Speech by the Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Ms Nocawe Mafu, at the Arts and Culture 2019/20 Budget Vote, National Assembly, Cape Town
Chairpersons,
Minister Nathi Mthethwa,
Ministers and Deputy Minsters,
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee,
Honourable Members,
Chairpersons and Chief Executives of Public Entities,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Within two days we mark the birthday of President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, an icon of our liberation and a world renowned statesman.
I am reminded by his insightful words when he observed that: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
Through this statement full of wisdom and Ubuntu, he expressed an emotion and a philosophy, a way of being and a plan of action that surely shapes our African worldview on language.
I wish to assure this house that language is at the heart of social cohesion and that the work of the National Language Services is on track.
We have in place a Bursary Scheme: that provides support to institutions of higher learning for students who are studying languages and translation.
We have developed a Machine Translation-Autshumato system: that automates the translation process for all South African official languages.
We have developed a Digital Books APP that will allow both specialists and the public to access information and books in an electronic format.
We are developing mini-libraries for the visually impaired: Library users with visual impairment also have access to library and information services through the partnership with the South African Library for the Blind; to date 157 sites have been established to cater for the visually impaired.
We congratulate the South African Library for the Blind for celebrating its centenary this year and for the book called “South African Library for the Blind – a Diary of the Library” issued in March this year that provides a historical account of the 100 year history.
We are developing Innovation Hubs for Content Creation: through both a Publishing Hub and Animation and Audiovisual digital hubs.
In this way we shall be able to tell the South African story with confidence in all its glory and mindful of its realities but conscious of the need to dream and to re-awaken the cultural imagination of our people, through the creative work that will come out of these spaces.
This recognition of all our languages, including acknowledgement of the Khoi, Nama and San languages is important for the restoration of identity and pride. The Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) has processes in place for the development of these languages, which includes, among others, the establishment of an epicenter for these languages.
The United Nations has declared 2019 as the UNESCO Year of Indigenous Languages. With our stakeholders we shall host an international gathering on Promoting African Languages and African Literatures on 30 September on International Translation Day.
We are pleased that as part of our efforts in recognising the work of our Living Human Treasures, the Department has produced two books on women artists who indeed have made a unique contribution to our living heritage. The first two books are about Noria Mabasa, world renowned (ceramic and wood) sculptor from Tshino Village in the Vuwani area and Esther Mahlangu, world-famous for her large-scale paintings referencing her Ndebele heritage.
Chairperson, twenty five years ago South Africans from all walks of life arrived at the common destination of a new dawn with the advent of a new South Africa based on a common citizenship underpinned by non-racialism, non-sexism and democracy and by the values of equality, freedom and social justice for all.
Today after much progress, we equally embrace the challenges of a new era, and the dawning of a new dawn, by acknowledging as President Ramaphosa has indicated, that “The persistent legacy of apartheid has left our country with extreme structual problems, both economic and social.”Indeed, we agree with the President that we need to proceed as a country with “a unifiying purpose”and we do so fully conscious, having received our marching orders, that among the seven priorities of the new administration, are “Social cohesion and safe communities,” “A capable, ethical and developmental state” and “a better Africa and world.”
In pursuit of the bold vision of the National Development Plan, the Department of Arts and Culture was given the mandate of coordinating Outcome 14: Social Cohesion and Nation Building.
This demands of us that we work towards a socially integrated society, with a shared and inclusive economy, bound together by a common set of values, national symbols and national identity and characterised by practices of mutual solidarity and Ubuntu to build a nation that is truly united in its diversity and at peace with itself and the world.Yet in recent years we have seen racism rearing its ugly head, and femicide and gender based violence on the rise.
During the past five years, the Department has conducted 135 community conversations nation-wide to address current societal challenges. Going forward, this initiative will be strengthened through forging committed partnerships at all three tiers of government to enable a more integrated approach with more decisive interventions.
An important consultative process is currently underway that will lead to a National Convention in September 2019. This gathering will adopt a Social Compact wherein social partners will outline tangible commitments on promoting the goal of a socially integrated and inclusive society. Arising from this social compact will be a Programme of Action, with clear indicators, targets, and some very specific measures for impact.
Recognising the lingering effects of colonialism and apartheid, the first administration under President Nelson Mandela recognised the need for a concomitant social development programme famously coined as the “RDP of the soul”. In this regard, this month is designated “Moral Regeneration Month” and we continue to provide assistance to the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM).
The MRM has partnered with SALGA on the promotion of ethical leadership at the municipal layer of government and working with political parties in holding them to the letter and spirit of the Code of Election Ethics.The launch of an anti-femicide campaign by the MRM last year was a response to the high levels of intimate partner violence against women.
The Department will continue to partner with the Department of Justice in fighting racism and welcome that Cabinet has adopted the National Action Plan (to Combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance) and approved the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill in March this year. We welcome these milestones as they further empower us to fight racism. As a society we call on all our people to be vigilant on all fronts and work together as there can be “nothing about us, without us.”
Together we must step up our efforts in rekindling the moral fibre of society, ensuring the full emancipation of women and the girl child and stand together in fighting racism in all aspects of our lives.
The Social Cohesion Advocates, an eminent group of patriotic and dutiful South Africans, led by Judge Yvonne Mokgoro have participated in 75 platforms in the last five years where they have actively promoted constitutional values and shaped public opinion on issues around social cohesion and nation building. They also assisted in training youth in conflict management and mediation.
Their programme has highlighted specifically the plight of people living with albinism in the context of discrimination and killings for muti purposes – much against fundamental human rights as guaranteed in the Constitution. They will continue to raise awareness and champion national cohesion through 20 platforms in this year.
The Department in partnership with provincial departments has finalised the recruitment of 300 Young Patriots, who will be trained in civic participation, as the focus of a National Youth Service programme. The Young Patriots will popularise National Symbols and identity, especially the Flags in Schools.
The National Days Programme is an important component of this Programme of Action for Social Cohesion and Nation Building. The Department has allocated R23 million for the national days celebrations and commemorations.
Work is being done to ensure that all South Africans, in our unity in diversity, take time to celebrate and commemorate these days. In two days’ time, we celebrate Nelson Mandela Day, which has as its focus serving our people through effective and sustainable interventions beyond only 67 minutes and this Department will play its part on this day and beyond in promoting active citizenship, education and literacy in honour of Tata Madiba and his legacy.
Youth in the Arts is an important component of the work of the Department. The Arts lends itself to the development of skills that provide access to jobs in the creative economy, which is a driver for development in the age of the fourth industrial revolution. Arts and Culture contributes to creativity and innovation in society. This leads to the adoption of new technologies, which in turn contributes to improved productivity, which results in economic growth.
This year we are intensifying our support for arts education; and the Department will sign a Framework of Collaboration with the Department of Basic Education on revitalizing and developing curricula, that add value to the teaching of arts, culture and heritage in schools.
The Artists in Schools programme places 1640 arts practitioners at public schools to improve the quality of basic education in the arts. Research indicates that the programme has been able to improve the culture of learning in approximately 4000 schools. 180 further job opportunities were created for individuals providing support services to these arts practitioners. The challenge going forward is to standardise the approach and develop a common curriculum nation-wide.
Further programmes include:
- An After School Arts Programme which is implemented in Mokopane, Limpopo with 279 learners from 6 primary schools. This will be extended to 2 primary schools in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal.
- There is also a Disability programme which includes support for Deaf TV, The “I Can Campaign Programme” and the Zwakala Awards on the 25 October 2019 in Johannesburg, which hosts children from all special schools to promote the Sign Language.
- We are taking theatre to the people to create awareness on Gender-Based (GBV) violence, through the use of Industrial Theatre, Cultural Performances, and dialogue to convey messages of “No” Violence.
The Department is further implementing a project within communities to create opportunities for women, especially young women in the rural areas of Brits, the North West province, and Tyusha in the Eastern Cape, among other places. The programme explores talent and entrepreneurship in the area of arts, culture and heritage and has created more than 100 jobs for young people.
The Department is seized with the revitalisation of community arts centres through instituting an initiative in each province that works with community arts centres to strengthen programming at these centres. These centres create opportunities for further participation in arts and culture at local level. With 250 centres around the country employing more than 3300 people and involving more than 115 000 people every month in activities, this is an important targeted area of growth.
Chairperson, in pursuit of a better South Africa in a better Africa and a better world, since 2015 we have instituted a full month-long Africa programme in May, that takes the form of a Festival of Ideas and celebrates our visual art, our fashion, our film, our cuisine and our literature. This year’s programme witnessed, among others, a gathering of elders with the esteemed poet, Linton Kwesi Johnson of Jamaica and resident in Britain, joining Living Legends, Don Mattera, Sindiwe Magona and James Matthews as well as Diana Ferrus sharing wisdom with young audiences at the Soweto Theatre.
In nurturing closer cultural relations with sister African countries, we are in advanced talks in having cultural seasons with Angola and the Seychelles. In the development of the Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route we are working on recognising sites in Lobatse in Botswana and at Vienna Camp in Angola.
South Africa will continue to participate in the Forum on Ministers of Culture from 19 – 20 November 2019 on the margins of the 40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference.
It is through cultural diplomacy that we extend our national campaign for social cohesion to a global level, striving for a more inclusive globe, wherein all nations are free and equal, where the world’s people work with both ‘their hearts and their heads’, as Madiba would say.
Our self-worth and who we are can only be entrenched by the work of this Department!
Thank you.
