Speech of the MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Ms. Limakatso Patricia Mahasa, on the Tabling of the Budget Vote – 12 of the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, 04 April 2023, QwaQwa.
Honourable Speaker
Honourable Premier
Colleagues in the Executive Council
Honourable Members of the Legislature
Executive Mayors, Mayors and Councillors present
Representatives of House of Traditional Leaders
Representatives of Sport Federations as well as Arts and Culture Councils
Management and Officials of the Department
Baahi ba Foreistata
Bomme le Bontate
Comrades
Pele ke tswela pele ka ho tshetleha ditekanyetso tsa selemo sena, ke lakatsa ho fetisa matshediso ho lelapa la Makgoe le la Mdi ka koduwa e ileng ya bahlahela kgweding tsa ho feta. Ha ho tlwahelehe ho ema mona ntle le tshehetso eo Tate Makgoe a neng a nneha yona ka nako tsohle. Ke ka hona ke lakatsang hore puo ena ya kajeno ke e behe tlotlong ya mohlabani enwa ya ileng a beha Foreisetata pele mme a re etsa motlotlo. Robala ka kgotso mampodi, sekwankwetla.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano ke ema mona hape ho theoheletsa sehlopha sa rona sa naha sa bolo ya maoto se tsejwang ele Bafana Bafana kaho ipabola ka makgabane papading ya bona e fetileng. Ka mora dilemo tse mmalwa re tla ke re tshwane le ditjhaba tse ding tse shebellang naha ya bona mohopeng o moholohadi ka hara Afrika. Ke lakatsa hoba lakaletsa mahlohohonolo mohopeng oo wa matjhaba.
Ho boetse ho a thabisa ho rolela sehlopha sa rona sa bomme ba cricket ka ho fihla makgaolakgang a mohope wa lefatshe wa T20. Ka nnete ba ile ba tshwara thipa ka bohaleng ho beha naha ya Afika Borwa mmapeng wa lefatshe. Reka lebala jwang sehlopga sa Banyana bao eleng bompodi ba Afrika bolong ya maoto. Re hoar ere pele eyang pele Banyana, re motlotlo ka phihlello ya lona.
Lesedi: Kganya
In his foreword to Sport and Recreation White Paper the then Minister of Sport and Recreation, Steve Tshwete said ‘Sport continues to be short-changed with regard to the allocation of resources because of the lack of knowledge of those at decision-making level, of its role in society as well as its potential as an instrument of transformation. The situation is worse in the case of recreation. Our ongoing campaign to educate decision-makers about this role will continue….’ Cde Steve Tshwete went further to persuade those in sport to raise sport’s profile in the face of conflicting priorities.
Madam Speaker, the essence of the message of Cde Steve Tshwete was simple, the skewed development in South Africa will always ensure that sport development is seen as a secondary to any other development. We tend to forget that only sport can unite the young and old, only sport can make the black and white sing Shosholoza in unison. The apartheid white government of yesteryears realised it as far as 1919 when they protested against the inclusion of Maori people in the New Zealand rugby team that played Springboks. They knew that sooner than later the black people will demonstrate through sport that they are not inferior as the white government preached to the world. They were also afraid that the white people will realise that black people are also humans and have talent. Madam Speaker, that white government was afraid that its propaganda will not be sustainable. To ensure that sport does not unite people of South Africa, the Strijdom apartheid regime introduced the apartheid sport plan on the 26th of June 1956. Though our rainbow nation defeated apartheid and its plans, its remnants are still well among us. We saw them at Maselspoort when they think public swimming pools are only meant for white people. We saw them in this house when their silence was so loud and they couldn’t condemn the behaviour because it is what they contest elections for.
In the occasion such as this, it is important to look back and appreciate the distance that has been covered by those in sport do date. Maybe it is an opportune moment to reflect back and asses if we took the fallen baton of Cde Steve Tshwete and continue to raise sport’s profile against competing priorities like roads, education, health, water provision and many others. Honourable Speaker, this budget will take us to 2024 which will mark 30 years of democratically elected government of our country, it will also mean that the white paper that was developed as a guiding touch will be in existence for 28 years.
Hypothetically speaking, it means a child that was born in 1994 should only reading about skewed sport development from history books and not being a culprit and living example of skewed development. Madam Speaker it also means that those who benefited from apartheid government have long passed their expiry date in active sport and development continuum. The reality depicts something else, when you go to Mmakwane in Thabo Mofutsanyane you still find children kicking a ball made out of cloth bare footed. What is even more touching is when you see some of these children playing half naked as a form of differentiating between opposing teams. Madam Speaker, these children do not have proper playing field but play on our streets and are exposed to all kinds of dangers.
In his maiden State of the Province Address the honourable Premier, Mr Mxolisi Dukwana, notes that “the arts, culture, heritage, sport and recreation landscape of the Free State offers endless possibilities for the individual and collective pursuit of talent and passion”, close quote. The honourable Premier further directs that “we need to create an enabling environment within which our programmes find expression”, close quote.
Honourable speaker, in response to this need to create the enabling environment, during the 2023/2024 Financial Year, and building on the performance of the previous Financial Years, the Department continued on an upward trajectory with regard to the realisation of its performance targets. As a sign of this development the Auditor General of South Africa’s report for 2022/2023 made no negative findings around the department’s performance information.
During the last Financial Year, the Department managed to achieve on 88% of its planned targets. This means that the programmes that we had planned and committed to implement as per our Annual Performance Plan and the Strategic Plan were implemented in their majority. The challenges relating to the non-implementation or deferment of other programmes will be addressed as a matter of urgency so that we hundred per cent implementation of our programmes.
The return of mass participation programmes was demonstrated by the implementation of the flagship programme of the Free State Provincial Government which is the Mangaung African Cultural Festival (MACUFE) in 2022. Notwithstanding the challenges in the environment the return of MACUFE was a welcome relief for cultural activists whose livelihood was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the two years period of its non-implementation.
Honourable Speaker, allow me to present the 2023/2024 departmental budget.
For the 2023/2024 Financial Year the department receives a total budget allocation of 633 million 328 thousand rands which represent a decrease of about 4% compared to 2022/2023 allocation of 665 million 733 thousand rands. In 2024/2025 the total allocation will be 643 million 966 thousand. And in the 2025/2026 financial year the department will receive budget allocation of 663 million 839 thousand rands.
Programme 1: Administration and Financial Management
Honourable Speaker, for Administration and Financial Management, this programme is allocated 115 million 168 thousand rand for Administration.
As part of our efforts to contribute towards building of a capable state we will ensure that governance structures in the department continue to operate optimally. Risk Management Committee and Audit Committee as well as other internal departmental committees continue to ensure that the department is executing its mandate in accordance with prescripts and comply with policies.
With Ethics Management having become one of the key functions in the public sector, the departmental Ethics Committee has also started operating following the appointment of the Committee as well as the Assistant Director: Fraud and Anti-Corruption in the Security Management directorate. The Ethics Committee has effectively started with its function. The Draft Ethics plan is in place and will be finalised into a full operational plan to guide the process of promoting an ethics culture in the department. Key ethics strategies and plans have been developed and their full implementation is an imperative.
Human Resource Management:
In terms of Human Resource Management, the department has finalized and submitted the reviewed organizational structure for consideration by the Office of the Premier and Department of Public Service and Administration. As indicated during the last Budget Vote, the objective of the structure review was to align our structure to the available budget as well as with the strategic objectives of the department. We are delighted that we have completed this task and are just awaiting feedback from the Office of the Premier and Department of Public Service and Administration. Building a capable state as a policy mandate of this government requires that we have the required personnel to carry out this mandate.
Our process of filling vacancies is continuing to unfold as per our recruitment plan. At Senior Management level we have in the last Financial Year managed to fill the post of the Director for Library Services after a long time of existence of this vacancy. We should soon finalize the appointment of the Director for Human Resource Management and the Chief Financial Officer both of which were advertised and shortlists conducted. The post of Head of Department remains vacant and it is envisaged that the Premier will make this appointment in a few months. Training and Development has also been prioritized through provision of bursaries to officials and creating opportunities for internship and learnerships.
Madam Speaker only 39% of the department’s budget is dedicated to programmes and infrastructure projects and the remainder covers compensation of employees. This picture remains bleak for the department which is service or mass participation based. Dependence on Conditional Grants also remains a challenge. With the reintroduction of MACUFE revenue projection has been reviewed upwards to R5 million. It is anticipated that, following the lifting of COVID19 restrictions and thus the opening up of our tourist attraction facilities, our revenue streams will now improve our revenue collection capacity.
Programme 2: Cultural Affairs
Honourable Speaker, for the 2023/2024 Financial Year, Cultural Affairs programme received an allocation of 134 million 270 thousand rand. Despite the challenging fiscal constraints that we have stated earlier, the implementation of Cultural Affairs programmes continued mostly in line with our planned targets and developmental trajectory.
Basotho New Year Celebration
The Basotho cultural heritage continued to be showcased through the celebration of the Basotho New Year at the Basotho Cultural Village in Qwa Qwa. On 6 August 2022 Basotho and cultural enthusiasts descended on the Basotho Cultural Village near Qwa Qwa for the annual Basotho New Year celebration. This landmark and very important event in calendar of Basotho people will continue to be celebrated in this financial Year.
Activities that depict the history of Basotho were on display during the celebration and included: horse riding, grand parade and demonstration of traditional cultivation through oral history. Traditional music and dance that were showcased on the day include, amongst others, Mohobelo, Accordion music, Serobolelo, Sesotho hip hop as well as Zulu and Tswana traditional dances. A variety of Basotho traditional food were on display. Literature materials across the spectrum, with a particular focus on African and Sesotho literature were showcased as well.
Dr K.P.D Maphalla lecture
In our quest to develop previously marginalized languages and to honour our legends in African literature, the department launched annual Dr Maphalla lecture in 2022. The second annual lecture was held on 24 February 2023 in partnership with the University of the Free State. This lecture will be sustained into the future.
Film Commission
As directed by the honourable Premier Mxolisi Dukwana in the State of the Province Address, we must embark on a process to establish a Film Commission this year. As stated by the honourable Premier the purpose of this process is “part of the efforts to create a thriving creative industry. We must leverage off this opportunity to develop the value chain of this sector, particularly the technical and related industries”, close quote.
As part of the process towards the establishment of a Film Commission, progress has been made in this regard as the name of the commission was secured and will be known as the Free State Film Commission. The existence of this commission will expedite the process towards ensuring a thriving film industry in the province with an expected greater economic spin-off. A Film Summit was held on 30 and 31 March 2023 to discuss the Free State Film Commission. An Interim Steering Committee consisting of film and television producers, film and television directors, film and television editors as well as film and television playwrights was established. The objective of the summit was also to facilitate the establishment of a non- profit company that will guide the Free State Film Industry to establish a Free State Film Commission and be the guardian of film and television in the Free State moving forward.
Days of National Significance
Celebration of National Days of Significance such as Heritage Day and Freedom Day will find their way back into the mainstream of our cultural activations. These programmes are important not only in the inculcation of a spirit of nation-hood and social cohesion, but also as platforms that provides performance opportunities to artists or creative practitioners in general. As pointed out by the honourable Premier Mxolisi Dukwana in the State of the Province Address, the racial divisions and prejudice in some sectors of our society is a clear indication of the work we still need to do through these programmes to unify our communities.
Mine Dance Festival
Mine Dance Festival was celebrated in Welkom through the Free State Arts and Culture Council in partnership with the national Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
As a people centred department, we have supported Community Media in the Free State with an amount of R100 000 each.
National Symbols
In our quest of fulfilling National Mandate and that of Chapter 15 of NDP which has been bestowed upon our department of promoting social cohesion, national identity, patriotism and social compact, the department procured National Symbols posters. These included the Bill of Rights; Passport of Patriotism; Preamble of our Constitution; AU Anthem posters as well as Hand Flags. These products were used during outreach programmes to schools and communities throughout the province. More than 50 thousand people were reached through this programme.
Thaba Lebitla and Heroes Monuments
In the past, there was little research conducted on the black concentration camps during the South African War of 1899 to 1902. The Scorched Earth Policy also greatly affected black people, and it is therefore imperative that we narrow the knowledge gap on this phenomenon in order to bring about justice in the black sufferings and contributions. Heritage Free State has in February 2023, provisionally declared a site in Springfontein believed to be graves of black people buried during South African War. There are also alleged mass graves in Thaba Lebitla in Winburg; A research team has been constituted which consists of historians, and archaeologists amongst other expertise. This team will conduct research on the above- mentioned sites as well as in Thaba Nchu camps. This will in essence expand the heritage landscape of the Free State, document the suffering and contribution of black people in the war and also give dignity to those buried. This project also aims to correct past imbalances in the narration and documenting of our collective history. Madam Speaker, this project will be implemented in our quest to expose the injustices and atrocities of the past, to bring closure and to foster reconciliation.
In terms of section 27(2) of the National Heritage Resources Act, no 25 of 1999, the Free State Provincial Heritage Resources Authority is entrusted to identify provincial heritage sites which have special qualities and make them significant in the contest of the province or region in terms of the heritage assessment criteria set out in section 6(1) and (2) and must investigate the desirability of their declaration as provincial heritage sites. We therefore aim to commemorate the important historical footprints of individuals that dedicated their lives to the resistance and struggle in the Free State by erecting monuments at the following sites:
- Peter Swart’s House in Heidedal
- Lucas Majozi site in Zastron
- Caleb Motshabi Banishment house in Thaba Nchu
- Albert Nzula house in Rouxville
- Peter Phahlane in Bloemfontein
The above sites were nominated as heritage sites, however after research and investigations we will be erecting monuments in these respective sites in order to honour the above- mentioned heroes. The department will put aside 800 thousand rands to capacitate the research team as well as erecting monuments for our heroes.
437 Coalbrook mine disaster – 21 January 1960
Madam Speaker, on 21 January 1960, 437 miners perished in Clyse-Dyle Coalbrook mine. No efforts were made by apartheid government to retrieve their bodies which still remain buried 180 meters underground. The Rejuvenation Community in Sasolburg has been at the centre stage of ensuring that this massacre is recognised and the mine is declared a heritage site. This community organisation has been working with number of stakeholders including, National Mine Health and Safety Council, Chamber of Mine Research Organisation, Department of Mineral Resources, Metsimaholo Local Municipality and Fezile Dabi District Municipality. They are currently performing 437 musical Theatre, that depicts and interprets the untold true story of Coalbrook mine tragedy that happened 63 years ago. The group is in the process of creating a documentary to educate the young people of Free State about their untold History. They are also in a process of writing a book about this tragedy. Madam Speaker, the department will play an integral part of this project and assist the group to achieve its noble objectives.
Arts and Culture Awards
In partnership with Central Music Awards the department will stage Arts and Culture Awards that will include all genres of the sector. These awards will go an extra mile in ensuring that our artists are recognised, acknowledged and appreciated for the work they are doing in the industry as well as putting the Free State on the map artistically. The awards will also honour our fallen heroes and heroines who will be honoured posthumously.
Gospel Music Awards
The Gospel Music provides the food of the soul and it provides healing and hope to the hopeless. The department will partner with Free State Gospel Music Awards (FREESGOSMA) to honour our gospel artists who have made strides under this genre. Madam Speaker, this is the biggest genre in the Free State and it is for this reason that we will ensure that it becomes one of the flagship programme of the department. MACUFE gospel festival bears testimony to this reality.
Free State Creative Economy Convention
The department will host Free State Creative Economy Convention in July 2023. This Convention will include a number of sectors within the mandate of our department such as Film, Heritage, Literature, Arts and Culture to name but few. The Convention will expose practitioners within these sectors to funding opportunities for their products and they will be guided and assisted to access available funding from various relevant institutions.
Mangaung African Cultural Festival (MACUFE)
The 2022 MACUFE hosted more than 50% of our local artist performing at different genres and the main festival. To be precise out of 65 artists, 34 were our local artists in the Free State. The MACUFE Homebrew programme, which is a developmental programme meant to provide participation opportunities exclusively for local artists, provided this opportunity to about 145 Free State artists. Attendance by patrons at the various shows of MACUFE in 2022 was satisfactory with venues filled to full capacity indicative of the level of public interest that continued to manifest itself in this festival. From a safety and security, logistics and economic opportunities point of view the festival has also demonstrated itself as a festival of note. The department also hosted MACUFE District Auditions where all winners were given a platform to perform and showcase their artistic talents at MACUFE Homebrew event in Bloemfontein. It is the experience that emerged out auditions that demonstrated a disjuncture and compelled the department to relook at the business model that will integrate all these developmental initiatives.
Madam Speaker, MACUFE is a festival that solidify patriotic spirits in our country by reaching to plethora of genres in one week. It has long surpassed the provincial festival and it is of vital importance to reposition and make it tick to both the Free State patriot and international patriot. It must be a pinnacle point where every crafter, painter, thespian, author, literary scholar, musician, and poet will want to reach and be associated with. It is informed by this outlook that we will infuse our programmes such as auditions, district arts and culture festivals and homebrew as the preparation platforms for MACUFE festival. Honourable Speaker, this year MACUFE will be unbundled not only to benefit myriad of product offerings to our provincial entrepreneurs but also to borrow from a plethora of expertise that the Free State has built over years.
MACUFE auditions will comprise of developmental stage that will be fighting for their place in the district festival which is the intermediary level of MACUFE. The cream of the district festival will be divided into two streams, the first stream will showcase at the homebrew and the other more advanced stream will be given a platform at the main festival which is the pinnacle of MACUFE. Those who perform at main MACUFE events will be given opportunity to share stage with the best of the best in different genres of MACUFE.
Programme 3: Library and Archive Services:
Honourable Speaker, Library and Archives Services received an allocation of 252 million 771 thousand rand in the 2023/2024 Financial Year.
Library Services continues to be one of the programmes that relies heavily on Conditional Grants. Despite the budget limitations we have through the Library and Archives programme realised the following objectives:
- Equipment for visually impaired was procured and installed in three (3) libraries which are Phiritona, Morojaneng and Smithfield. Three (3) more services for the visually impaired will be installed at Qalabotjha, Moemaneng and Phomolong libraries during 2023/24 financial year.
- As part of support to emerging authors a total of 21 968 books were procured. R1,1 million was spent on books from local authors and book sellers and R2 million was spent on women book suppliers. The Department will continue to support youth and women businesses and authors. 40% of the budget will be channelled to books produced by young aspiring writers and women.
- ICT services are presently provided to 169 libraries. The services will be implemented in three (3) new libraries by end of the Financial Year. Plans are in place to consider implementation of robotics in libraries in partnership with National Library of South Africa during the new financial year.
- Funds have been secured for the department’s Archives Repository for the project to upgrade bandwidth infrastructure to the value of R400 000. The bandwidth infrastructure upgrade, which will enable the loading of the newly acquired archival material to the National Archives website, will increase the number of researchers on the Free State Archives repository.
Free State People’s Reading Jamboree (REJABUKA)
Madam Speaker, for many years the reading festival has been a programme that is entirely depended on conditional grant. In this financial year, the department will also make a significant financial contribution to massify this noble festival as a flagship programme. The spelling bee will include three languages that is Sesotho, English and IsiXhosa. The focus will also be extended to our communities, deaf learners, virtual-impaired as well as word-athon. This festival will be branded as REJABUKA and among the Sesotho books that will be prescribed will be some of the books of KPD Maphalla.
Madam Speaker, it must also be noted that REJABUKA will also have public speaking competition. Participants will be encouraged to research different topics which depict current affairs under discussion in the country. Engaging learners and adult community members in public speaking purports to inculcate reading and information analysing skills. We invite our communities to join us and make REJABUKA fashionable. Madam Speaker it is my absolute pleasure to announce that in the next few weeks we will be officially opening the libraries in Soutpan library and Van Stadensrus.
Programme 4: Sport and Recreation:
Honourable Speaker,
The Sport and Recreation programme is allocated a budget of 131 million 119 thousand rand in the 2023/2024 Financial Year.
- Provincial Indigenous Games programme was held in Thaba Nchu on 3 September 2022 as part of a quest to promote indigenous knowledge and heritage as well as active participation in sport amongst communities.
- Sport Awards which aim to reward Free State sport stars in various sporting codes and keeping the passion in sport were held in August with the Media Launch on 19 August 2022. Awards were awarded to athletes who distinguished themselves in various categories. The Sport Awards will also become a flagship programme and additional 1 million will be allocated to make it a prestigious event in this financial year. Like arts and culture awards, the awards will also posthumously honour our fallen sport heroes and heroines in our province
- National Recreation Day and Big Fun Walk/Fun Run was staged in Bloemfontein/Mangaung on 05 November 2022 to promote healthy life style and social cohesion. This programme will also be massified as a flagship programme. Madam Speaker this year we want to see our people walking/running in all our towns in the Free State. Additional financial allocation will also be made to massify this programme. It is one programme that will encourage healthy living among our people. This programme will be branded as BIG Walk.
This year, South Africa is hosting the first ever Netball World Cup in Africa which will be hosted in the Western Cape. As the province we will host the Trophy Tour from the 19 to 23 June. As part of Netball Legacy, we will receive one Netball Sprung Floor facility from Netball World Cup office once the Tournament is finalized. Netball Coaches, Umpires and Administrators in the province will also be trained to drive the Netball League in schools and our communities as part of legacy development.
To introduce Basketball in the Free State, the department is engaging Basketball South Africa to bring some of their competitions in the province.
District soccer tournaments
In the previous financial year, the directorate of community sport has partnered with Itumeleng Duiker Foundation (IDF) to develop soccer in the province, though at a small scale. In this financial year the department will partner with the IDF to unearth talent in our four districts. IDF will work with other soccer legends to ensure the success of district soccer tournament which will culminate in the provincial soccer tournament.
Pool table tournaments
Pool table is a popular sport in the country. In most cases our young players are forced play at taverns and get exposed to toxic environment. The department has a responsibility to deal with substance and alcohol abuse. The taverns and shebeens cannot continue to be recreational facilities. In an endeavour to grow pool table, the department will partner with the sector to host the first ever provincial pool table competition that will involve every town in the Free State. Madam Speaker many people do not even know that the Free State has World Champion who continue to represent South Africa. We want our youth out of taverns.
Andrew Mlangeni Golf Development Chapter
Andrew Mlangeni Golf Development Chapter is one of the department’s flagship programme. The tournament will be hosted in Clerence in partnership with June and Andrew Mlangeni Foundation. Andrew Mlangeni is one of our fallen heroes who served 26 years in Robben
Island and who died at the age of 95 and was still playing golf. The tournament is aimed at developing golfers more especially from the young golfers in our townships.
Boxing – Nelson Mandela Day
This year, the Nelson Mandela Day will be celebrated in the district of Xhariep. In honour of Nelson Mandela, department will partner with local boxing promoters and Boxing South Africa to host a boxing extravaganza in Xhariep. In reviving boxing in the township, the department will also partner with SANABO and promoters in the province to take boxing to our people in the townships. We are also going to stage women boxing in the month of August. This programme will be promoted by women promoters in the Free State.
COSAFA under 20 girls’ tournament
The province is delighted that Council of Southern Africa Football Association (COSAFA) has partnered with Mangaung and Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation to host the 2023, 2024 and 2025 COSAFA under 20 girls’ tournament in Mangaung. These games have a huge potential of injecting foreign currency in our only metro in the Free State.
The department will develop sport facilities such as combo-courts, hubs and outdoor gyms, these will be achieved through engaging municipalities
- Xhariep – Kopanong
- Lejweleputswa – Honey Park
- Thabo Mofutsanyane – Lebopo Sports Grounds
- Mangaung – Thaba Nchu – Moroka Zebras Field
Conclusion
Honourable Speaker,
May I take this opportunity to thank all our stakeholders, the artist, athletes, and the broader community of the Free State for continuing to provide support to the department despite the challenges of resources that we are confronted with. I extend my gratitude to the members of the Legislature and the Portfolio Committees for their oversight guidance on this function.
May I also express my gratitude to Premier Mxolisi Dukwana and the ruling party, the African national Congress, for entrusting me with this responsibility. My personal word of gratitude continues to be extended to my husband and my children for appreciating the responsibilities that have been placed on our shoulders to serve the nation. Thanks to the Mr Tsoarelo Malakoane for agreeing to act as the Head of the Department despite the enormous responsibilities he has in his own department. Lastly but not least, I thank all the managers and officials of the department for continuing to do the best that they can despite the limited resources. They have indeed lived to the saying ‘A bird sitting on the tree is not afraid of the branch breaking because its trust is not on the branch but its wings’.
Above all, all praises to the Almighty for His unwavering blessings and grace that He continues to shower all of us with.
I Thank You
