Question no. 2
Ms N D Ntwanambi (ANC-WC) to ask the Deputy President:
(1) Whether the Presidency has any engagement with the (a) Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, (b) Moral Regeneration Movement and (c) leaders of any (i) political party and (ii)(aa) religious and (bb) cultural groupings regarding measures that our country can put in place to promote cultural, religious and linguistic tolerance among our people; if so, to what extent do such measures plan to engage schools as a foundation phase for instilling new sets of values to our citizens;
(2) Whether he considers it necessary for our nation to engage in such an initiative if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) To what extent does this link up with the proposed debate on our national shared moral values by the President and the mandates of the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities and the Moral Regeneration Movement?
Reply
Honourable Ntwanambi, government has ongoing engagements with many institutions established to protect and promote culture, language and religious rights of all South Africans. Particular attention is given to aspects of culture, language and religious rights of population groups who previously could not exercise their rights due to oppressive laws.
Also, government continues to engage non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that operate in the same space. We find that, challenges notwithstanding, efforts of government are greatly enhanced by relentless contributions of public bodies established to promote equality and equity as well as those of non-state actors.
As the Honourable Member might be aware, the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) was established to lead social mobilisation at national and provincial levels in favour of promoting social values that enhance “healthy” families and cohesive communities. This section 21 entity is funded by the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) and boast professionals, celebrities, religious leaders and community activists on its board. The highlight of their work is the adoption and implementation of the Charter of Positive Values that lays the basis for family, community and national conversations on what constitute positive social values. I wish to encourage all Members of this House to support the proliferation of this Charter of Positive Values. Your Constituencies will benefit greatly from such a document.
This Honourable Members is in addition to the “schools pledge” introduced by the then Education Minister, Ms Naledi Pandor. The schools pledge encourages learners to embrace appreciate and promote social values that protect the integrity of the state, public property etc. All these measures, Honourable Chairperson, are meant to foster social cohesion, the basis of which begins at schools, families and communities where we live.
We do encourage members of this house and all sectors of society to heed the call by our President, Jacob Zuma, for all South Africans to openly debate and mould values that characterise a united, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa. This is not meant to be a panacea for all social ills prevalent in our communities. It does however strengthen a foundation for a tree whose fruits will nourish our children and future generations.
Finally, the national dialogue that the President has called for is not meant to supplant other important initiatives of government, civil society and Constitutional bodies; rather, it is meant to complement and support them.
Issued by: The Presidency
11 March 2010
