Honourable Speaker
Premier and Cabinet colleagues
Leader of the Opposition
Members of the Provincial Parliament
The drivers of growth – our workforce, entrepreneurs and business leaders
The Media
Special guests, Dr Wilmot James of the National Assembly, and the Paralympic athletic champions, among others
Citizens of the Western Cape
Introduction
Speaker, intrigued by the opportunity to learn about dance for the first time, fourteen year old Renshea Wilscott, whose mother is the only breadwinner in their home, began attending dance classes at the mass participation, opportunity and access, and development and growth (MOD) centre in Hout Bay in September 2010. She not only discovered that dancing is fun, but also that she had a talent for dance. She has the ability to master the dance steps very quickly and the discipline that dance demands began to nurture and develop a new level of confidence within her, which has also impacted on her academic performance. Renshea has the potential to develop into a very talented dancer and cannot wait to participate at the Sport, Health, Advancement through sport, Research and Policy development (SHARP) centre level.
Astrolita Plaatjies, a young girl from Ravensmead, could not play an instrument nor could she read music a year ago. Given the opportunity to learn, Astrolita took part in one of the Department’s Arts and Culture Programmes, and recently gave her first solo performance. The All Saints Christmas band, of which she is now a member, won the union competition held on 30 January 2011. She is described as an inspiration to the youth of Ravensmead.
Speaker, for Renshea Wilscott and Astrolita Plaatjies, just two of the thousands of learners in the Western Cape taking part in our MOD centres, the work of the department is felt at a most personal level. These opportunities contribute to what the Premier refers to as “The Western Cape of our Dreams”. The MOD centres on opportunities to building a career in sport, or the arts, and without them, many of young learners would not realise their talent. This is what the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport is all about. It is about fulfilling this dream through culture and sport.
Honourable Speaker, we will therefore seek to promote access to and excellence in our services, create a culture of inclusivity that celebrates our diversity, and an environment in which employment opportunities are a reality.
I wish to indicate upfront that my department will have to execute its mandate within the confines of an extremely tight budget which follows several years of substantial budget cuts during tough economic times. The total budget of R313 158 million represents a 6,42% increase over our 2010/11 budget.
This budget will be allocated as follows:
- R122,945 million for Libraries and Archives services
- R79, 78 million for Sport and Recreation
- R70,869 849 million for Cultural Affairs
- R39,566 million for Administration
R95, 658 million of the total amount is conditional grant funding for the provision of library services, mass participation in the fields of sport and recreation and participation in the expanded public works programme.
Sport development
During the State of the Province Address our Premier, the Honourable Helen Zille, highlighted that part of this administration’s agenda is to focus on the downstream causes of the burden of disease, which includes “lifestyle” diseases as a result of smoking and substance abuse, a lack of exercise and poor eating habits, as well as the issue of social dysfunction. The Premier’s message was further supported by Minister Winde in his budget address when reference was made to the pivotal role that this department can play in providing interventions that proactively deal with the occurrence of violence and anti-social behaviour.
Fifteen year old Regard Sedras, a rugby player at the Western Cape Sport School, came to the school through the MOD Sport Centre in Moorreesburg. As a learner at the Laurie Hugo Primary School he attended the MOD Centre every afternoon. Sports officials explained that qualifying talented athletes would be offered the opportunity to enrol at the Sport School.
Regard, through the talent identification process, was identified as a youngster with immense potential. Since Regard arrival at the Western Cape Sport School, he has excelled not only in rugby but also in athletics. He was selected to represent the school in high jump, as well as the 100 metres sprint and 200 metres sprint events at the Northern Zone Athletics in Bellville, on 25 February 2011.
Regard Sedras, Renshea Wilscott and Astrolita Plaatjies represent thousands of young people from across our province. Young people who are in desperate need of an alternative to the social ills that plague our communities. We need to create an environment in which our youth can not only dream, but where dreams can be realised.
Honourable Speaker, this budget has allocated R79 778 m towards Sport and Recreation. During 2010/11, 98 primary school-based MOD (Mass participation; Opportunity and access; and Development and growth) Sport Programmes were established. Each of these MOD centres is staffed by 1 sports coach and 1 sports coordinator. Last week I opened the first sport MOD centres of the year in Mitchells Plain, at Cornflower Primary, Highlands Primary, Wavecrest Primary and Mitchell Heights Primary schools. These four schools will now have fully functioning sports programmes after school, and the learners will have the same opportunity as those that have progressed into our clubs and federations. We have also recently opened MOD centres in Atlantis at Reygersdal Primary and Saxonsea Primary. Over the next few weeks I will be opening another MOD centre in Atlantis which will put our total at around 110 MOD Sports Development centres in the Western Cape.
In addition to this, we initiated a SHARP (Sport; Health; Advancement through sport; Research; and Policy development) Sport Programme in each of the eight Western Cape Education Department-based districts. These SHARP centres are staffed by one centre coordinator and approximately 10 code coaches.
Through our MOD and SHARP centres we create access and opportunity to after-school sport and recreation activities for all school-going learners. We develop the skills and capacity of potential athletes at a very young age, provide a platform for talent identification and give school-going children access to and opportunity for higher levels of participation in sport. We expose learners to life-skills and leadership programmes aimed at equipping them to deal with some of the social evils they face in their communities.
Tydens die boekjaar 2011/12 gaan ons nog 50 massadeelname- en geleentheidsontwikkelingsentrums tot stand bring. Hulle gaan voortbou op die naskoolse aktiwiteite wat tans so doeltreffend bedryf word soos dié by die Hoërskool Houtbaai en die Primêre Skool Sentinel in Houtbaai, die Primêre Skool Hillwood, die Hoërskool Lavendar Hill en die Hoërskool Fairmount in Grassy Park.
R11 062m word aan bovermelde toegewys.
Ek het ook persoonlik 'n aantal plaaslike sporthelde, onder wie Chester Williams, Elana Meyer, Johan Landsman en ons bokskampioen, mnr Fana, vergader om geleenthede te vind om vennootskappe met hulle te bou. Ons plaaslike sporthelde moet die rolmodelle vir ons jeug wees en verdere belang in ons MGO-sentrums skep. Ek is ook voornemens dat hierdie rolmodelle ons moet bystaan in ons afrigtingsprogramme.
Speaker, terwyl ons die finansiële en administratiewe vermoë van die Wes-Kaapse Sportskool, met Kuilsrivier as sy basis, versterk het, is daar voortdurend `n aantal sportprestasies wat ons verwagtinge bly oortref. Leerders gaan nie net voort om uit te munt op die speelveld nie, soos die Wes-Kaapse Sportskool se vlugbalseuns- en meisiespanne na China getuig, waar hulle die Volleyball Fairplay-toekenning verower het, maar as deel van ons loopbaan-gebaseerde sportprogram het ons ook twaalf van die Wes-Kaapse Sportskool se matrikulante by die Northlink VOO Kollege geplaas en befonds, sodat elk van hulle hul sportloopbaan kan voortsit.
Annually, we honour our Sports Legends at the Western Cape Sports Legends Awards ceremony. This year, in honour of the great work done by Professor Tim Noakes from the Sports Science Institute, I will be presenting a Tim Noakes Award in a new special category to one of our sportsmen or women.
Sport infrastructure and partnerships
A key challenge within the area of infrastructure has to date been the lack of a credible database of sport facilities within the Western Cape. This has now been addressed through a partnership between this department, the department of the Premier and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). We are now the only province that has a reliable, credible database of existing school and community facilities. The next phase of the project will be aimed at empowering the municipalities with a tool to plan, project and develop from a researched base, a facility-provisioning plan to be encapsulated in their Integrated Development Planning (IDP) and Spatial Development Frameworks.
Honourable Speaker, R1,85 m is allocated to the establishment of two rural sports academies. This partnership between the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), local authorities and the Sport Federations will result in the establishment of academies in Oudtshoorn and Saldanha.
Furthermore, a mobile media centre will be established at the Gene Louw Sports Field in Moorreesburg and will broaden the participation rate of at least five sport codes and provide the platform for various forms of cultural activities.
Greater emphasis will be placed during the next financial year on establishing and leveraging partnerships that will enhance the quality, depth and breadth of our work in the sport sector. The Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport is therefore in the process of forming a mutually beneficial partnership with the four universities in the Western Cape. The purpose of the exercise is to form synergies between their programmes and ours, and in so doing, to deliver an optimal service to the citizens of the Western Cape. I am proud to announce that I have already personally engaged the Vice Rector (Community Interaction and Personnel) of Stellenbosch University, Prof Julian Smith, and the Chairperson of the Consortium of Higher Education Committee (CHEC), to find out how we can tap into their research resources to promote sports development in the Western Cape further.
We will, however, for this financial year be allocating a total of R2,2 m to provincial and sport and recreation federations, and to regional sport councils. A further R260 000 will be aimed at addressing the specific needs of women and girls in Sport, disability sport, development programmes in rural areas and the Riaan Loots Campaign, which incorporates the Sport for Peace Programme. In addition, R300 000 will be made available to assist athletes, coaches or technical officials who have been awarded Protea Colours with some of their individual costs associated with their participation.
In addition, we will be hosting a Sport summit with non-governmental organisations during May 2011 with the purpose of not only identifying who is doing what, but also the skills that could assist us in effectively promoting mass participation in sport. We believe that the process will assist us in cutting down on the duplication of programmes, projects and facilities and that a solid partnership between the Department and the Non-Government Organisations community will lead to greater efficiencies and a more streamlined service to the citizens of the Western Cape.
Sports clubs
The Annual Township Rugby Tournament, which takes place at the Khayelitsha Rugby Stadium, is sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, and the Western Province Rugby Union has played a major role in the development of township rugby. Participants from the local Sunday League soon displayed their enthusiasm and passion for rugby in this fiercely contested local tournament. To date these teams have climbed the ladder and three of the teams are doing very well in the Western Province League.
We will also be focusing on the creation of community clubs. This in effect means that where there are no clubs, we will draw together a community’s people and assist them in establishing a club. In this club the focus will not only be on sport skills, but also on life skills, appreciation for the family and its involvement with the club, a values-based system of operation and various other socially cohesive initiatives. Once this type of ethos has taken root in the club, the club development component of our department will assist with further development.
Speaker, the basic structure in sport is the club. Well-run clubs not only provide a far more effective service to their clients but are also ideally positioned to become centres for talent development. During 2011/12 the department will be assisting 300 clubs in the rural and urban areas and 30 clubs on farms. With a total budget of R20,8 m the club development programme will finance the following aspects of club development:
- Sport-specific administration training and finance and governance training
- Generic and specific coaching courses
- Basic and advanced technical officials training as well as staff training
Furthermore, no sport can function without basic equipment. Identified clubs will therefore be provided with equipment for football, netball, rugby, cricket, athletics and aquatics. Clubs, especially farm clubs, will also receive transport assistance.
A society cannot be complete with sport as its only form of stimulus or creative outlet. It is for that reason that my department is also responsible for cultural affairs and its affiliated programmes. Libraries, museums, archives, heritage, arts, music – these are all equally important to society and allow for stories of history to be told, captured and preserved. The cultural component of this department receives the largest portion of the annual budget.
Cultural affairs
In 2010, this department, with the City of Cape Town, the South African Police Services, relevant authorities, and the various minstrel and Christmas and Malay choir associations, worked together over the festive season to facilitate the successful hosting of these annual cultural celebrations. This was despite the media frenzy that erupts with annual regularity. Many of the organisations that had received a subsidy during the 2009/10 financial year received qualified audit reports on their financial statements. To ensure that the annual road march would still be a success, the department instituted a turn-around strategy to address these shortcomings and provide opportunities to those organisations and their bookkeepers and auditors to address the issues. Where necessary, investigations have been undertaken to address possible misuse of public funds.
Thanks to the assistance of my colleague, the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Mr Alan Winde, the department now receives the budget allocation for the Festive Season cultural events in the main budget allocation and not in the Adjustments Estimates voted for in November or December each year in the past. This will enable the department to finalise the allocation of funding at an earlier stage.
During the year ahead, fifty artists and fifty cultural administrators will receive training to ensure that the organisations are capacitated in terms of both administrative know-how and expertise across the different genres so as to build a measure of sustainability. Three learnership programmes will also be introduced during the year and an arts and culture programme at the two Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) Arts and Culture centres in the Province – one in Kwanokuthula in Plettenberg Bay and one at the Guga s’Thebe Arts and Culture Centre in Langa in Cape Town.
I’m excited about the possibility of a cultural village being developed between the Artscape theatre and Cape Town International Convention Centre, two landmarks in the city of Cape Town. Although this is still in its conceptual phase an interdepartmental committee is looking at the practical and financial challenges. I sincerely hope that it would eventually come to fruition in order to create a Covent Garden type of connection for Cape Town. This will allow my department to support the precinct with cultural festivities of an African flavour and provide opportunities for aspiring artists and cultural groupings to entertain crowds and tourists while celebrating their uniquely African heritage and culture.
Ons stel ons verhouding met die Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging (ATKV) op prys, en ons groot trots in die Wes-Kaap is die Nasionale Rieldansfees.
The Annual Arts, Culture, Museums, Heritage, Language, Library and Archives Awards ceremony will again strive to acknowledge the measure of excellence which has been achieved by individuals and groups within the broader Cultural Affairs sphere. One of the winners this year was the Khayelitsha Museum, a small museum in the heart of the community run by a few passionate individuals. We value the role played by our national partners, Iziko Museums, the local role-players and all those involved in promoting our history and cultural heritage.
The welcome additional Expanded Public Works Programme funding for arts and culture infrastructure of R4 million will provide alternative activities to youth at risk and the unemployed. Through this, the department will provide job opportunities and training in new skills, and expose and showcase the potential of the arts, culture and heritage beyond the recreational value only.
Once again, learners from schools all over the province will participate in the Annual Schools Arts Festival, showcasing their talents on the Artscape stages. There is also a Women’s Festival which will be celebrating the work of women in the arts in a week-long festival, and the theme will be based on challenges that women face every day. This year Artscape is in partnership with the Cancer Association and productions will be based on this theme.
The effect of the economic downturn over the past couple of years and lower interest rates were felt particularly within the arts and culture world, when donations and funding from private sector and individual donors decreased substantially. During 2011/12 an allocation of R4,5 million earmarked for a number of professional arts and culture organisations in the Western Cape will enable the Department and these organisations to ensure a more sustainable environment for them to operate in over the medium term. This allocation will also provide a basis for long-term planning of artistic programmes and for partnerships to be developed and forged between various funders.
Through four of the major events that take place in the Western Cape – the Cape Argus Cycle Tour, the KKNK, the International Jazz Festival and the Suidoosterfees – this department promotes development opportunities for our youth and communities. Speaker, by systematically increasing participation in sport and recreation and in arts and culture, and ensuring greater access to our MOD centres and sporting activities, libraries, museums, language and heritage services, we will contribute to building the “Western Cape of our Dreams.” These opportunities contribute towards producing healthy people, towards alleviating poverty and they open doors to employment.
Museum services
To commemorate International Human Rights Day, held on 10 December 2010, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, in partnership with the V & A Waterfront Company and the Nobel Foundation in Sweden, launched the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Travelling Exhibition. The travelling exhibition celebrates and honours the legacy of South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize winners, and both urban and rural communities have the opportunity to learn more about the laureates. The exhibition travels to museums, public libraries, community centres and shopping malls. The first stop of the exhibition took place on 10 February, at Nelson Mandela House in the Victor Verster Prison.
In sy voortgesette strewe om die erfenislandskap in die Wes-Kaap te bevorder, het die Departement 'n dokument, genaamd Besprekingsdokument: Op pad na `n Nuwe Wes- Kaapse Museumbeleid, opgestel wat ek as `n Groenskrif goedgekeur het. Dit is in ooreenstemming met die grondwetlike mandate van die Provinsiale Regering in die opsig dat dit die eksklusiewe provinsiale wetgewende mandaat van “museums buiten nasionale museums” onder die loep bring. Soos die lede van die Staande Komitee sal onthou, is daar reeds`n aanbieding aan hulle gedoen oor die bevindings en aanbevelings wat hierdie dokument bevat. 'n Reeks raadplegings met belanghebbendes is op dreef, waaronder vergaderings met elk van die bestuurstrukture van die museums wat tans geaffilieer is. Die publiek het tot 30 Junie 2011 om formele voorleggings in hierdie verband te maak. Sodra kommentaar ontvang is en daaraan oorweging geskenk is, sal `n museumbeleid (as `n Witskrif) opgestel word en nog`n rondte raadplegings volg. Sodra die Kabinet dit goedkeur, sal hierdie beleidsdokument die grondslag bied tot die opstel van die nuwe Provinsiale museumwetgewing wat die verouderde museumordonnansies op die wetboek sal vervang.
In die loop van die komende boekjaar sal die Museumdiens etlike projekte van stapel stuur wat daarop gerig is om geaffilieerde museums te transformeer. Daar is hiervoor voorsiening gemaak in die mediumtermyn- inkomste en uitgaweraamwerk (MTREF).
Voorts gaan`n aantal mylpale vir die Museumdiens tydens die jaar die volgende behels:
- As die toonaangewende departement ten opsigte van die implementering van Provinsiale Doelwit 8: Verhoging van Maatskaplike Samehorigheid, gaan die Museumdiens `n digitale gids in die drie amptelike tale ontwerp wat op die internet aangebring gaan word onder die inskrywing in Engels “Sites of Struggle and Freedom in the Western Cape” as deel van die program vir die bevordering van kulturele toerisme. `n Soortgelyke gids en publikasie ten opsigte van plekke ter herdenking aan die slawe in die Wes-Kaap is `n aantal jare gelede voltooi.
- Twee nuwe permanente uitstallings oor aspekte wat verband hou met die plaaslike geskiedenis gaan in die Beaufort-Wes Museum en die Bartolomeu Dias Museum in Mosselbaai opgerig word.
- 'n Rondreisende uitstalling gaan van stapel gestuur word wat die lang geskiedenis wat verband hou met die tradisionele kookkuns in die Kaap en die evolusie daarvan, saamvat.
- Geaffilieerde museums verskaf tasbare materiaal wat opvoeders en leerders tydens hul besoeke aan museums gebruik wat die skoolkurrikulum steun. Twee (2) opvoedkundige programme word in heroorweging gebring, terwyl nuwes ontwikkel word en daar vier (4) uitreikprogramme oor bepaalde voorbeelde van plaaslike geskiedenis in die Wes-Kaap in werking gestel word.
Heritage
One of the key achievements in 2010/11 was the appointment of a new Council for Heritage Western Cape (HWC), the provincial heritage resources authority, in August 2010. The 14- member Council has a three-year term and is mandated to oversee heritage resource management in the Province. Advocate Robinson is the new Chairperson of the Council and also serves as the provincial representative on the Council of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). A number of committees were also appointed by the Council.
I have taken cognisance of the important work being done in the field of aligning heritage applications with environmental conservation management.
The Western Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee, which was also re-appointed during the current financial year, has, like the Council of Heritage Western Cape, the benefit of some of the most knowledgeable persons in the respective fields. The most pressing task of the Committee is to review the existing 11 000 geographical names in the Western Cape to ensure that they conform to international good practice.
In July 2011 the department, in cooperation with Heritage Western Cape, will be hosting a Provincial Heritage Summit. The purpose of the summit is to bring together key role-players in heritage resource management to debate and formulate guidelines for the conservation and management of heritage resources in the province.
An allocation of one million three hundred and eighty rand (R1,380 million) for the 2011/12 financial year for Heritage Western Cape has been made.
An amount of R3 million has been earmarked for subsidies and grants-in-aid to affiliated museums in the 2011/12 financial year. As was the case in the arts and culture sector, donations to heritage institutions have also dwindled due to the financial downturn in the economy. This situation has further been compromised by the drastic increase in electricity and the fact that the Auditor-General has not audited a large portion of the affiliated museums for the past two or three financial years. This has resulted in the majority of museums not being able to raise additional funds from other sources than the departmental subsidy.
The appointment of the new Director Heritage, Andrew Hall, in January 2011, will enhance the capacity and knowledge in the management of heritage resources, museums and geographical names.
Libraries and archives
The important role which libraries continue to play in the communities of the Western Cape is invaluable. A literate community and a community that reads contribute towards creating equal opportunities. In this regard, the Provincial Library Service will continue to supply library material to 334 library centres throughout the Province. Library material is not restricted to books only, we also subscribe to approximately 7 005 periodical and newspaper titles on behalf of libraries. An amount of R23,7 million has been set aside for procurement of library material.
Many of our rural communities do not have easy access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In order to bridge this unfortunate digital divide, we started with a project to implement ICT at rural public libraries. Now, going into its fourth year, the Rural Library Connectivity Project will be rolled out to a further 21 rural communities. At the end of this financial year 81 communities in total, will have free access to the Internet.
The new library and information operating system (Sita Library Information Project Management System - SLIMS) that has been implemented at the Provincial Library Service, the City of Cape Town as well as Stellenbosch public libraries, will be rolled out to 72 libraries in 14 municipalities of the Western Cape during this year. The Library Service will be spending R2,5 million to assist municipalities with hardware, software and training on the new system.
We will continue to extend library services to rural communities that are currently not within easy reach of public libraries. We do this through placing mobile book trolleys (also called Wheelie Wagons) in these communities. Seven communities will this year benefit from this project. These communities are: Versfeld in Bergrivier Municipality; Greysmead in Theewaterskloof Municipality; Laaste Drif in Witzenberg Municipality; Rooirivier in Eden District Municipality; Farleigh in Knysna Municipality; and Klipfontein and Brakfontein in Hessequa Municipality.
The conditional grant continues to play an important role in the enhancement of public libraries throughout the Western Cape. An amount of R48,694 million has been allocated to the Western Cape for the new financial year. Of this, R41,198 million will be transferred to municipalities. These funds are mainly used by municipalities for remuneration of 322 public library staff and also to provide for smaller maintenance and upgrading projects. Of special note this year is that we will transfer R4 million of the Conditional Grant funds to the Drakenstein Municipality to assist them to upgrade the Paarl Public Library. We will also transfer an additional R1 million to Saldanha Bay Municipality to finalise the Vredenburg Library project.
The Library Service places a high premium on the promotion of public libraries and reading. To this effect, the library services will continue to publish the Cape Librarian magazine which now, at age 54, is the oldest and one of only two public library magazines in South Africa.
The most exciting news I have in my budget today, as announced by the provincial Minister of Finance in his budget speech, is that R31,7 million has been made available by the Provincial Treasury for libraries in our most vulnerable municipalities.
In our endeavour to promote and improve access to archival heritage, we hope to reach approximately 7 500 researchers that will visit our Archives repository in Roeland Street. The estimated number of records that will be consulted is 42 000. The Western Cape Archives and Records Service is in possession of the oldest original written records in South Africa, dating from 1651.
The Records Management Section will continue with its efforts to improve records management practices in governmental bodies to comply with principles of accountability, transparency and good governance.
An annual National Archives Week will be celebrated during May 2011. The aim of this event is to create an awareness of the services of the archival institution, as well as the importance of bringing people together to experience the unique archival heritage of the Western Cape. Workshops on genealogical research and paper conservation will again be presented during this week.
Language services
Following the recommendations made by a Colloquium on Language Policy held in February 2010, the Department embarked on a renewed awareness campaign to monitor the implementation of the Provincial Language Policy during the past year. The Provincial Government departments were engaged to emphasise the importance of implementing the Language Policy. This engagement resulted in these provincial departments committing themselves to the implementation of the Language Policy.
The Western Cape Language Committee, in cooperation with the department, will continue to oversee and report on its important legislative mandate to oversee the implementation of the Western Cape Provincial Language Policy. This will ensure that the three official languages have equal status and, as far as service delivery is concerned, that official documents are made available in the three official languages of the Province.
The Western Cape Language Committee (WCLC) must advise both the Provincial Government and the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) on language matters in the Western Cape.
The Department will continue raising awareness regarding multilingualism and the development of the previously marginalised indigenous languages such as Nama and South Africa Sign Language, and will partner with organisations and stakeholders in these fields. We will also continue with the promotion of multilingualism through various English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa awareness projects aimed at ensuring the equal status of the three official languages.
Although human capital is the most important resource of the Language Service, additional allocations have been made to this Service. To enable the department, in conjunction with the Language Committee, to fulfil its legal mandate, additional funding was made available for the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Western Cape Language Policy. Additional funding towards the promotion of multilingualism has also been allocated.
Cultural and sport tourism
Speaker, during our Premier’s State of the Province Address, Madame Helen Zille indicated that we have made a clear choice to put economic and employment growth at the front and centre of our agenda for the Western Cape. We firmly believe that Cultural and Sport Tourism can play a significant role to support job creation in our Province. We need to therefore continue to position the Western Cape as a preferred Sport and Culture destination. For the 2011/12 financial year we therefore plan to assist 25 federations to host major national and international events in our province. These events include world body-building, world weight-lifting, African junior table tennis and world ice hockey. R1 million is allocated to these.
South African Games
The fifth edition of the South African Games will be held in Polokwane, Limpopo from the 02 to 07 October 2011. The Western Cape has a proud history of participation and achieved third place at the last competition. We are, however, determined to better this. Our partnership with our three regional universities and the Western Cape Sport Academy certainly bolsters our preparations. We are therefore confident that we will do well at this event.
Conclusion
Speaker, before I conclude I would like to thank the Premier and my Cabinet colleagues for their support. I would also like to thank my Head of Department, Mr Brent Walters, for his leadership and the officials for their commitment and passion. I also need to thank my wife and children, because the work of a Minister often requires you to be away from home, so I thank my family for their patience. Speaker, our critical partners are the thousands of volunteers who drive sport and cultural activities through their clubs, federations, cultural forums, community organisations and other bodies. This is often a thankless task. Today I want to extend my gratitude to each one of them.
Poverty reduction, preventing anti-social behaviour, and creating economic and employment opportunities – these goals are often intertwined with each other, and this is what our government seeks to achieve. I believe, whole-heartedly, that the programmes of my department will go a long way in addressing these.
Thank you.
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
