its support base. Hub communities participate in this project from local level in conjunction with their respective municipalities and build up to the provincial level on a yearly basis. This encourages and enhances good governance, partnership for development and also consolidates the development state and economic growth, as most of seamstresses and costume designers come from the hub communities.
The 2010 Legacy programmes have their roots in the hubs, as most of the participants are sourced through the mass participation hub programmes. This contributes to social cohesion and nation building as participants may end up at higher levels (competitive) in their respective sporting codes which may in turn result in the creation of decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods.
Honourable Speaker, let me hasten to say that the Confederations Cup also known as the festival of champions has come and gone. This tournament is used as a dry-run to determine the readiness of the country towards the World Cup. Remember that Gauteng had two of the match venues that were used, namely Ellis (Coca Cola) Park and Loftus Versfeld Stadium. We hosted eight of the sixteen games including the opening and closing ceremonies. Without elaborating much on the success of this tournament I want to say we are proud as South Africans and Gauteng people in particular to have been part of the event. They supported the teams by going to the matches at night and were not deterred by the winter weather.
We also want to express the word of gratitude to Bafana Bafana for their performance more especially towards the last stages of the tournament. Understand that the performance of the team inspires the supporters and supporters boost the morale of the team. Keep up with the performance and learn from the mistakes that made you not to perform beyond what you did.
It would be a mistake not say thank you to the South African Football Association and Premier Soccer League for shortening the 2009/10 league session so as to allow Bafana Bafana to have adequate time for preparation. The team, its people and infrastructure are key success areas for the tournament.
Honourable Speaker, I want to indicate to this house that today we are 310 days away from the kick-off of the World Cup tournament. Though the World Cup tournament takes place in the 2010/11 financial year most of the work on preparations will happen in this financial year.
Having boasted about the success of the Confederations Cup, I must hasten to say the world cup is a different ball game altogether. We are at the testing stage of all our systems. Gauteng is the heartland of the world cup. We are the home of the two host cities, Johannesburg and Tshwane with three match venues (Soccer City, Ellis Park and Loftus Versfeld) of the world cup. We are going to host 21 of the 64 of the matches that will be played countrywide.
This place a huge responsibilities on Gauteng as majority of the 400 000 expected visitors will be staying in Gauteng and even some of those who will be heading to other provinces will travel through Gauteng. They need to know about all what Gauteng can offer. We have a rich heritage in Gauteng. The Cradle of Humankind, OR Tambo Memorial, Freedom Park, Sharpeville Memorial, Apartheid Museum, Cullinan Diamond Mine, Vilakazi Street just to mention a few are all here in Gauteng. Remember that our visitors are not interested in things that they are used to in their countries. Some of them will be here without tickets. Theirs will just be to feel the vibe and vibrancy of Gauteng.
They want to see and feel what we mean when we say this is the home of champions, home of the vuvuzela, maboneng, mo diwang teng, kwandonga ziyaduma, kwanyama ayipheli. With the Department of Economic Development and Gauteng Tourism Authority we will ensure that issues of our Gauteng offerings are marketed locally and throughout the world.
During 2007/08, the Department of Sport requested the Department of Infrastructure Developments (formal known GPTRW) to undertake a phase two upgrade of the two stadiums namely:
* HM Pitjie Stadium
* Sinaba Stadium
This upgrading was to develop the stadium in to two legacy stadium with FIFA accreditation; the two stadiums were identified to be used for training venues for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
The renovations and refurbishments of H M Pitje and Sinaba Stadiums as part of the 2010 legacy projects are on course. H M Pitje is identified as training stadium for the FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2010. The project were initially meant to complete November 2008 however, as a result of various challenges, the initial completion date has been revised.
Selection process across province conducted by South African Football Association (SAFA) including talent identification will take place. League run by Local Football Association from ward, local, regional up to provincial level will facilitate the process. Focus is within three metros and districts involving 100 targeted numbers of youth per area. Finalists from both ladies and males get an opportunity to train with Manchester City in United Kingdom.
Young coaches from federations and clubs involved in club development identified and trained over a week period by international coaches. Cost involves material development and international best practice models and coaching techniques.
Selection of four teams from the talent identification process who represent Gauteng in the international event. Winning teams from districts and metros, both male and females compete for participation in finals against international clubs.
Four Gauteng selected teams will play against international clubs from Brazil, India, Argentina, Angola, Tanzania and China participating in the final tournament of the event.
The department will revise the bidding and hosting strategy to be more comprehensive. The provincial approach will include linkages with the GDS and GCR imperatives amongst others. The province will play a more co-ordinating role and the cities to play a lead role in the actual bidding and hosting of major events. The partnerships with government and private sector to be strengthened with the major funding emanating from the private sector with government assisting with seed funding.
The provincial strategic framework will assist to ensure that the district and local municipalities are also empowered to stage major games and events as their metropolitan municipalities’ counterparts. This will assist to ensure that a Gauteng in its entirety (geographic spread) is accommodated and not just the metropolitan areas benefiting in economic development, sport and cultural tourism and the creation of decent jobs.
Honourable Speaker, Honourable Premier Nomvula Mokonyane, Honourable members of the Legislature, stakeholders, comrades and colleagues, in the spirit of Kuyasheshwa: we are reminded about the words of the Russian writer,
Maxim Gorky, which inspired revolutionaries of the 20th century “At times you have to go against yourself if you want to keep going forward. You have to be able to give everything; it is easy to give your life for the cause. You have to give more what’s dearer to you than your own life.”
We reaffirm our commitment to pushing back the frontiers of poverty. Whilst we ensure that social cohesion and nation building are realised.
* To our Honourable Premier, I thank you for your leadership
* And, to my fellow Executive Council Members, Chairperson of the Sport, Arts Culture and Recreation, Ms N Nhlapo, and Members of the Legislature, I thank you very much for your support and your oversight role
* To my HOD, Ms D Robertson, management, general staff and support staff in my Office, I also want to extend my sincere appreciation
* And member of my family for their continued support.
I thank you!!
Issued by: Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Gauteng Provincial Government
4 August 2009
Source: Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.srac.gpg.gov.za/)
