Chairperson, the approach to integrate all races is central to the mandate of this department and, as such, to the advancement of social cohesion, which is our comandate. It has therefore been done through various programmes within the Department of Arts and Culture.
In October 2009, we held the social cohesion colloquium in Durban, KwaZulu- Natal, mainly to start a national dialogue on social cohesion. A national conference on social cohesion will be held later this year, and it will be led by President Jacob Zuma.
The department supports rural community projects that educate young people, women and people with disabilities about the arts, culture and heritage sector. We have signed a framework of collaboration with the Department of Basic Education through which we collaborate in the promotion and education of our children in schools about arts and culture programmes. We have also ensured that we assist the department by deploying some of our artists as art teachers to support the department. We set up community art centres even in some of our rural areas in partnership with the provincial and local government.
The department also offers funding through its agencies like the National Heritage Council and the National Arts Council, which are accessible to many people, including those in the rural areas. We have looked at the promotion of African classics, which is a project that promotes African classical literature written in indigenous languages and the culture of reading. These include books such as Mhudi by Sol Plaatje, and A C Jordan's Ingqumbo Yeminyanya, The Wrath of the Ancestors, and many others in our indigenous languages.
The department will use Youth Month as a platform to popularise the correct singing of the national anthem and the internationalisation of the etiquette thereof. The national anthem should be regarded as a national prayer, which is sung with seriousness and calmness. We don't expect our young people to be walking around when we sing the national anthem. We expect all men to take off their hats. We don't expect everyone to put their hands on their chests - unless you are the President of the country. [Applause.] All of us must simply stand to attention and sing it properly.
Ungazonwayi nokuba uhanjwa ziimpukane ebusweni, nyamezela, uziyeke zehle zisenyuka ezo mpukane kude kugqitywe uMhobe weSizwe. [Do not move your hand, even if flies are irritating you, until the singing of the national anthem is finished.]
Through most of the projects above, and many more, we have demonstrated that we are indeed united in our diversity. As we all know, our national anthem is sung in five South African languages. It is inclusive of all races and most of our different tribes and languages in the country. Thank you very much, Chairperson.
Sihlalo, uNgqongqoshe uphathe indaba yosuku lwabantu abasha, u-June 16. Ngqongqoshe, ingabe-ke njengoba siya ku-June 16, zikhona yini izinhlelo ezikhona zokuthi lolu suku silugubhe sonke singabantu baseNingizimu Afrika, singaboni abamnyama bodwa begubha lolu suku? Nokuthi, ngabe zikhona yini izinhlelo ezihlelwa uMnyango, ikakhulukazi ngokubambisana nohulumeni bezifundazwe, njengaKwaZulu-Natali. Ngiyabonga.
UNGQONGQOSHE WEZOBUCIKO NAMASIKO: Sihlalo, ngempela ukhona umsebenzi esiwenzayo ukugqugquzela ubunye bethu nobunye besizwe okubhekene no-June 16.
Kunohlelo elwenziwayo, sizobe sisebenza nentsha singuhulumeni. Kuzobe kunemashi ezobe iyisikhumbuzo saloluya suku, mhlazana abantwana bemasha besuka e-Morris Isaacson, bahambe baze bayofika lapho kwangwcatshwa khona u- Oscar Peterson.
Sizosuka lapho-ke sihamba nazo zonke izihambeli zethu nabadlali bethu abazobe beze kwiNdebe Yomhlaba ka-2010, ikakhulukazi labo abavela emazweni ase-Afrika. Sinawo-ke namakhonsathi namafestivali. Siqalile nge-Afrika Day, ukwenza amakhonsathi, lapho ebesigxile khona kwabomdabu balapha eNingizimu Afrika, nababuya e-Afrika ngobubanzi. Sisho sithi sizobambisana nabo noma sekuyiwa emicimbini yokuvula nokuvala, bazobe bekhona labo ababuya emazweni ase-Afrika, ikakhulukazi labo abaphumelele ukungena emqhudelwaneni, esibabiza nge-6 pack. Amazwe ayisithupha ase-Afrika aphumelele ukungenela umqhudelwano [The six African qualifying countries], simbandakanya neNingizimu Afrika. Sithi Bafana Bafana ndizani. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Mr D D GAMEDE: Chairperson, the Minister touched on the issue of Youth Day, June 16. Minister, as we are approaching June 16, are there programmes in place for all of us to celebrate this day as the people of South Africa, not only as black people? Are programmes being prepared by the department, especially in partnership with the provincial governments, such as KwaZulu- Natal? Thank you.
Chairperson, indeed there is work which we are doing, to encourage our unity and the unity of the nation which is about June 16.
A programme has been launched which is aimed at government working with the youth. There will be a march by the youth to commemorate June 16, which will start at Morris Isaacson High School and proceed to where Oscar Peterson was buried.
We will start there with all our visitors and our players who will be here for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, especially those who are from African countries. We also have concerts and festivals lined up. We started staging concerts when we celebrated Africa Day, where our emphasis was on indigenous South Africans and those who come from the rest of Africa. We told them that we will partner with them even in the opening and closing ceremonies; they will be there, especially those who managed to qualify for this competition and whom we call the 6-pack. They are the six African qualifying countries, which include South Africa. We say: Bafana Bafana, make us proud!]
Bafana Bafana has really made us proud.
Ngakho-ke, ngazo zonke lezi zinhlelo sizoya kuma-PVA, nasezifundazweni, nakulawo madolobha azosingatha imidlalo. Sizohambisa amakhonsathi, sinabo nabaculi ababuya e-Afrika nabuya ko-Sadec, kanye nabethu b alapha eNingizimu Afrika. Sizobe sithi-ke sibambisana kanjalo futhi silwisana nokucwasana ngobuhlanga, silwa nokucwaswa kwabantu abaphuma emazweni angaphandle. Sibonakalisa ukuthi siyakwazi ukuthi sisebenzisane ngokubambisana njengezwe nanjenge-Afrika yonkana. Ngiyabonga.
USIHLALO WOMKHANDLU KAZWELONKE WEZIFUNDAZWE: Labo abangazange babukele umabonakude izolo, iBafana Bafana iphumelele ngamagoli ayisihlanu eqandeni - 5-0. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follow.)
[Therefore, with all these programmes we will go to the Public Viewing Areas, PVAs, in the provinces and the cities that will be hosting the games. We will be staging concerts - we have musicians from Africa and SADC, who will be performing with our musicians from South Africa. We will be working together and, at the same time, fighting racial discrimination and xenophobia. We are showing that we are able to work together as a country and Africa as a whole. Thank you.
Those who did not watch television yesterday - Bafana Bafana won five-nil. Thank you.]
Chairperson, I just want to make a slight correction. I think the Minister, in her haste to expand and explain about the processes that she has been talking about, unfortunately mentioned the name of Oscar Peterson, who is an acclaimed jazz pianist and one of my favourites, instead of saying Hector Pieterson. [Laughter.]
I am sorry, Chairperson. I meant to say Hector Pieterson. It is just that I support artists, and I wish that Hector was also going to be one.
It is understood, Minister.
Hon Chair, I want to thank the Minister for her response. I want to say that we all sing the same anthem and that we are working together for a better life. I would just like the Minister to elaborate on one thing. When will the Department of Arts and Culture think of giving us all a national identity, or is there already a programme in action to give us all a national identity? Thank you.
Well, I think we already have a national identity through all our national symbols, especially our flag. I think South Africans are all flying the flag. I think when we go to our townships and even when we are driving our cars, many South Africans are flying the flag. When we also go to the stadia, we see South African flags proudly flying from all our population groups. Our young kids and the youth also have their faces painted, showing off their flag and our colours.
I also believe that, through the national anthem, we have been able to unite the nation. This is an anthem that is a product of many consultations and debates, and all of us agreed that there is something that makes us proud and makes us have a sense of belonging in our national anthem. I have already referred to the different languages that are used in the national anthem.
I think the whole programme and focus of our department, which is social cohesion and nation-building, is a programme that builds and unites South Africa to ensure that we have one national identity. I am also reminded by the Minister here that our coat of arms is also another important symbol that goes way back and uses the language of our ancestors, the Khoisan people of South Africa. Therefore, I think this government has gone out of its way to ensure that we are united. The onus is now upon all of us to teach our children and our constituencies.
This year the President has even launched a new campaign stipulating that all political party leaders in Parliament must attend national days. They have also been given an opportunity to speak at the national days because when we have Freedom Day or Human Rights Day, it is all about our liberation and freedom. All of us have a responsibility to defend this hard- won democracy if we claim to be democrats. [Applause.]
I think the government has done all it can. But I want to say that "Working together we can do more". [Applause.]
Monitoring of implementation of inclusive education, and challenges and progress in respect thereof
30. Mr D D Gamede (ANC) asked the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether her department is monitoring the implementation of inclusive education; if not, what are the challenges; if so, (a) what has been the progress and (b) where, especially in KwaZulu-Natal?