Community Safety & Cultural Affairs & Sport Departments 2019/20 Annual Performance Plans

Meeting report

Department of Community Safety 2019/20 Annual Performance Plan
Adv Albert Fritz, MEC for Community Safety, said that the Department adopts a comprehensive and integrated approach towards community safety in the Western Cape.

Mr Morris Gideon, DoCS Head of Department, said DoCS has 87 predetermined targets which include indicators linked to the National Secretariat of Police. DoCS achieved 100% of its sector indicators and 98% of the predetermined targets in 2018/19. The two indicators that DoCS did not achieve included the timeous publication of the Neighbourhood Watch List in the Government Gazette as required by the Community Safety Act and the number of youths trained by the Department due to technical recalculations based on the outcome of the audit. DoCS, in some cases, did double accounting for both Quarters 1 & 2 and the outcome is reported in the Annual Report and reflected in the Annual Performance Plan (APP). DoCS spent R336 million (97.8%) of the budgetary allocation of R343 million in 2018/19.

Ms Nuraan Gallant, DoCS Deputy Director, said the Department provides provincial oversight over law enforcement agencies. She spoke about its vision and mission and its focus on building community resilience through active involvement in communities. The structure of DoCS was outlined with MEC Fritz, HOD, Mr Morris, and Chief Directors: Ms Govender, Adv Pillay and Mr S George. DoCS has a budget of R359.3 million for this financial year.

Ms Linde Govender, Chief Director: Management Support, spoke about the Administration programme - its purpose, budget of R97.78 million and 24 performance indicators on governance, oversight and financial management. 45% of the budget is spent on Compensation of Employees (CoE). R42 million is spent on the Western Cape Liquor Authority (WCLA) over which the DoCS has oversight and evaluates its annual business plan, performance and financial information to ensure that transfer payments are used for intended purposes. DoCS seeks to review the Western Cape Community Safety Act (WCCSA) and regulations.

Adv Yashina Pillay, Chief Director: Secretariat Safety and Security, said her office coordinates several projects: Policing Needs and Priorities (PNP), Commissioner of Oaths Volunteers (COV) project, Court Watching Briefs (CWB), Youth Work Programme and Extended Partnership Programme (EPP). The Western Cape Community Safety Act is the most notable amongst the several initiatives to strengthen the oversight of the WCG over policing which came into full operation in October 2016. DoCS implements the Act and it currently aims to review the Act. The PNP aims to allocate policing and safety resources through prioritisation of needs as mandated by the Constitution. DoCS partners with Community Police Forums (CPFs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), Neighbourhood Watches (NHWs), Non-Governmental Organisations ( NGOs), South African Police Service (SAPS) and municipalities to achieve the targets.

She noted that the Commissioner of Oaths Volunteers (COV) project was initiated by the former MEC for DoCS, Mr Alan Winde, who is the current Premier of the Western Cape. To date, DoCS has supported a total of 12 631 citizens. This helps to free up about 18 functionally trained police officials to perform crime-fighting functions.

The Court Watching Brief (CWB) programme was launched in 2013 and entails regular visits to court by appropriately qualified members of staff, to monitor the conduct, efficiency and effectiveness of SAPS in criminal cases. The court cases are documented and reported to the SAPS Provincial Commissioner. The project has been expanded to 42 district courts of the Western Cape. The SAPS Provincial Commissioner provides DoCS with a response to the findings which include disciplinary action taken against offenders.

DoCS engages in work placement programmes which give opportunities to graduates to obtain work experience and skills. The Department collaborates with the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and supports youths with stipends during placement and coordinates recruitment, placement, liaison, payments, administration, monitoring and evaluation. 200 youths graduated from the Chrysalis Youth Academy on 3 August 2019. The Chrysalis Youth Development Programme (CYDP) has trained over 9000 youths in the province.

The Expanded Partnership Programme (EPP) has a funding model to support CPF activities and functions, which help to build strong civil society structures that are critical to community safety. DoCS has effective partnerships with the Police. The EPP, as a funding model, is supported by SAPS, National Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS) and the CPF Provincial Board.

The Youth Safety & Religious Programme (YSRP) takes place during the June/July and December/January holidays. DoCS partners with religious organisations, which are the implementers of the programme. The programme aims to keep youths in priority crime areas off the streets and equip them with skills and information to succeed. The programme was first implemented in 2012 and DoCS has allocated R7.4 million to faith-based organisations to implement the programme this financial year.

Mr David Coetzee, Director: Security Risk Management, spoke about several projects. The “Security Goes Tech” projects enhances the safetyof WCG staff and visitors. The “Brand Strategy of the Neighbourhood Watch” project supports the functioning of accredited NHW structures in the province with 317 NHW groups and 11 500 members across the province. The “K9 Unit” project tackles safety and social challenges involving narcotics and poaching of marine resources prevalent in the Western Cape marine areas.

Discussion
Mr F Christians (ACDP) said DoCS does not fulfil the mandates of its vision and mission for safety in communities. SAPS does not demonstrate the capacity to solve all the social problems in various communities. This prompted the deployment of the army. The problem is deeply societal in nature and not in effective policing.

He commended the effectiveness of the Court Watching Brief programme. He expressed concern about the effectiveness of religious programmes. Participants only receive stipends which might be insufficient.  The programme should help equip youths with skills to succeed. DoCS can do more to reduce social ills and help youths make better choices. He expressed concern about the dwindling number of the neighbourhood watches. The programme targeted 20 000 members at the end of 2018 but only attracted 14 000. The number is currently 11 500. What is the plan to retain members? These members may play a critical role in addressing the social ills in their communities.

He urged DoCS to resolve the funding and compliance challenges confronting CPFs in the Western Cape. He promised to fight for an increased budget to enable DoCS to perform better. The camera installations do little to reduce the crime rate in the Western Cape. He urged DoCS to tell Members of the location of the cameras. DoCS should ensure the effectiveness of the K9 units to justify the financial investment.

Ms L Botha (DA) asked if there is collaboration between DoCS and other departments. She noted that there is increase in the number of violent crimes in communities. She asked about the number of children involved in crime during school hours. What is the nature of the crimes?

Mr M Kama (ANC) said the vision and mission of DoCS do not translate into safety in Western Cape communities. He asked if there is a measure to resolve disputes between communities and neighbourhood watches. There cannot be effectiveness if the neighbourhood watches are not well integrated into the communities. He sought clarity about the relationship between DoCS and the CPFs. He noted that about five CPFs do not want to report to the Department. Also, some CPFs complain of insufficient funding from DoCS. DoCS should inform the Committee about the challenges to arrive at workable solutions. Where do the various CPFs and K9 units operate? He urged DoCS to prioritise high-crime areas. He expressed concern about violent crimes in various areas of the Western Cape. Does the Department have any safety plans in place? The Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Alan Winde, had supported the allocation of R5 million to boost safety operations during an inter-ministerial meeting to address safety in the province. The safety plans must be articulated and coordinated to obtain value for money.

Ms A Bans (ANC) sought to know where NHWs operate and if the CYDP operates in rural areas.

Mr P Marais (FF+) asked how DoCS evaluates the success of its programmes. What are the indicators? What is the budget allocated to capital expenditure? What is the DoCS position on the court ruling that allows domestic cultivation of cannabis? People will likely grow and consume more than the approved mass if not monitored. There should be an oversight body on cannabis cultivation just as the Liquor Authority regulates the liquor industry in the Western Cape. He said that cannabis consumption causes more harm than liquor. The Government should find a balance between liberalism and Christian values. Liberalism deals with the right of an individual, while the Christian perspective esteems the welfare of the community above the right of individuals.

Does the CYDP have any meaningful impacts on youths in rural communities? How does DoCS intend to make the CPFs more functional? CPFs should be empowered to resolve certain matters to enable the police to attend to major matters. CPFs can collaborate with the National Institute for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of Offenders (NICRO) to perform functions like taking down of statements and legal advice. NICRO performed excellently during his tenure as the Social Services MEC in the Western Cape. He urged DoCS to collaborate with the City of Cape Town, especially in the usage of CCTV cameras. This will allow DoCS personnel to effectively monitor and reduce crime.

Ms R Windvogel (ANC) asked about the composition of the youth programme. How many of the 9 000 members were recruited from the rural areas? How many members were placed on full-time employment after training? 

MEC Fritz replied that DoCS works tirelessly to address the safety challenges in the different parts of the Western Cape. The challenges are multi-dimensional and require the intervention of all stakeholders. The Department had a budget of R343 million in the previous financial year, which was not enough to meet the security and safety needs of the Western Cape. He noted that the Chrysalis Youth Development Programme is well coordinated. The programme has helped numerous youths to achieve their potential. Some graduates of the Academy now work in various private and public institutions and this has brought a sense of fulfilment to their families. The programme inculcates moral and religious values in the youths to better their lives. He lamented the high rate of crime in the Western Cape. He cited the case of Meghan Cremer, a horse-rider that was hijacked around 6:20 pm on 3 August, 2019. Her body was later found at a Philippi sand mine. He urged all stakeholders, including Members of the Parliament and faith-based organisations to expedite action to restore safety and security to every part of the Western Cape. DoCS will continue to collaborate with religious organisations to restore moral values to communities.

MEC Fritz replied that the Community Police Forums have good working relationships with both SAPS and cluster authorities. However, the relationship is not good at Board level and DoCS intervenes where necessary. The Department conducts criminal checks on potential members of the CPF at local level. The vetting and accreditation are done at local level. This gives background information on potential members and subsequently determines their chance of recruitment into the programme.

He replied that DoCS will consult with the Department of Social Development to obtain the number of children that commit crime during school term and the corresponding offences they committed. He added that the Director General and the Minister of the National Department of Social Development expressed satisfaction with CYDP.

The Department aims to capacitate the NHWs and other relevant bodies. This helps to save costs on safety and security operations as it eliminates the need for private security. DoCS will avail the safety plans to relevant entities for implementation. The Liquor Authority aims to reduce illegal sales and consumption of liquor in the Western Cape. DoCS also considers legislation is needed to regulate the cultivation, distribution and use of cannabis in the province.

MEC Fritz replied that the location of the neighbourhood watches are spread across the province and the rural communities benefit from their service. DoCS will collaborate with other departments to reduce crime and create economic opportunities for youths.

Mr Christians said the Committee aims to support DoCS to achieve its set targets. He urged all stakeholders to work in the spirit of cooperative governance to restore effective security to the Western Cape.

Mr Marais noted that every child has the right to family care, parental care or appropriate alternate care according to the Bill of Rights. He urged DoCS to use appropriate legislation  to remove children who do not have acceptable care from such environments and the streets. This will help to reduce gangsterism and violent crime in the Western Cape. He suggested the appointment of a Children's Commissioner who may help to investigate the possibility of removing children from unfriendly environments based on law.

MEC Fritz urged members to visit the CYDP and the CPFs. This will allow Members to know the current status of the programmes and make valuable recommendations. The CYDP and other relevant programmes have helped to take thousands of children off the streets. DoCS works with the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) to devise measures to prosecute criminals based on the crimes committed. He noted that a person cannot be prosecuted based on mere membership of a gang.

Mr Christians urged Members to inspect what goes on at the CYDP. Members should also visit police stations in the Western Cape to evaluate the effectiveness of police at combatting crime. Measures should be in place to ensure installation of CCTV cameras at strategic points to monitor activities.

Mr G Bosman (DA) said the Committee needs a presentation on the state of municipal policing with a specific focus on rural policing. The Committee can pay a site visit to some of the municipalities to see the reality. It would be helpful to know those municipalities that have metro police and traffic police and their corresponding impact.

Ms Botha supported Mr Christians suggestion to visit CYDP. The Committee should support the programme to ensure its success. Members should also have conversations with all departments associated with CYDP.

The Chairperson said the Department had submitted a document on the status of the Court Watching Brief and detectives to the Committee. He had discussed policing needs and priority programmes with DoCS and the dates for those presentations will be decided by the Department and circulated to Members.

The Committee Procedural Officer, Mr Waseem Matthews, said the Committee will have to find a date where SAPS, Cape Town Metro Police and the Western Cape Police Ombudsman will present their reports. The three entities traditionally present reports on the same day. He noted that the Metro Police does not have an annual report to present but an Annual Police Plan as they operate on a different calendar. The presentations usually come up either October or November.

Mr Bosman proposed that the Department should strengthen faith-based organisations that keep children off the streets during holidays. They should receive additional funding and the Department should modify the application process to reflect exactly what the organisations will spend funding on. DoCS should monitor the activities of the organisations closely to ensure money is spent on the intended purposes.

Ms Botha said the Committee needs to know the number of members in the different safety programmes and where they are located. DoCS would need to present the statistics of children that commit crime during school days and school hours. This could indicate whether children are not attending classes.

Mr Christians said the Committee needs to know how the K9 units work. DoCS should provide the Committee with information on how it plans to retain members in the NHW programme.

Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports  (DCAS) 2019/20 Annual Performance Plan
MEC of Cultural Affairs and Sports, Anroux Marais, gave introductory remarks in Afrikaans.

Mr Brent Walters, DCAS Head of Department, said that the Department integrates into every sector of the society. The Department does business with the rich and poor to create economic opportunities for the citizens of the Western Cape irrespective of the language and cultural background. The DCAS does business with both urban and rural communities. The DCAS occupies a unique position in the province due to its demographic and geographic reaches. The DCAS aims to provide hope and economic opportunities to the jobless and hopeless.

The DCAS presentation addressed:
- Strategic positioning
- DCAS vision, mission and alignment
- Organisational structure, metrics and core functions
- Performance
- Key policies and legislation affecting the Department.

The DCAS operational coverage includes arts, language, culture, libraries, museums, heritage and archives, sport and recreation. All the Department functions are based on both Schedules 4 and 5 of the Constitution. Schedule 4 addresses the concurrent legislative competence on cultural matters, while Schedule 5 addresses the exclusive provincial legislative competence such as archives excluding national archives, libraries excluding national libraries, museums excluding national museums, provincial recreation and sport. The core business of the Department is varied in content, reach and depth. DCAS aims to integrate all aspects of its operation including libraries and archives, arts, culture, language, museums, heritage, sport and recreation. Every unit in the Department is involved in:
- Talent identification
- Striving towards excellence
- Popularisation of mass participation and access
- Skills development
- Networks and partnerships and the development of appropriate policy and systems

DCAS emphasises competence, accountability, integrity, responsiveness, caring and innovation, which are universally acceptable values. The vision of the Department is to achieve a socially inclusive, creative, active and connected Western Cape. It aims to inculcate a sense of belonging in individuals and communities to optimise their potential. Its mission is to encourage excellence and inclusiveness in sport and culture through effective, efficient and sustainable use of resources and creative partnerships. The Annual Performance Plan of the Department reflects Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the National Development Plan (NDP), the Bill of Rights and the Provincial Strategic Plan (PSP).

The SDGs address good health and well-being. The Bill of Rights is a reflection of language and culture. The Directorate of Sports and Recreation is an appendage of Chapter 15 of the NDP, which deals with nation building and social cohesion. DCAS aims to dramatically improve education outcomes in the Western Cape and create healthy, inclusive, safe and socially connected communities through an effective societal approach. The Department also aims to develop safe and healthy children (0-14 years of age) as well as engaged healthy youths (15-25 years of age). The DCAS aligns with the NDP, especially Outcome 14 which deals with the promotion of constitutional values and national symbols.

The Department has a Cultural Affairs Unit that deals with libraries, museums, art and culture, language services, heritage resource management, geographical names and Western Cape Archives. The Sport and Recreation Unit coordinates sport promotion, sport development and recreation and the after-school programme. The three public entities that partner with DCAS are Western Cape Language Committee, Western Cape Cultural Commission and Heritage Western Cape.

Mr Walters is the HOD and reports to MEC Marais. The Chief Directors are Mr C Redman (Chief Director for Cultural Affairs), Ms J Boulle (Chief Director for After-School Game Changer) and Dr L Bouah (Chief Director for Sport and Recreation) report to the HOD. Dr M Dlamuka (Director for Museums, Heritage and Geographical Names Services) and Ms J Moleleki (Director for Arts, Culture and Language Services) report to Mr Redman. Mr T Tutu (Director for Sport Promotion) and Mr P Hendricks (Director for Sport Development) report to Dr Bouah. Other Directors are Ms B Rutgers, Ms C Sani, Ms N Dingayo, Mr S Julie and Mr G Mohamed. The organisational structure reflects the demography of the Western Cape province.

The Department has four programmes:
• Administration. The sub-programmes include Office of the MEC, Financial Management Services and Management Services.
• Cultural Affairs. The sub-programmes include Management, Art and Culture, Museum Services, Heritage Resource Management Services and Language Services.
• Library and Archive Services. The sub-programmes are Management, Library Service and Archives.
• Sport and Recreation. The sub-programmes are Management, Sport, Recreation, School Sport and Mass Participation; Opportunity and Access; Development and Growth (MOD) programme.

DCAS collaborates with the Department of Education (DoE), DoCS, Department of Social Development (DSD) and City of Cape Town (CoCT) to implement the After-School Programme.

Mr Walters noted that 556 out of the 571 active posts are filled, making the vacancy rate 2.6%. There are about 11 500 people in alternative employment.  These people are employed through the various partnership initiatives. For example, EPWP employs 239 people, MOD 648, 24 are employed by Club Development, there are 30 Pay Interns  and 11 Graduate Interns. The Head Office and Regional Offices for libraries, archives, culture and sport were listed. There are 28 museum sites in the province.

DCAS measures performance using predetermined objectives as indicators. It provides tangible explanations in case of deviations from set targets.

Every worker in the Department understands their roles, which is reflected in the average performance of 95% over a number of years. DCAS meets with stakeholders at predetermined times to evaluate the performance of different programmes and projects. It prudently utilises its fund to ensure effective service delivery to the beneficiaries. He urged the Committee to persuade relevant stakeholders for increased budget allocation to the Department as this will help it improve its reach and impact. DCAS prioritises both financial and performance accountability.

Quoting former President Nelson Mandela, Mr Walters noted that sport speaks to people in a language they can understand. Culture and language speak to people in the language of their identity. Arts speak to people in a language that they can experience. Library speaks to people in a language that they can read and music speaks to people in a language they can feel.

Discussion
Ms Botha commended the presentation. She asked how the Department ensures that staff have the right passion to achieve its goals. How does DCAS improve relationships with rural municipalities to achieve its goals?

Mr Bosman asked about Sub-programme 2.3 (Archives). What is the purpose of Enterprise Content Management System? Does the system digitse archives and make them accessible to the public? Is it free or income-generating? To what extent can library contents be digitised?

Mr Marais asked what the Department in doing to revive the various cultures in the Western Cape. He urged DCAS to differentiate every culture and take steps to revamp them and try to avoid nesting all cultures in one basket. Music, language, sport and arts must be considered during the revitalisation process. Various indigenous music and cultural groups must be encouraged and funded to achieve their potential. Children and youths should not be taught Western culture at the expense of indigenous culture. DCAS and the Committee need to affect the value chain of music industry in the province to cultivate the culture of proud South Africans. The music industry must be seen as business and both public and private sectors should give the necessary support. Indigenous groups could be engaged to brainstorm ideas that will revitalise the music industry. He noted that the value chain comprises television, radio, internet, print, media, festivals, promoters and entertainment.

Ms Bans asked about the increase in the expenditure on consultants. How many sport federations are supported in the rural areas? How many in the Cape Flats, Khayelitsha, Langa and Gugulethu? How does DCAS empower ordinary children? How do these children get their sport clothing and equipment?

Mr Kama commended the DCAS presentation and the decision of the Premier to achieve sustainable development through integrated efforts of all role players. He noted  that the DCAS budget allocation imposes limitations on what it can achieve. He lamented the dearth of mentors in most communities as this is a serious challenge that could prevent youths from reaching their potential. What is the DCAS plan for talent identification? Most youths cannot achieve their dreams due to a lack of foundational and basic support from the government and the community. How does DCAS ensure the preservation of sport facilities and that youths have access to sporting facilities and equipment in different parts of the province? How does DCAS intend to preserve the facilities from complete take-over by gangs?

Mr Walters replied that DCAS tries to encourage and train its staff. However, there is no guarantee that all staff will execute their duties with the passion expected by top management. DCAS has regular meetings with top management and staff. The HOD goes out, once a year, to inform various municipalities about the vision and the values of the Department. He noted 95% of any workforce do not actually understand how they contribute to the bottom line. The Department aims to train its staff to contribute effectively to the bottom line, which deals with the establishment of socially inclusive communities. DCAS has active engagements with all communities and this is reflected in its extensive footprint throughout the province.

Ms Nomaza Dingayo, Director: Provincial Archival Service, replied that library records, right from creation, are managed in an electronic environment. The management of electronic records is not limited to archives but extends to various aspects of the Department. Archive services are provided free and the Department does not charge any membership fees. People only pay if they need a copy of a document. DCAS now digitises all archival records.

Ms Cecilia Sani, Director: Library Service, said that the library does not digitise any of its contents at the moment. However, some books are electronically available. The Department will investigate when newspapers and magazines can be made available electronically. It subscribes to various e-resources.

Mr Walters said DCAS highly esteems the uniqueness of every culture in the Western Cape and does all in its power to revitalise the cultures. The Cultural Commission plays an important role in the social inclusion of every culture in the province. DCAS is actively engaged with and supports the Christmas Choir and relevant groups. DCAS organises dance competitions yearly that involve indigenous music and instruments.

The Department has a partnership with the scout programme which usually took place on Friday evening but DCAS decided against this due to safety and accessibility reasons. The programme is now observed as an after-school programme, where unemployed youths are trained as scout leaders and the programme runs in 31 schools across the province. Scout leaders were sent to the United States for training last year and some of the beneficiaries should be back in the country by the end of August. The scout leaders had the summer camp in the US but can work anywhere in the world. DCAS has new scout members currently undergoing training in the province. There are more than 900 school scouts and individual groups that participate in camp activities once a year under the sponsorship of the International Scout Foundation. DCAS also has children who participate in talent identification through the year. The production this year will happen at Joseph Stone Auditorium on 20 and 21 September. DCAS urged the Committee to attend the event.

In response to Ms Bans’ question on the coverage of DCAS programme, the HOD replied that the Department is yet to reach every child in the province. DCAS has exciting programmes like the volunteer programme and the feeding scheme but a child has the right to make the decision to attend the programmes. He urged Members to popularise the programmes in their communities so children optimise the benefits.

Dr Lyndon Bouah, Chief Director: Sport and Recreation, replied that DCAS funds 132 sport federations throughout the Western Cape. Forty-seven of them are based in the metro, while the rest are based in districts. All entities affiliated to the sport federations receive funding from DCAS. There is active engagement among 24 sport federations in Stellenbosch and 34 in Eden. There are also collaborations among sports federations in Central Karoo, Overberg and the West Coast. Every entity and child associated with each sport federation benefit from the funding provided by DCAS.
 
Dr Mxolisi Dlamuka, Director: Museums, Heritage and Geographical Names Service, replied that traditional leaders are strategic stakeholders in the DCAS programmes. However, traditional rulers are not yet recognised by law. The Presidency is currently considering signing a law that recognises traditional rulers in the country. Once traditional rulers are recognised by law, a Commission will be set up to determine the tradition rulers to be recognised in the province. The WCG will then consider the establishment of a department in charge of traditional affairs. DCAS currently engages traditional rulers through the Cultural Council and Cultural Commission. Only the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces do not have department of traditional affairs in the country. The Department, following the approval of the Parliament, visited the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, North West and Kwazulu-Natal provinces to learn about the administration of traditional affairs. DCAS learnt valuable lessons that can be adopted in the Western Cape since Eastern Cape and Northern Cape, in particular, have commonality in their administrative structure to the Western Cape. Traditional rulers might emerge from the Khoi-Khoi and other traditional communities.

MEC Marais replied in Afrikaans (2:44 - 2:46)

HOD Walters replied that DCAS employs several influential personalities to mentor children in various school and MOD programmes.

Dr Bouah replied the Provincial Government facilities are well protected. DCAS encourages the formation of Facility Management Committees (FMC). DCAS tries to bring local clubs, communities and local municipalities on board to give them a sense of ownership. DCAS funds local municipalities to build and upgrade facilities. DCAS also ensures active public participation during construction and upgrade of facilities. DCAS, through its Facility Unit, follows the norms and standards of the national sport federations during construction and upgrade of facilities. The involvement of local municipalities ensures that facilities are built and upgraded in line with the values and culture of the community.

DCAS shares facilities with Department of Education (DoE). Neighbouring schools can now enjoy shared facilities. DCAS partners with the DoE to develop under-utilised fields in nine districts of the province. He noted that about 24 schools currently benefit from the initiative. The programme started in Kraaifontein and has extended to Central Karoo, Malmesbury, Eden and the Cape Winelands, amongst others. The facilities are handed to the municipal authority upon completion.

Mr Thabo Tutu, Director: Sport Promotion, added that each municipality has control access to the facilities.

Ms Windvogel asked about budget allocation for women empowerment and the number of women that benefit from the programme. She asked DCAS to give the geographic and demographic spread of the programme for women empowerment.

Mr Marais decried the Department's attitude towards Cultural Councils and traditional rulers in the Western Cape. He noted that the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill had been passed and submitted to the President. When will the President sign the Bill? When will DCAS implement the Bill? What are the criteria the Premier uses to recognise traditional councils? The Khoi-San community has different groups but the Royal House is well structured and should be recognised. DCAS cannot wait for all groups to be organised before it recognises the Royal House. The cultures and values of traditional communities in the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape are entirely different from those of the Khoi-San community. Therefore, DCAS cannot adopt the approach wholesale of those two provinces.

Ms Bans asked the kind and extent of support given to facilities in rural areas which do not belong to the sport federations sponsored by DCAS. How does DCAS support the activities of local cultural groups, especially with activities such as festivals?

A DCAS official replied that the Bill awaits Presidential assent and when signed into law, the Commission will come into effect. The National Department of Traditional Affairs has already put out a call in February 2019 for people to serve on the Commission. The Commission will then meet and set out criteria, which will be communicated nationally. The Commission will specify the legal process every community needs to follow to get recognised. The Northern Cape is the only province, without a law, that recognises traditional councils from the San and Khoi communities that serve in the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders. DCAS had to learn the administrative structure of traditional councils in such a province to implement this in this province.

Dr Bouah replied that the world of sport and recreation is highly organised. Every sporting entity must affiliate whether at local, provincial, national, regional or international level. Local clubs are supposed to be affiliated to the District Sports Council. DCAS only gives funds once a club is affiliated to a sport federation. DCAS renders assistance to new clubs through the Club Development Programme. DCAS funds cover administration, development, capacity building and transport. New clubs enrol in the capacity building programme, where they learn relevant rules and regulations as well as development strategies. They are then affiliated to one of the sporting federations within their community.

Mr Tutu noted that there are more 5000 football clubs in the Western Cape, which is the highest in South Africa. DCAS engages all sporting outfits in the province and treats request based on merit. DCAS manages its funds through the various partnerships, especially the sport federations. This allows prudent administration of funds that lead to visible impacts. Few of the clubs that approach DCAS for funding do not get funded either due to financial constraint, lack of merit or non-affiliation to recognised bodies.

MEC Marais thanked the Committee for active engagement with the Department and looked forward to more fruitful engagements with the Committee.

The Chairperson noted that the Committee had received correspondence from an entity. However, he had requested the entity to make a written submission to the Committee after which the Committee will make resolutions on it. The entity wants to present some allegations before the Committee. However, the Chairperson noted that the allegations were not substantiated. The Committee should receive the submission in the next seven days.

Mr Bosman noted that similar correspondence was sent to Office of the Premier and the Chairperson of the Standing Committee in the Fifth Parliament. Is this an outstanding matter from the previous Parliament or a new matter?

The Committee Procedural Officer  replied that the correspondence was recently sent to the Office of the Speaker and the Committee on the Department of the Premier and Constitutional Matters. The correspondence is new to the best of his knowledge as far as the Standing Committee is concerned.

Mr Marais said the Committee should not invite organisations to make presentations to the Committee. Most of them do not have constructive arguments and tend to put the Committee in bad light. The organisations should make their representations to the Premier's Forum, where the Premier invites the MECs and there is a wider representation of all political parties.

Mr Kama urged the Chairperson to liaise with the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Department of the Premier and Constitutional Matters Constitutional Matters and the Speaker before he makes a decision about the entity’s request.

The Chairperson agreed to Mr Kama’s proposal. He reiterated the need for a written submission from the entity before its request can be considered.

Ms Botha urged the Chairperson not to see the Speaker and other role players on the matter at the moment. The Committee should await the written submission from the entity and then make resolutions.

Mr Marais maintained that the Committee should not invite the entity, as this could set a precedent that the Committee may not be able to cope with. There are many formations and organisations, whose cases are better treated at the Premier’s Forum.

Ms Botha agreed with Mr Marais.

Mr Marais urged the Committee to persuade DCAS to accelerate the process of giving recognition to the Cultural Councils which meet the legal requirements set by the traditional leadership as reflected in the Khoi-San Bill. The Bill has been passed by the NCOP and the Parliament but has not gained Presidential assent.

Mr Bosman suggested that DCAS should inform the Committee on how the Enterprise Content Management System works. The Committee should also visit rural museums to see how they operate.

Mr Marais asked the Chairperson to structure Committee meetings effectively to avoid a clash with other meetings.

The Chairperson promised to liaise with other Chairpersons within the Western Cape Provincial Parliament to fine-tune the schedules.

Mr Bosman proposed the Committee should visit one of the museums on the West Coast and the various Provincial archives.

Mr Marais noted that culture cannot survive outside of a geographic territory. The uniqueness and identity of a culture must be guarded closely and they must not be modernised. He proposed that DCAS and the Committee have an in-depth discussion on self-determination of various cultural groups. There should be space allocations to various cultural groups to perform traditional rituals.

The Committee adopted the previous minutes.

The meeting was adjourned.