Hon Chairperson; hon Deputy Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla; hon members and distinguished guests, since 2009 our work has been in line with our electoral mandate, guided by the theme: "Working together we can do more". Despite the many challenges that still lie ahead, we are satisfied that we have made considerable progress in delivering on our mandate and have laid a solid foundation for the future. In particular, we have succeeded in placing arts, culture and heritage at the centre of our efforts to heal the wounds of our unhappy past; to build an inclusive society; and to support economic growth and the building of sustainable livelihoods.
The 2009 ANC election manifesto, among other documents, committed this government to building a socially inclusive society. In line with this commitment, the Department of Arts and Culture has, thus far, facilitated 110 community conversations throughout the country. More conversations are currently ongoing. They provide a unique opportunity for us as South Africans to dialogue on the kind of society we seek to build.
In October 2009, we convened a National Social Cohesion Colloquium, where it was reiterated that we are one people, one nation, bound together by a common heritage and a shared destiny. During the 2010 Fifa World Cup, we initiated programmes aimed at using that historic event to build national unity and foster national pride and identity. These programmes included the Magnificent Fridays campaign, the schools essay competition and Our Flag in Every School campaign.
In order to take forward our work of building an inclusive society, in July 2011 we convened a National Summit on Social Cohesion in Kliptown, the birthplace of the Freedom Charter. Delegates to the summit recommitted themselves to the goal of building a South Africa that truly belonged to all who lived in it, black and white, united in their diversity. They also committed themselves to a plan of action that will, among other goals, promote social justice, the values of ubuntu, human rights and equality for all. They agreed that at the centre of implementing this plan will be our social cohesion advocates: eminent South Africans drawn from all sectors of our society.
Some of those eminent South Africans we appointed are in the House with us, including former Constitutional Court Judge, Justice Yvonne Mokgoro, Ms Joan Ramagoshi, and Archbishop Thabo Makgoba. [Applause.] We are confident that our social cohesion advocates will mobilise all sectors of society in consolidating and deepening the progress we have made since 1994 towards building an inclusive society.
Hon members, next year South Africa will complete 20 years as a free and democratic country. This is a milestone that all South Africans should celebrate. As a build-up to that occasion, beginning this year, we will launch a year-long programme that will culminate in the celebration of 20 years of liberation, on 27 April 2014. Our build-up programme will allow us to highlight and celebrate our achievements; and to make the point, once more, that South Africa is a better country than it was before liberation. Also included in the programme are activities aimed at promoting the National Development Plan - Vision 2030 as our nation's long-term vision and the basis for collective action and partnerships across society.
We declared 2012 the Year of Heritage. This we did as an acknowledgement of the centenary of the oldest liberation movement in Africa, the ANC. We identified 29 heritage projects, primarily to honour the heroes and heroines of our liberation struggle. Most of these projects have been completed or are at an advanced stage of implementation. These include the opening, last month, of the //hapo museum at Freedom Park; the completion of the iconic Steve Biko Centre in Ginsberg; and the completion of the first phase of the project to refurbish the homestead of the former ANC president, O R Tambo, in Mbizana. [Applause.]
We have also built a road linking the Voortrekker Monument and Freedom Park. The monument, commemorating the Matola Raid, has now been completed. A number of graves of our struggle heroes and heroines were upgraded and declared as heritage sites. These include the graves of Robert Sobukwe, Helen Suzman and Steve Biko. We also renamed the Bloemfontein Airport as Bram Fischer Airport in honour of this struggle icon.
Fellow South Africans, one of the biggest achievements in restoring the dignity of our indigenous people, was the return of Trooi and Klaas Pienaar, whose bodies were illegally taken to Austria for scientific research. [Applause.] We are delighted that these South Africans have now been given a decent burial in the land of their birth. Equally, we are in the process of returning the mortal remains of Dawid Stuurman, a leader of the Khoi people and one of the early freedom fighters, who was taken away for imprisonment in Australia, 240 years ago. [Applause.]
We continue to make progress towards the implementation of the Liberation Heritage Route, linking sites and individuals of significance to the South African struggle for liberation, throughout the continent. Sites have been identified in Angola, Zambia, Botswana and Lesotho. Last week, we had discussions with the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia with a view to building a monument at the place where former President Nelson Mandela received his military training in 1962. [Applause.]
We have also made progress in capturing and documenting the correct history of the early wars of resistance, as well as our country's participation in both world wars. This we have done through the SA Democracy Education Trust project, wherein three volumes documenting this history have already been produced. We thank the late Professor Bernard Magubane, a great thinker and intellectual who contributed immensely to ensuring that our history is well documented.
This year also marks 100 years since the Union Buildings were officially opened. Despite their history as a symbol of white supremacy, the Union Buildings are now one of the symbols of our new democratic nation. In this regard, we are proud to announce that we have commissioned the installation of the statue of the founding President of our free and democratic nation, President Nelson Mandela, to be placed in front of the Union Buildings. [Applause.]
Fellow South Africans, as part of marking that is has been 100 years since the promulgation of the Natives Land Act, the Iziko Museum is hosting an exhibition, "Umhlaba 1913 to 2013". We are also working with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform to document the legacy of the Natives Land Act.
The ANC government has always known that the creative and cultural industries are important contributors to the development of our economy and society in general. It is against this background that, working with our stakeholders, we have identified arts, culture and heritage as the new Mzansi Golden Economy. We are making progress in the establishment of cultural precincts across the country. Yesterday, we handed over a cheque of R13 million to kick-start the establishment of the Ray Alexander Simons Memory Centre in Gugulethu. [Applause.]
Last week we unveiled a study of the contribution of film to the economy. According to this study, the film sector contributes R3,5 billion annually to our gross domestic product and provides employment to more than 25 000 people. We are currently in the process of restructuring the National Film and Video Foundation into a fully fledged national film commission and establishing a film fund.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our artists in this sector who have excelled and won awards on the world stage. Some are here with us today. They include Ms Florence Masebe, who won the best lead role in the film Elelwani at the African Movie Academy Awards. [Applause.] We also congratulate the makers of the film Layla Fourie, which received the Jury Special Mention Award at the Berlinale International Film Festival. [Applause.]
In the coming months, we will unveil plans on how our sector will develop content for television as our country prepares to introduce digital television. To this end, I have appointed a content task team, working with the Department of Communications, the Independent Communications Authority of SA, the SA Broadcasting Corporation, Consumer News and Business Channel Africa, MultiChoice and the entire television sector to look at how we can increase local content in our country.
Music is one of the biggest sectors in the broader creative industry. It is also an important contributor to nation-building and social cohesion. We are disturbed that this important sector continues to face challenges, including piracy, problems with the collection and distribution of royalties, social security for artists and many other problems. To respond to some of these challenges, I have also appointed a task team to address these challenges and will report back within three months.
Fellow South Africans, we are proceeding with our plans to establish a national skills academy for the creative industries as a centre of excellence. Detailed plans for the establishment of the academy will be finalised in August this year. We have, over the years, invested in the growth and development of the book sector. We are now in the process of establishing a statutory body council, which will oversee the sector. Already, the sector is estimated to be worth more than R5 billion and employs an estimated 17 000 people. We will continue to invest in the development of this sector as part of improving the culture of reading in our society. We also continue to support young and new writers. This we will do through various platforms and partnerships, including our partnership with Write Associates, which has now grown to focus on the continent as a whole.
Last year, Parliament passed into law the Use of Official Languages Bill. This is an important intervention that will go a long way to promoting multilingualism and move us closer to the goal of ensuring parity of esteem for all languages, especially indigenous languages. [Applause.]
Hon members, culture is an important ingredient in building relations among people and opening up other opportunities for interaction, especially in areas such as trade, commerce and development support. Culture has now become the soft power of many nations. In this regard, we have signed cultural agreements with many countries and are currently implementing cultural exchanges. We are pleased to announce that, as per the decision of President Zuma and the former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, we are now in the second year of implementing the South Africa Season in France programme. The first year of the season in South Africa was a resounding success. We are confident that the South African leg in France will also be a success. This will be launched on 28 May and will run until December this year.
We will be taking more than 800 South African artists to participate in events taking place in more than 100 cities in France. We have also signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Kingdom and plans are under way to enter into cultural seasons with China, Russia, Angola and Nigeria. We will also enter into discussions with the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, Dirco, with the intention to appoint cultural attachs in strategic countries where we have diplomatic missions.
To address challenges in our sector, we have decided to align and streamline funding for the sector. This includes working with the National Lotteries Board and our funding agencies to ensure maximum funding of our sector. This proposal will be included in the revised White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage, which we will publish shortly.
Hon members, we have made significant progress and laid a firm foundation to bring about a better life. Informed by the National Development Plan - Vision 2030, we will continue to increase investment in our sector.
As I conclude, I would like to take this opportunity to thank hon Sunduza, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture, and all members of the portfolio committee for their rigorous oversight of the work of the department and its agencies. I also take this opportunity to thank the Director-General of the Department of Arts and Culture, Mr Sibusiso Xaba, and the entire staff of the Department of Arts and Culture, the chairpersons and chief executive officers of our institutions and their entire staff. I also thank all stakeholders who continue to add value in our work. It is therefore my honour to present before this House the 2013- 14 Budget Vote of the Department of Arts and Culture. Ke a leboga. Inkomu. [Thank you.] [Applause.]
Hon Minister, Mr Paul Mashatile; Deputy Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla; provincial MECs present; council and board members of arts, culture and heritage institutions; hon Members of Parliament; and guests ...
... ndiyanibulisa nonke namhlanje kule Voti yoHlahlo-lwabiwo-mali yeSebe lezoBugcisa neNkcubeko. [... I greet you all today on the occasion of the debate on the Arts and Culture Budget Vote.]
I would like to say that the ANC supports the Budget Vote. I would like to thank Almighty God for giving me the grace to debate on this Budget Vote once again. I stand here, confident and without fear of intimidation, because my parents, Mr and Mrs Sunduza, are in the gallery. [Applause.] I am therefore protected and I am talking about the two ANC cadres who taught me to fight for justice till today. I would also like to acknowledge my friend, Dumisani Booi, who is also in the gallery.
Niyazithanda neendaba. [You are also inquisitive.]
I would like to quote an unsung poet, who said:
No amount of torture No amount of innocent blood being shed No amount of distortion or pretence can stop us In your Holy Name, Morena, We are, you with us, taking our land back, Declaring peace, not only as absence of war, But as Shalom, justice in action In your holy name.
These are the words of my special guest in the gallery. Her name is Joyce Boitumelo Dipale, who was shot by Dirk Coetzee in exile, helped by Almond Nofemela and Joe Mamasela. She is a poet and a cultural activist, but her speech and memory were severely affected by the torture.
Sisi Joyce, khanimncede aphakame. [Joyce, please help her up.] [Applause.]
She is a former soldier of uMkhonto weSizwe and she is still committed. Thank you for coming.
History is heritage and it must be told and archived correctly. This is the history that has not been told to our generation. A member of the DA, the opposition party, once said, "Parliament is boring because it becomes a history lesson." Indeed, it is boring to them because it is not the history of Vasco da Gama or Christopher Columbus, who got lost in a ship, or the Anglo-Boer War. That is why it is "boring". This is the history that we must be recording - and it is our heritage as well. We only know about the war that was lost, but nothing is even said about Africans who suffered in the Anglo-Boer War; who were tortured kwezo mfazwe [in those wars.] We are disillusioned because we only knew about the Mfecane or Difaqane and they never told the truth - that we were fighting for our land. I'm saying this because this year we are celebrating the centenary of the Natives Land Act, which no one wants to talk about.
Africa must unite as we also celebrate 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity, OAU. No one will ever say that mathematics was invented in Egypt because, to some, nothing good comes from Africa. [Interjections.] Therefore, the only time we must digest anything is when the Dutch and French ancestors write it for us.
We commend the SA Democracy Education Trust, SADET, project of writing our South African history. We are very grateful to them because the only history we know was taught by the DA's predecessors, the National Party. I call on African writers to write our history. [Interjections.]
Umthetho wenu niyathanda ukungxola kakade xa nixelelwa inyani. [As usual, you make a noise whenever someone is telling you the truth.]
As I support the Budget Vote, I call on the Minister and on Africans to write our history. I also call for Lovedale Press to be revived. I am saying this because I'm proud that some African women have started to write books. I have a book here, I honour the women who wrote it by James Arthur Calata. This copy is for the hon Naledi Pandor because she promised she would come and listen to me.
Yeyakho le mama. [This is for you, Ma'am.] [Applause.]
We must also honour those who fought in World War II, such as Mfanasekhaya Linda Gqobose, who is the father of Ms Lindelwa Dunjwa.
I would like to comment on the false claim the DA is making in their "Know your DA" initiative of being South Africans who fought apartheid. I am not talking about voices who spoke about apartheid, but about people who took action against apartheid. We honour people like uMkhonto weSizwe fighters, and Beyers Naud and Trevor Huddleston are the people who fought for democracy, not ... ... aba bathi sasikhona babe bethetha ngomlomo kungekho nto bayenzayo. Yiyo loo nto behambisa iiplastiki ezizuba behamba besipha abantu bethu ukutya. Ndiyathetha ngoku ndithi ... [... those who say they were there, but did not even lift a finger. That is why they are distributing food parcels in dark blue plastic bags amongst our people. I say ...]
... to the youth of South Africa: Know your history and beware of the DA because ...
... iza kumane ininika ukutya kuba iyayazi ukuba niyalamba kwaye bathatha imiyalelo esuka e-Europe. [... they are going to offer you food parcels from time to time because they know that you are poor, and they take orders from Europe.]
I will not leave the DA alone because they are misleading our people. [Interjections.]
I also want to say that when we talk about culture, we are talking about social cohesion; where people meet. That is why some people will never understand it when we take Parliament to the people because only a few were represented. Indians and coloured people were represented in the tricameral Parliament. That is why Sandy Kalyan will never understand why we are taking Parliament to the African people. It is part of social cohesion!
Akayazi loo nto kuba yena wayemelwe ngelaa xesha. [She does not know that because she was represented in the tricameral Parliament.]
Then she asks the questions about the food. Our people are hungry. I'm not sure when they go to those houses. They think that people are full.
Ngoku uthi simosha ngemali, akazi nto kuba kaloku yena uqhele ukutya. [Now she says we are wasting money; she knows nothing because she is used to having food.]
We mark 50 years since Nelson Mandela arrived on Robben Island as a prisoner. It is important to mark 20 years of freedom and democracy. This Parliament should use this opportunity to honour Madiba as its first President. I will continue to say that we must build a statue for Madiba here at Parliament.
Elaa hashe lisuke liye kwiziko lezenkcubeko. [The statue of General Louis Botha must be moved to a museum.]
There is space in the museum for that horse. It does not represent us; it represents them. We must also declare the month of July as Ubuntu Month, in honour of Madiba.
The National Development Plan has identified nine major challenges that are facing South Africans. While all these are of critical importance to the nation, the budget of the Arts and Culture Department will strive to contribute to the creation of decent jobs, economic growth and the realisation of a socially cohesive and inclusive South Africa.
My debate will focus on cultural development and heritage promotion, which are programmes 4 and 5 of Vote 14. The main purpose of cultural development is to promote and develop South African arts and culture. The main focus of this programme is to implement the Mzansi Golden Economy strategy projects. The Mzansi Golden Economy has finally come, in 2013. It will attack poverty, expand all cultural industries and become a beacon of our economy. The Mzansi Golden Economy will invigorate and expand economic opportunities in the creative industries by building infrastructure in the arts, culture and heritage sector and create conditions for entrepreneurship and an inclusive economy.
This programme is significant and that is why the budget allocation has been increased by 32% in the current budget, relative to the previous financial year. We are also championing the liberation route - when I say "we" I mean the ANC - in Africa. The continued support of the National Literary Awards is one of the key achievements of this programme.
Heritage promotion provides policy legislation and strategic direction for identifying, conserving and promoting cultural heritage. This programme takes the largest chunk of the Arts and Culture budget allocation, which is R834 million. The bulk of this allocation is transferred to heritage institutions for operations, capital works and some of the key functions of this programme, including monitoring and evaluating the performance of heritage institutions protecting and preserving our heritage. The Minister has referred to the Sara Baartman centre and the Matola raid project.
We must not be apologetic when we build more monuments to acknowledge our heroes of liberation. That is why the issue of land becomes very important: We need land to build these monuments.
Intloko ka-Strydom le yawa ePitoli yayinkulu, yawa ngenxa yobukhulu bayo. Nathi ... [The sculpted head of JG Strydom in Pretoria fell off because it was huge. We too ...]
... must not be apologetic. Therefore, we must not have small museums for honouring our own heroes.
One of the challenges that the department is grappling with is the issue of consultants. Therefore, we appeal to the department to minimise the use of consultants and create more employment opportunities. There is a great overreliance on consultants. That is why we are saying we are disappointed with the management challenges in some of the public entities, such as the SA Heritage Resources Agency, SAHRA, for instance.
Piracy and counterfeiting are killing the music industry in South Africa.
Siyanicela bantu musani ukuthenga izinto ezibiweyo nezo kotshiweyo. Thengani uqobo kuba nilambisa iimvumi zethu zaseMzantsi Afrika kwaye niyazibulala ngokwenza oko. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[We plead with you people not to buy stolen goods and pirated material. Buy the original stuff because the former option condemns South African musicians to poverty and is killing them. [Applause.]]
We are praying for the revival of traditional mbaqanga music and choral music.
Minister, we don't have film and video schools at tertiary institutions. They are private institutions and are exploiting our African people. They are really exploiting them. Dr Blade Ndzimande and you, Minister, must meet ...
... khon'ukuze sikwazi ukuqinisekisa ukuba kusekwa ... [... so as to ensure that they set up ...]
... a film production curriculum in the universities of South Africa. That is why you are not finding many black people producing ...
... iifilimu ezithile kuba bayaqhathwa ngaba bamhlophe. [... certain films, because they are cheated by the white producers.]
The National Development Plan puts it very clearly that the wellbeing of every citizen is the concern of other citizens and that the development of South Africa means the development of each and every one of us who lives here. We must build on our solidarity, which, through history and heritage, has demonstrated our aspiration to create a caring society.
Major leading economies in the world have strategically positioned their creative industries, as in Asia. This has resulted in the growth of demand and participation in the creative industry to produce the required quantity. Their economic growth has been sustained through their creative industry, even during the period when the meltdown affected them.
The ANC, as a legitimate voice of the people of South Africa, is concerned about the structure of the global economy and youth unemployment. It is this consideration that moved the Department of Arts and Culture to introduce the Mzansi Golden Economy.
Ndicela nindimamele kuba aniyazi nale Mzansi kwaye niza kuphinda nisibuze izinto eningazaziyo apha. [Please listen to me because you know nothing about the Mzansi Golden Economy and later you are going to ask us funny questions.]
We further request that we support our African initiatives, such as clothing and hairdressing, because it creates employment for those who are in need. The Mzansi Golden Economy projects should include the Department of Trade and Industry to ensure that piracy is criminalised.
Two years ago, the original copy of the Freedom Charter was brought back to South Africa. The Freedom Charter remains an important document in our history and it underpins the values of the South African Constitution. The Department of Arts and Culture and its agencies are making plans to host the 60-year commemoration of the Freedom Charter.
The department has supported a number of festivals, such as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and the Johannesburg Joy of Jazz. However, we plead with you, Minister: now is the time for rural development. These festivals must also be taken to the rural areas ...
... sibe nawo umnyhadala womjuxuzo phaya Pealton, kulo sisi Pam. [... so that we can have a music festival at Pealton, Ms Pam Tshwete's place.]
This will also contribute to job creation.
This year marks 100 years of the cruel and evil Natives Land Act of 1913. We all know what happened. Some members in this House are beneficiaries of the 1913 Natives Land Act. Some on the left here will soon go red. [Interjections.] That is why they are not supportive of the land reform and restitution processes. If you want to check whether a person had benefited during the segregation and apartheid period, ask them their views about the land claims now. They will sweat and become red.
Hon Mulder is the best example. How dare he say blacks don't have a claim to land? [Interjections.] Yes, he is in our Cabinet because that is social cohesion, nina aniyiqondi loo nto [and you don't understand that.] [Interjections.] The ANC will continue to spearhead the land reform process and ensure that its heritage is accurately recorded. During this year, many national museums will be hosting exhibitions to commemorate and educate South Africans about the effects of the Natives Land Act of 1913.
Yhu! Ibuhlungu ke into yakho Mama uKopane kuba ufana nam apha ebusweni akukho nto uyifumeneyo. Uhlawulwa umvuzo lo siwufumanayo apha. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[My goodness! Yours is a sad case, Mrs Kopane, because you look like me and you have nothing. You get a salary like the rest of us.]
The Khoi and San communities deserve special recognition in South Africa. They were crushed by the evils of white racism long before anyone else. They have been slaughtered, removed from their land and enslaved. A myth was even spread that they had all disappeared and those surviving Khoi and San communities were given new labels, such as Boesman and Kaffirboetie. [Interjections.] The ANC is the natural home of the Khoi and San communities for claiming land that was stolen from them before the 1913 Natives Land Act came into effect.
In addition, the Department of Arts and Culture is in the process of repatriating the remains of a Khoi freedom fighter and a Robben Island prisoner who is respected for escaping twice from the Island, Chief Dawid Stuurman. In 1823, after being recaptured, Stuurman was tortured and sent to serve his entire sentence in Australia. He later died in Australia and was buried as a pauper.
Ngoku isebe liyambuyisa, libuyisa namathambo akhe. Sicela i-Australia isebenzisane nathi ukubuyisa umntu wethu, ingamenzi udwayi lwabo. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.) [Now the department is repatriating his remains. We appeal for Australia's co-operation on this matter so that he can be given a proper funeral instead of the pauper's funeral that he was given.]
I like history because it is the truth. Monuments play an important role in nation-building. We will continue to call for the transformation of public monuments. I challenged O R Tambo International Airport to mount a decent statue of Oliver Tambo at the entrance to the airport, which will serve as a tribute to the values that Tambo strived for. I am against the existing dummy sitting in the corner - it is an insult to Oliver Tambo, an internationalist and a South African. In my travels in Israel ...
... Ncumani kaloku nifumana imali phaya. [smile, because you get money from them.]
... heritage monuments are their tourist attractions. [Interjections.] Every time I go to the Holocaust Museum, Minister Pandor, there are Jews there, crying as they remember the Holocaust. But in South Africa they say we should forget about apartheid. How soon? Why should we forget? They must be thankful that we are extending a hand, considering what they did to us, you know?
Unotshe soze silibale, ingakumbi xa nisuka nigeze, nisichaphukisa okokuqala nokokugqibela. [Never! We will never forget, more so given that you provoke us at every turn.] The opposition is forever challenging the transformation of the national geographical places, mainly because it is proposed by the ANC. [Interjections.] Therefore, they like it when they see Boesmanskop and Kaffirfontein.
Ababoni nto ingalunganga. [They see nothing wrong with those names.]
They are very happy about it because it is their heritage. The ANC will not be confused by those who don't want to transform, those who are racist and those who want to block anything that represents African heritage. We call on the SA Geographical Names Council, the Minister and all to fast-track the renaming of Pretoria and other places to reflect the views of the majority of South Africans. [Interjections.] It might be stupid, but it is fine because you are a beneficiary; that is your problem. I wonder how you stay in your house when your maid is just sitting at the back of your house? How do you feel, especially those who come from the farms?
Nimane niba thuma nje. Aninazo neentloni, nize niphinde nibe nezibindi zokuya kwiindawo ezihlala abantu abamnyama niye kufuna ukuba banivotele. Nisile bonanje! [Kwahlekwa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[You just send them on errands. You have no shame! And then you have the guts to go to black residential areas to canvass for their votes. You are so silly, you know! [Laughter.]] This year marks 50 years since the OAU was formed. This calls on us to reflect on what it means to be an African. The Department of Arts and Culture [Interjections.] ... If you loved Africans you would share the farms that you inherited. [Interjections.] You know, hon Ms D Kohler- Barnard, every time you do that you remind me of the cop who arrested me during apartheid. Mandela was never rude. When you do that, you just remind me of him, so please stop doing that. [Interjections.]
We call on the SA Geographical Names Council to do it as soon as possible. The Department of Arts and Culture will be contributing towards Africanism and the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance.
The Department of Arts and Culture supports a number of museums, art galleries and bands. Minister, people who create graffiti are asking where they could get space to practise and see their art. They say graffiti is art, but they are told it is illegal. We will continue to promote our galleries because they play an important role.
Social cohesion is very important, but I think for all of us to be united, some people must change their mind-sets and just take them from pre-94 and move them to post 1994.
The moral decay in our society is the biggest challenge facing this country. The ANC calls upon the Department of Arts and Culture to restreamline the work of the Moral Regeneration Movement. It must either be properly aligned to the department or under the Presidency, so that it can be funded properly.
We call on the department to remember Lovedale Press, where all our black writers were published. All our history, the correct version, comes from that place, so we call on you to fund it. [Applause.] The author D D T Jabavu and all the writers whose work was published by Lovedale Press would be very glad.
The other challenge that I am concerned about is the co-ordination and monitoring of boards. Malfunctioning boards and councils are to be avoided. Therefore, I call for the strengthening of governance in a small part of the Department of Arts and Culture.
As I conclude, I was recently inspired by the Auditor-General when he mentioned to me that all entities of the Department of Arts and Culture are very close to achieving clean audits in the future. I want to congratulate the Robben Island Museum, under the leadership of Mr Sibongiseni Mkhize and his team, who have turned the institution around and achieved unqualified audit reports for two consecutive years. Those who thought Robben Island would come to the Western Cape were dreaming because already it has its savings. However, I need to mention to you, Minister, as well as the Minister of Environmental Affairs, that there is a problem at Robben Island with illegal poaching. They are poaching all the endangered species. I think it is time we had our police and marine police. That is our United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco, World Heritage Site, which is very important to us.
The National Development Plan states that success will be measured by the degree to which the lives, as well as opportunities of the poorer South Africans are transformed in a sustainable manner. I call on the Department of Arts and Culture and its team to work together regarding this issue.
In conclusion, I know that when the truth is spoken, people become angry. The Department of Arts and Culture is doing well. People must just tick and say correct, correct and correct, and not say anything that is not there.
Ndicela ukubulela wena Mphathiswa kunye noSekela Mphathiswa. [I want to thank you, hon Minister and Deputy Minister.]
I would like to thank the House Chairperson, hon Frolick, who has been very supportive, the Chief Whip of the ANC, the staff ... [Interjections.] Your democracy is ill informed, and that is the problem. [Interjections.] Your, democracy is manipulative, you know.
Ndiyabulela kakhulu. Abanye abantu ningabahoyi bethuna. Inyani iyaluma! Ndiyabulela kakhulu ngokundimamela. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.) [Thank you very much. Some people are not worth paying attention you know. The truth hurts! Thank you very much for listening to me. [Applause.]]
Agb Voorsitter, voordat ek begin, wil ek vir die mense s dat ek baie Afrikaans gaan praat, so as hulle hul oorstukkies wil gebruik, is hulle baie welkom om dit te doen. Ons land is so vol slegte nuus dat ek net graag die volgende goeie nuus met u wil deel. Dit is in Engels. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Mr N J VAN DEN BERG: Hon Chairperson, before I start I want to tell the people that I'm going to be speaking a lot of Afrikaans, so if they want to use their earpieces they are very welcome to do so. Our country is so full of bad news that I would just like to share the following good news with you. It is in English.]
I would like to take a moment to congratulate South African Music Awards winners and nominees, especially local musicians Donald Moatshe and Toya de Lazy, on their recent Black Entertainment Television Award nominations this past week. These two stars have been nominated in the Best International Act: Africa category and are shining examples of the exceptional talent that South Africa has to offer. They deserve our support and we will be cheering them on all the way to the top and beyond. [Applause.]
Baie geluk! Ek wil ook vandag al die kunstenaars in Suid-Afrika groet, want hulle speel 'n baie belangrike rol in Suid-Afrika in die voortgang van kuns en kultuur wat so belangrik is.
Ek kan nie mr saamstem met wat die agb Minister ges het nie. Hy het 'n goeie toespraak gelewer. Ek stem 100% saam met die inhoud wat hy gegee het, maar vir my gaan dit dikwels oor die uitvoering van die goed. Daar is nie 'n presiese uitvoering aan al die dinge waarvan hy gepraat het nie.
Net om te antwoord op die agb voorsitter van ons komitee, die agb Sunduza - ons werk baie goed saam in die komitee, maar sy was vanmiddag baie lekker stout met al die uitlatings wat sy hier gemaak het. [Gelag.] Ek vergewe haar, omdat sy nog 'n kind is. Ek weet haar pa en ma sit hier, en julle sal met my saamstem dat hulle die roede meer moes ingel het toe sy 'n bietjie kleiner was. Dan het sy vandag vir ons geluister. Nietemin, ek vergewe haar en ek moet vir haar s dat sy vandag mooi parmantig aangetrek is. Maar pas op vir jou, agb Sunduza. [Gelag.]
Ek wil vir agb Sunduza s sy kan nie met 'n klomp onsin hier vandag in die Parlement vorendag kom nie en s dat die DA die grondhervormingsplan en dies meer teenstaan. Waar kom sy aan die dinge wat sy hier vertel? [Tussenwerpsels.] Sy moet eers met ons kom praat voordat sy hierdie goed loop s. Ek wil nou vandag een ding vir u in hierdie Parlement s. Ek het 'n toespraak heeltemal uitgewerk, maar nou kom krap sy die kaarte deurmekaar. Ek het vir myself ges dat ek nie kwaad gaan word nie; dat ek net rustig met al die mense gaan praat oor 'n baie belangrike saak wat my verskriklik na aan die hart l, want as 'n mens jou stem verhef, dan klink dit asof jy raas en kwaad is. Die agb Sunduza het haar stem vir my verhef, maar ek sal met haar daaroor praat.
Die agb lede van die Parlement moet een ding onthou en dit is dat ons baie versigtig moet wees as ons luister na wat vandag hier ges is. Ek wil die Minister gelukwens met die toespraak wat hy gelewer het en met al die goed wat deur die departement gedoen word, soos onder meer die National Summit on Social Cohesion konferensie wat ons in Kliptown, Soweto, gehad het. Di goed is verskriklik belangrik om ons mense nader aan mekaar te bring sodat ons met mekaar in hierdie land oor die weg kan kom. As ons nie met mekaar in hierdie land oor die weg kom nie, is ons land daarmee heen. Dit is elkeen van ons se plig en verantwoordelikheid. Ons het 'n verskriklike groot verantwoordelikheid, en daarom word ek sommer vies wanneer hierdie verhoog, as dit oor kuns en kultuur gaan, verpolitiseer word. Ons moet nie politiek insleep as ons oor kuns en kultuur, taal en di dinge praat nie. Ek sal netnou nog 'n paar woorde daaroor s.
Ons moet aanvaar dat kuns, taal, kultuur en al di dinge 'n fyn senuweedraad is wat deur almal van ons loop. As u 'n senuwee knyp, dan maak u hom elke keer seer. As u hom seer maak, dan desensiteer u daardie senuwee en naderhand kom u dit nie meer agter nie.
Wat die agb Sunduza ges het oor wat in die verlede verkeerd geloop het in Suid-Afrika, is alles waar en ek ontken dit nie. Daar is mense wat vir hierdie land geveg het sodat ons vryheid mag h. Ek kan vandag s dat dit sedert 1994 vir my lekker is om in Suid-Afrika te bly. Ek kan enige plek in my kiesafdeling daar in Khutsong rond stap. Ek word deur niemand in Suid- Afrika bedreig nie. Die mense van Suid-Afrika aanvaar my. Ek is ook deesdae 'n tata, so s hulle vir my. Ek weet nie hoekom nie! Maar hulle aanvaar my; ek is deel van hierdie land en hierdie Afrika. Asseblief! As agb Sunduza nou praat van "our", [ons], wie is di "ons"? [Tussenwerpsels.] Agb Sunduza, dit is ons almal.
Mense moet baie mooi luister. Die leiers wat na vore gekom het in hierdie land, en ons begin met Genl Louis Botha, wie se standbeeld voor die Parlement staan, sowel as ANC leiers soos Dube en Albert Luthuli, by wie se graf ons was, het ongelooflike bydraes tot die ontwikkeling van Suid-Afrika gelewer. Hulle het suiwere denke gehad en ek is baie jammer dat daar in die verlede nie na hulle geluister is nie. Ek dink die geskiedenis van Suid- Afrika kon bes moontlik 'n totale ander rigting ingeslaan het as daardie soort van vertrapping van mense nie plaasgevind het nie.
Ek wil aanstap. Agb Minister, ek wil 'n bietjie vinger na u toe wys. Die gebeure in die Pan-Suid-Afrikaanse Taalraad, PanSAT, en die Suid-Afrikaanse Erfenishulpbronagentskap, SAEHA, is as gevolg van 'n bietjie swak leierskap. Ek wil sommer na die Adjunkminister ook vinger wys. Hulle is afwesig in die komitee waar ons probeer om 'n oorsigrol te speel. Hulle is nie daar nie, en ek wil vir die Minister s dat die lede van sy departement wat in daardie komitee is, en dikwels teenwoordig is, nie die boodskappe wat ons vir hulle gee, oordra nie.
Ek het nou eendag gevra vir die memorandum van verstandhouding wat geteken is tussen Suid-Afrika en Nederland. Ek wag nou nog daarvoor - en lede van die Minister se departement was in die komitee. Ek wil s die feit dat die Minister en Adjunkminister nie teenwoordig is nie, veroorsaak dat ons oorsigrol daarmee heen gaan. Dit is 'n baie groot probleem. Mense wys vinger na my, omdat ek 'n lid van die Parlement en die portefeuljekomitee is, en dan s hulle dat ek niks doen nie. Dit is onwaar. Ons werk regtig hard, maar ons moet sorg dat die dinge wat ons in die komitee besluit, gedoen word. Ek wil vir die Minister s dat, alhoewel ons 'n verskeidenheid van politieke partye in daardie komitee is, ons vir een doel werk. Dit is dat ons Suid-Afrika as ons s'n moet hou, en dat ons almal moet hoort in hierdie Suid-Afrika.
Nasiebou en sosiale eenheid het items vir spesiale dae geword. Ons moet dit 'n daaglikse werklikheid maak! In ons handel en wandel met mense moet ons deeglik bewus wees wat ons vir hulle s, en op welke wyse ons dit s.
Ek wil vlugtig praat oor nuwe monumente en nuwe dinge wat gedoen word. Ek is bitter dankbaar om te hoor dat daar 'n monument van Madiba by die Uniegebou opgerig gaan word. Ek is baie dankbaar dat dit gaan gebeur. Ek wil net vir agb Sunduza s, ja, Louis Botha staan nou op sy ruiterstandbeed voor die Parlement. Niemand het nog ooit 'n debat gevoer oor of dit die beste plek is nie! Ons wil almal graag vir Madiba hier h. As die Parlement moet ons besluit waar. [Tussenwerpsels.] Weet u wat, elke groep in Suid- Afrika moet iets hier h waarnatoe hy kan stap, aan daardie standbeeld kan vat en s, "Hier is my voorvaders" of "Hierdie is die mense wat vir die San en Khoi geveg het en ek is trots daarop".
Wat baie, baie belangrik is, is dit: Almal van ons, of ons nou oud, grys of wat ookal is, ons wil behoort. Ons wil aan iets behoort. As iemand in 'n land bly, dan wil hy aan daardie land behoort en deel voel. [Tussenwerpsels.] Kyk maar net na u kinders. U kinders wil sien, hoor en voel dat hulle behoort, net soos elke mens in Suid-Afrika. Laat almal van ons wat vandag hier sit, 'n poging maak en almal die geleentheid gee om te behoort in Suid-Afrika. Ons moet vergeet van die nuwe Suid-Afrika. Dit is nie meer die ou of die nuwe Suid-Afrika nie; dit is ons Suid-Afrika waarin ons vandag bly. Kom ons hou dit so. Kom ons bou aan ons demokrasie. [Applous.] Moenie dinge van ander partye s wat nie waar is nie. Kom ons wees lief vir mekaar en bid vir mekaar, want dit is die enigste wyse waarop ons voort kan gaan.
Ek wil byvoeg dat ons aan hierdie hele proses moet werk - die proses waarvolgens almal aan Suid-Afrika kan behoort. Ek wil vir almal vra: as daar in die toekoms name verander word, moet dit nie 'n politieke kwessie maak nie. Moenie probeer stemme werf deur kultuur, taal en dies meer by te sleep nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] Dit veroorsaak verdeeldheid. En wat wil ons h in Suid-Afrika? Ons wil eenheid, versoening en 'n wonderlike nasie aan die suidpunt van Afrika h. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Congratulations! I also want to greet all artists in South Africa today, because they play an important role in South Africa with the advancement of arts and culture, which is so important.
I cannot longer agree more with what the hon the Minister is saying. He made a good speech. I am 100% in agreement with the content he gave, but for me it is often about the execution of these matters. There is no meticulous execution of all the things that he has been talking about.
Just in response to the hon chairperson of our committee, the hon Sunduza - we work very well together in the committee, but she was very naughty here today with all the remarks she made. [Laughter.] I forgive her, because she is only a child. I know her father and mother are seated here, and you will agree with me that they should have laid in a bit more with the rod when she was a bit younger. She would then have been listening to us today. Nevertheless, I forgive her and I must say that she is dressed lovely and jaunty today. But watch out, hon Sunduza! [Laughter.]
I want to tell the hon Sunduza that she cannot come up with a lot of nonsense here in Parliament today, saying that the DA is opposed to the land reform plan and so forth. Where does she get all the things she is saying here? [Interjections.] She should first come and talk to us before she goes and says these things. Now I want to tell you one thing here in this Parliament today. I had a speech totally worked out, but now she has come and messed up the cards. I told myself that I would not get angry; that I would just speak calmly to all the people about a matter that is extremely dear to my heart, because if one raises one's voice, it will sound as if one is raging and cross. The hon Sunduza did raise her voice at me, but I will talk to her about that.
Hon Members of Parliament must remember one thing, namely that we should be very careful when listening to what has been said here today. I want to congratulate the Minister on the speech he made and on all the things the department is doing, such as, amongst others, the National Summit on Social Cohesion conference we had in Kliptown, Soweto. These things are extremely important to bring our people closer together so that we can get along with each other in this country. If we cannot get along with each other in this country, our country will not last. This is the duty and responsibility of each one of us. We have an extremely big responsibility, which is why I get cross when this stage, where it is about arts and culture, becomes politicised. We should not drag politics into it when we are talking about arts and culture, language and such things. In a moment I will say a few more words in that regard.
We must accept that arts, language, culture and all of that is a fine nerve strand that runs through all of us. When you pinch a nerve, you hurt it every time. When you hurt it, you are desensitising that nerve and eventually you will no longer notice it.
What the hon Sunduza has said, about what went wrong in the past in South Africa, is all true and I don't deny this. There are people who fought for this land so that we may have freedom. I can tell you today that since 1994 it has been enjoyable for me to live in South Africa. I can move around anywhere in my constituency of Khutsong. I am not under threat from anyone in South Africa. The people of South Africa accept me. Nowadays I'm also a "tata", [father] or so they tell me. I don't know why! But they accept me; I am part of this country and this Africa. Please! When hon Sunduza therefore speaks of "our", who would this "us" be? [Interjections.] Hon Sunduza, it is all of us. People should listen carefully. The leaders who came forward in this country, and let's start with Gen Louis Botha, whose statue stands before this Parliament, as well as ANC-leaders such as Dube and Albert Luthuli, at whose grave we were, have made unbelievable contributions to the development of South Africa. They were of clear thinking and I am very sorry that they were not listened to in the past. I think South African history in all probability could have taken a totally different direction if that kind of trampling upon people had not taken place.
I want to move on. Hon Minister, I wish to point a finger at you. The happenings in the Pan South African Language Board, PanSALB, and the SA Heritage Resources Agency, SAHRA, are as a result of some poor leadership. I just want to point a finger at the Deputy Minister as well. They are absent in the committee where we are trying to play an oversight role. They are not there, and I can tell the Minister that the members of his department who are in that committee, and who are often present, are not conveying the messages that we give to them.
Just the other day I asked for the memorandum of understanding that had been signed between South Africa and the Netherlands. I am still waiting for it, and members of the Minister's department were in that committee. I am saying that the fact that the Minister and Deputy Minister are not present is causing our oversight role to become a thing of the past. This is a very big problem. People are pointing fingers at me, because I am a Member of Parliament and of the portfolio committee, saying that I'm not doing anything. That is untrue. We really do work hard, but we must see to it that whatever we decide upon in the committee is carried out. I can tell the Minister that, although we are from a variety of political parties in that committee, we are working towards one goal. That is to keep South Africa as ours, and that all of us must belong in this South Africa.
Nation-building and social cohesion have become items for special days. We should make them a daily reality! In our dealings with people we should be thoroughly aware of what we are saying to them, and of the way in which we say it.
I want to talk briefly about new monuments and new things that are being done. I am extremely grateful to hear that a new monument of Madiba is going to be erected at the Union Buildings. I am grateful that this will take place. I just want to tell hon Sunduza that yes, Louis Botha's statue, on horseback, is now standing in front of Parliament. Nobody has ever debated whether that is the best place! We would all love to have Madiba here. As Parliament, we have to decide where. [Interjections.] Every group in South Africa should have something they can turn to, and touch that statue and say, "Here are my forefathers" or "These are the people who fought for the San and Khoi, and I am proud of them".
What is very, very important, is this: All of us, whether we are old, grey or whatever, we all want to belong. We want to belong to something. When someone is living in a country, he wants to belong to that country and feel part of it. [Interjections.] Just look at your children. Your children want to see, hear and feel that they belong, just like every person in South Africa. Let all of us sitting here today make an effort to grant everyone the opportunity to belong in South Africa. We must forget about the new South Africa. It is no longer the old or the new South Africa; it is our South Africa in which we are living today. Let's keep it that way. Let us build our democracy. [Applause.] Do not say things about other parties that are not true. Let's love each other and pray for each other, because that is the only way we can move forward.
I want to add that we have to work at this whole process - the process whereby everyone can belong to South Africa. I want to ask everyone: when names need to be changed in the future, don't turn it into a political matter. Don't try to canvass for votes by dragging in culture, language and so forth. [Interjections.] It causes division. And what do we want in South Africa? We want unity, reconciliation and a wonderful nation at the southern tip of Africa. [Applause.]]
Sihlalo ohloniphekileyo, Mphathiswa noSekela Mphathiswa nawo onke amaLungu ale Ndlu. Ndiyakuvela oku ukuthethileyo Mphathiswa okubaluleke kangaka malunga nomhlaba. Ukuchaphazele ke noko kwaye kubalulekile. La nto yala cohesion summit eyayiphaya eKliptown, yayibhadlile ke kodwa. Siyayazi into eyithethayo into ye social cohesion kaloku ixela ukuba abantu bakwamasiza ehostele phaya eSebokeng, aba bagxothwayo namhlanje babefike ngowe-1973, kuthiwa mabaye phi kube kusithiwa umhlaba uyafumaneka? Mayithethwe kaloku le nto yenzeke. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Mr P NTSHIQELA: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, Members of Parliament. I like what you have just said about land, Minister; it is very important. The cohesion summit that was held in Kliptown was a good idea indeed. We know what social cohesion is all about. Amongst other things, it talks to the question of the people from Kwa Masiza Hostel in Sebokeng who have been staying there since 1973 and today are being evicted. Where are they expected to go, given that there are reports that land is available? Words should be backed by action.]
According to Cope, arts and culture remain the heartbeat of the nation and the Department of Arts and Culture should focus on, stick to and deliver on its constitutional mandate to achieve its development expectations. Its performance must be measured on cultural development progress because the culture of our people cannot be compromised.
I have taken note and observed the progress made by the Department of Arts and Culture in correcting PanSALB's disappointing situation but the pace at which the process is happening is a worrying factor. It is time now that PanSALB's new board, which is still to be appointed, should be made aware of the urgency of getting PanSALB to run its business as usual and to begin implementing its original mandate. The people of South Africa are waiting with patience for its speedy recovery. The mistakes made by PanSALB over previous years should not be repeated but avoided, especially when it comes to infighting, unnecessary staff dismissals, court cases and the wasteful expenditure of the taxpayer's money. [Interjections.]
Sukudibanisa iCope neGupta, man. [Do not mix up Cope and Gupta, man.] [Laughter.]
The implementation of the use of languages must be taken seriously and put very high on the development agenda. It is not right to continue to use languages that our children were forced to use during the apartheid era while the Language Bill was passed in this Parliament to accommodate those who had been excluded previously and deprived of the right to use their own languages. [Interjections.]
Ningathi nqa xa nindibona ndisebenzisa nezandla, ndizama ukugxininisa le nto. [Do not be surprised to see me using hand gestures, I'm trying to emphasise this point.]
This is totally wrong, Minister Mashatile. You will recall what damage that caused our people at that time. Implement this, and implement it now. [Interjections.]
While we appreciate the commitment shown by the current SAHRA board, the excuse of blaming the unfinished job on the previous board must come to an end. The current board must perform and deliver as expected.
Hayi, ndiyabaxelela mna, andizukuba ndijikeleza. [No, I am going to tell it like it is; I am not going to beat about the bush.] [Laughter.]
It is clear that one part of the oversight role of the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture is to ensure the proper use of public funds and a corruption-free arts and culture sector. It is not right for the SAHRA CEO to run to the ruling party for protection and defence when she is told to perform and deliver on her duties. [Interjections.] The SAHRA board is expected to monitor everybody's performance regularly.
The national Khoi and San council formation is highly appreciated.
Kukho abantu abangxola njeee, ndithetha into enengqondo apha. [There are people who are making a noise just for the fun of it, whilst I am saying sensible things here.] [Laughter.]
Hon Chair, on a point of order, the member should not tell lies. Nobody ran to us.
Hon Chair, on a point of order, that was not a point of order. The hon Chief Whip really needs training on what a point of order is.
Hon member, that is why I did not take it as a point of order. Continue, hon member.
Hon Chairperson, on a point order, it is unparliamentary for the Chief Whip to say that the hon member is telling lies. I want the hon Chief Whip to withdraw that remark. [Interjections.]
Hon Chief Whip, can you please withdraw?
With respect, Chair, he is making a categorical statement that someone ran to us. We never saw that person, so it is a lie.
Chairperson, will you please ask the hon Chief Whip of the ANC to withdraw that remark?
Hon member, I am busy with that at the moment. Hon Chief Whip, can you please withdraw your remark?
Out of respect for the Presiding Officer in the House, I withdraw this matter. [Applause.]
The formation of the national Khoi and San council is very much appreciated and is an indication of the progress made regarding the restoration of their dignity. However, the progress must be speeded up to ensure that this community enjoys the benefits of the entire nation and is brought into the economic mainstream.
Ndisaxoka nangoku? [Am I still lying?] [Laughter.]
Programmes must be put in place, prioritised and implemented to promote the cultural development and improvement of the living conditions of the Khoi and San. The reburial of Chief Dawid Stuurman could play a major role in total recognition of the Khoi and San community. We agree with the National Heritage Council that Chief Dawid Stuurman was a true national hero and a great revolutionary and that his reburial will provide an opportunity to promote social cohesion and nation-building.
The National Social Cohesion Colloquium held in Kliptown was a good idea, making meaningful the dream of a nation with clear participation of people from all walks of life. It promoted equality and encouraged the idea that all people should be able to live together and travel together. It also promoted the idea that the salary scales in this country should be adjusted and that they should change dramatically so that all people, irrespective of colour and political affiliation - as opposed to life enjoyed by, for instance the Gupta family and others - can enjoy a good life. The question is: Where are we in the implementation of the outcomes and resolutions of this social cohesion summit? Come on, Mr Minister Mashatile, we know that, together, we can. [Interjections.] Delivery must be seen and be tangible now.
The time has come to install a Mandela statue in this Parliament. [Interjections.] [Applause.] Modernise and reflect our democracy - he was the first democratically elected president of South Africa in 1994. [Applause.] We cannot shy away from the fact that he played ... Cope supports this Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, Outcome 12(b) of the Department of Arts and Culture's strategic plan for 2012-13 states that the department wants to help bring about an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship. With the introduction of the Mzansi Golden Economy and its idealistic strategy of creating 5 million jobs within the next five years, it seems that the department is doing all it can to promote our country's cultural heritage.
Artists are the backbone of our society and are responsible for the creation, preservation and passing on of our heritage to a new generation of our people. Through their efforts many people, both local and international tourists, have had the opportunity to see different types of artistic expression, informed by the cultures in South Africa and also influenced by artists from other African countries who reside here.
As important as their role in society is, artists are the most neglected and exploited individuals in our nation. An amount of R7 billion in tax revenue is generated from artists, yet the majority of these artists live and die in poverty due to their unstable working conditions. This has resulted in royalties, pension funds and other benefits being denied them because the department does not seem to take their needs seriously.
In 2009, the President and some in his Cabinet met with artists in Johannesburg to hear their grievances. Commitments were made to address their issues but very little has been done. The complaints ranged from entertainment contracts being given to the same artists all the time by the department, to police not taking piracy seriously because pirated products are openly being sold on the streets and nothing is done about that.
The Eastern Cape holds a wealth of creativity, but it seems the Grahamstown National Arts Festival is the only event that the department bothers to attend and promote. The provincial offices have no presence, neither do they have programmes of any value for artists, despite the fact that money is available to assist their needs.
With regard to cultural tourism, very little is being done to make it a functional reality. The roads leading to many areas that are rich in cultural heritage are heavily neglected and the department should have made it a priority to get the Department of Transport to fix them. The result is that a major source of revenue for local residents is lost because those responsible for upgrading the roads do not seem to care. Those in the rural areas are the worst affected by this situation because they are mostly ignored.
Big city centres, especially Johannesburg, are seemingly the places to be when one wants to progress in one's craft because there are no resources available for rural artists to succeed while living in their own areas. As a result, local artists move to big cities to seek a better life and to be considered successful.
There is a complete lack of visionary leadership and political will to ensure that cultural practice in our country is preserved and promoted, not only among local communities but also across the country. It seems that cultural expression is fit only for Heritage Day, the once-a-year national holiday that is supposed to be a celebration of diverse cultures when in actual fact it is a celebration of specifically selected cultures.
The department needs to change the way it does business because it is responsible for preserving an essential part of who we are. People must be held accountable for the state of our country's art and cultural practice. We cannot continue to be approved budgets while it is still business as usual. If we do not take care in the provincial and municipal offices, we will lose the little that we have left of our heritage and we will no longer know who we are. That would be a terrible place to be.
Sengigcina, Sihlalo ohloniphekile, ngincoma uNgqongqoshe wezamaCiko namaSiko ngezinto azenzile nasazozenza zaphumelela, njenemitapoyolwazi, imifundaze, izinqolobane zamagugu esizwe nemiklamo yokufundisa intsha yethu ngamasiko esintu ngaphandle kokukhetha ibala lomuntu. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[To conclude, hon Chairperson, I wish to commend the Minister of Arts and Culture for all the successful projects that he has carried out successfully and also those that he is still planning to implement. Examples of these are libraries, bursaries, managing our national heritage resources and projects aimed at educating our youth about our heritage regardless of their skin colour.]
The IFP supports the Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Modulasetulo, ke a leboha. Letona le kgabane le Motlatsi wa Letona; Matona a diporofense ... [Chairperson, hon Minister and his Deputy, MECs of provinces ...]
... the Department of Arts and Culture, council and board members of Arts and Culture and heritage institutions, hon Members of Parliament, ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends ...
Kgotsong! Ha ke qala, Mokgatlo wa ANC o tshehetsa Voutu ya Bajete ya Lefapha la Bonono le Setso. Modulasetulo ... [Greetings! To start with, the ANC supports the Budget Vote of the Department of Arts and Culture. Chairperson ...]
... it was on this day, 37 years ago, that learners at Phefeni Secondary School in Orlando West, Soweto, started boycotting classes in protest against the imposition of Afrikaans as medium of instruction in certain subjects in schools. The unrest spread to Belle Higher Primary School, Thulasizwe Higher Primary School and other schools in the country.
We also remember the role played by young African giants like Tsietsi Mashinini, Comrade Susan Shabangu, Dan Montsitsi - the list is endless. These boycotts spread like wildfire and culminated in the 16 June 1976 uprisings. It is against the backdrop of these uprisings that the power of language, culture, memory, history and heritage should be remembered. The arts and culture sector has the ability to act as an agent for social change in our society.
I am talking about gallant fighters for freedom, some of whom are Members of Parliament today. Their role will never be forgotten in the history of our struggle.
Today, as we stand on the brink of celebrating 20 years of democracy, we can proudly reflect on our collective achievements. The vital role played by Department of Arts and Culture in building the nation and social cohesion should not go unnoticed.
Because the National Development Plan, the NDP, is the point of departure for strategic planning within all spheres of government, we should heed the following statement, which is taken from the NDP:
Arts and culture open powerful spaces for debate about where a society finds itself and where it is going. Promoted effectively, the creative and cultural industries can contribute substantially to small business development, job creation and urban development and renewal.
The department is progressively improving on delivery in respect of its strategic goal to strengthen governance and accountability.
Effective human resource management is fundamental to improving performance and delivery. The department has worked to reduce its vacancy rate from 26,8% in 2009 to 9,5% in 2012, with female representation at 43% at senior management service level. We look forward to the department maintaining its current estimated vacancy rate of 10% over the medium term and attaining its goal of having 50% female representation at the SMS level.
Further, the department has progressively improved on spending against its approved budget. This is evidenced by the estimated performance of 98% of the approved budget spent in the last financial year.
The department has successfully received unqualified audit reports since 2009. Tied to this, the department has, since 2010, made great strides to successfully attain targets set out in its annual performance plan.
Entities of the Department of Arts and Culture strive to spend the taxpayer's money appropriately. The ANC wishes to congratulate the following institutions for achieving a clean audit during the 2011-12 financial year: the KwaZulu-Natal Museum, which is in Pietermaritzburg; the KwaZulu-Natal Playhouse Company, which is in Durban; the Msunduzi Museum in Pietermaritzburg; the Market Theatre Foundation in Johannesburg; the Luthuli Museum in KwaDukuza; the Iziko Museum of South Africa, which is here in Cape Town; and Freedom Park in Pretoria.
I am proud to announce that 63% of the Department of Arts and Culture's entities and institutions received unqualified audit opinions. In our recent engagement with the Auditor-General, it was made clear that more entities were expected to receive clean audits for the 2012-13 financial year.
With regard to the department's job-creation strategic goal, 3 300 jobs will be created through infrastructure initiatives over the medium term, with 1 000 jobs to be created in the 2013-14 financial year.
In his 2013 state of the nation address, the President made mention of the Summit on Social Cohesion, hosted in 2012. It focused on building a socially inclusive, caring and proud nation. The subsequent implementation of the social cohesion programme will constitute a major focus within the department over the medium term. The impetus for this programme stems from the Constitution, which compels the country to heal the divisions of the past, while being mindful that the democratic South Africa emerged from a system where the majority of its citizens were deliberately disadvantaged and marginalised in terms of opportunity.
Access to information is key to successful programmes and public participation. To keep abreast of digital technology trends, the department plans to promote its public profile and programmes through activating five social media platforms over the medium term.
The strong focus on promoting the work of the department and strengthening partnership with associated institutions and provinces can only contribute to greater efficiency within the department. We accept that there are still same challenges in the department and working together with family of Arts and Culture, we shall achieve more.
In conclusion, the ANC supports the Department of Arts and Culture's effort to build small business by enforcing that service providers are paid within 30 days, as required by law. The ANC supports the Budget Vote of the Department of Arts and Culture. Ke a leboga. [I thank you.] [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, Ministers and hon members, arts and culture are integral to the project of nation-building. Arts and culture play a significant role in reminding us who we are, as hon Msweli has said, where we come from and what we have achieved as a nation. It is therefore important for government to play an enabling role to ensure that South African arts and culture flourish.
We admit that significant strides have been made over the past 18 years in promoting and preserving our cultural diversity. However, our cultures, languages and heritage do not get the attention they deserve. We have said many times that enough is not being done to preserve our indigenous languages in particular and they are under increasing threat of extinction.
In addition, the public broadcaster, which should play a vital role in supporting and promoting indigenous languages, has, through its preference for slang and informal expressions over formal ones in its programmes, only contributed to the bastardisation of indigenous languages.
This bastardisation occurs against the backdrop of high levels of dysfunction, maladministration and poor leadership at critical arts and culture institutions that have an important role to play in this regard, such as the Pan South African Language Board, PanSALB.
PanSALB is regrettably not alone in this mess. As my other colleagues have said, a lot of changes have been effected by entities under the Department of Arts and Culture. However, there are entities that fall under the Department of Arts and Culture that are characterised by weak leadership and maladministration. The poor audit reports that some of these institutions have been getting over the past few years bear testimony to this.
We urge Mr Xaba, the Director-General of the department, to ensure that the department deals decisively with this problem. We were happy to read in the media that some of the entities that fall under the Department of Arts and Culture and the Department of Tourism worked together as a team to entertain the more than 9 million international tourists who visited South Africa last year. This collaboration, which we have been advocating, will without a doubt help us retain our status as one of the top tourist destinations in the world.
Let me take this opportunity, hon Minister, to also tell you that your dedication to your job and the respect you give the committee are not going unnoticed. Comrade Mashatile, the UDM supports this Budget Vote. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson; my colleague, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Paul Mashatile; other Ministers present; Deputy Ministers present; our committee chairperson, the hon Babalwa Sunduza; members of the portfolio committee; members of the House; management present here; guests in the gallery; leaders of our entities; chairpersons; chief executive officers in the gallery; and all our stakeholders, six days ago, on 10 May this year, we celebrated 19 years since President Mandela took the oath of office as our first President of a democratic South Africa. This was the beginning of the reconstructive leg of our long walk to freedom after many centuries and decades of struggle against colonialism and apartheid. That journey took us to the adoption of our Constitution in March 1996, which has been hailed as one of the most progressive in the world. In the Preamble to our Constitution, we declared:
We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.
This was indeed a profound statement of the aspirations of our new nation.
Over the past 19 years, the ANC, which is the elected government of the people and the leader of society, has worked with all our people to actualise the aspirations expressed in this Preamble.
We have systematically removed from the Statute Book all the laws that sought to undermine the values, cultures and dignity of our people and replaced them with progressive policies and laws. Our Fourth Parliament since 2009 has been laying more bricks on the foundation laid by then President Mandela. In order to take our reconstruction and transformation process forward to a higher level, we adopted the National Development Plan in 2012.
From our appointment as leaders of this Ministry and department, we understood that this sector had three major roles to play in the reconstruction of our nation. Firstly, we needed to lead the work of building a new South African nation on the ruins of colonialism, racism and apartheid. We needed to be drivers in what President Mandela called "the reconstruction and development programme of the soul". Nation-building and social cohesion are therefore our core business and we welcome the realisation of that by the hon Van der Berg of the opposition. We hope that the opposition will also translate this into real action.
Secondly, arts and culture and the creative industry needed to be a major contributor to economic growth and job creation. Lastly, arts and culture needed to be a potent instrument of creating relations with other nations of the world, enhancing both political and economic diplomacy. This last point - our international relations - is very relevant this year and this month as we celebrate 50 years since the formation of the Organisation of African Unity, which is now called the African Union.
We are grateful to the sister people of our continent, who, through the work of the Organisation of African Unity, the subregional bodies such as the Southern African Development Community, the frontline states and other multilateral organisations, such as the Nonaligned Movement, the Commonwealth and the United Nations, always placed high on their agenda the support for the liberation struggle of our people.
Today we pay homage to the founders of the OAU; those pioneering and visionary leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Sekou Toure, Kenneth Kaunda, Abdel Nasser, to mention just a few. In honour of their pioneering work, we will be hosting a month-long exhibition of contemporary visual art by different artists from the SADC region from 24 May to 28 June this year at the Pretoria Art Museum under the theme "Cultural Brokerage: Africa Imagined".
A lot has already been said by the Minister and other speakers about the Mzansi Golden Economy. We also appreciate the support from the IFP in this regard. We wish to reassert that arts, culture and the creative industries have been part and parcel of human economic activity and trade from time immemorial. Today it is an undisputed fact that many centuries ago our forebears traded in various fine arts from across the oceans. Nothing illustrates this better than the immaculate beads and the Golden Rhino found at Mapungubwe. How else would diamonds and gold dominate world trade for centuries if not for the role of the fine arts?
Other forms of art, such as painting, craft, photography, music, film, drama and dance, have been known to be identified with various countries. Unfortunately, at times the extent of the exposure enjoyed by various role- players from different parts of the world reflected the economic and political power of different nations of the world.
The Mzansi Golden Economy Strategy is seen, from our side, as an endeavor to reclaim the place of the cultural industry as a contributor to the national economy and even as an exporter of services to other parts of the world.
We are pleased to announce that we are making progress in initiatives such as the arts bank, which is aimed at identifying and purchasing art from artists, including emerging artists. Such artwork will then be leased to national departments and institutions both for decoration and showcasing purposes.
We are also making progress in establishing a sourcing enterprise, which will provide market access locally and internationally to artworks and performances by artists from all over the country.
We are also making progress in support of major events, as was mentioned earlier. Just to correct the hon Msweli, we do support cultural activities all over the country, not only the national arts festival. In the Eastern Cape we support a number of activities, including the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. There is the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz in Gauteng, the Mapungubwe Arts Festival in Limpopo, the Buyel'Ekhaya Pan African Music Festival in the Eastern Cape, the Macufe Festival in the Free State, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Mpumalanga Comes Alive, and many more. These events are estimated to be creating a total of 25 000 job opportunities every year.
We are also making progress with a public art development programme, which includes murals, innovative public art installations, storytelling and street theatre. Notable among the achievements in this regard is the Cape Town-based Infecting the City.
In the visual arts area, this year we hosted the Visual Arts Indaba to discuss recommendations for growing the sector. These recommendations will be put into action this year. We have appointed the visual arts task team and put out the call for participation by the sector on issues such as the rights of artists and the resale rights of the arts. The department will continue this year to strive to partner with visual arts organisations to train more visual arts participants in the areas of arts administration and management.
In the area of design, we have identified the design industry as a strategic sector that can support economic advancement. The design industry has the potential to create meaningful jobs. In this financial year, we will focus our attention on policy formulation with a view to creating a design strategy.
Also in the pipeline is the creation of provincial fashion hubs. A pilot fashion hub will be established in KwaZulu-Natal by next year, and the plan is to create similar hubs in other parts of the country.
This year the department, in partnership with the Design Indaba, supported and gave an opportunity to 41 emerging creatives to participate at the International Design Indaba, where they were given a platform to showcase their work. We are hoping that in future these young entrepreneurs will be able to plough back what they learnt from the experience and will be able to come back as fully fledged businesspeople who will in turn create jobs for unskilled and semiskilled individuals.
In the area of library and information, we are pleased to announce that we continue to contribute towards improving literacy levels and knowledge development and the creation and sharing of knowledge through the building of libraries in communities. During the 2013 to 2015 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, National Treasury allocated us an additional amount of R1,1 billion towards the building of community libraries. This is over and above our previous baseline amount in the conditional grants for community libraries. These funds are earmarked to address service delivery backlogs in the provision of community libraries and information services.
We are also pleased to announce that since the inception of the Community Library Conditional Grant in 2007, starting with an initial capital injection of R200 million, more than 900 persons have been employed in this service, 41 new libraries have been built and 244 existing libraries have been upgraded. In the 2013-14 financial year alone, we are planning to construct 16 new libraries and upgrade 40 existing community libraries. [Applause.]
Furthermore, this year we held a Library Week. The theme was "Educate yourself at your library". The impact of this work is intended to brand public libraries as places of knowledge and learning. Informed by the successes of this work, we have decided to launch the SA Library Week, which will be held annually.
On 28 February 2013, in collaboration with the US Embassy, the National Library organised Black History Month celebrations, featuring the "I have a dream" speech by Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
In June last year, the National Language Services signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tanzanian Library Service Board in the fields of books, modern technology, workshops, preservation and conservation. Also last year, the National Library of South Africa signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Library of Romania in the fields of photography, painting, print, digitisation and events. The National Library also signed an agreement with the National Library of Serbia in Belgrade in the fields of catalogues, collections, digitisation and publications.
We are pleased that there has been significant progress in the promotion of the culture of reading and writing. However, we remain aware that a lot more still needs to be done. We are working with the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher Education and Training in taking this to greater heights.
In the area of heritage, we support a number of projects, which the Minister has already mentioned. Just to add to this, there is the Historic Schools Project, including, among other places, Adams College, which celebrates 160 years of existence this year, and the University of Fort Hare, which started as the University College of Fort Hare and will be celebrating 100 years of existence in 2016. We have also tasked the National Heritage Council, together with the Amathole District Municipality, to work on the Nkonkobe Heritage University Town Project in Grahamstown.
To celebrate the legacy of Dr D D T Jabavu, the first public lecture on "Early African Intellectuals" will be held in September this year. This initiative is aimed at further strengthening the first book that the National Heritage Council published two years ago, titled Early Modern African Intellectuals.
The SA Heritage Resources Agency will be convening a National Indaba on Heritage as part of the social cohesion and nation-building programme. This will assist the nation to engage in robust discussion around what constitutes South African heritage, as part of social cohesion and nation- building. This will make us focus in terms of the need to conserve, preserve and value our heritage.
As part of the restoration of human dignity and preserving our history and heritage, we are renovating a number of graves of people who were buried and marked as "unknown" in the concentration camps. South Africa has launched the South African Heritage Resources Information System, an innovative, revolutionary and world-class web-based portal and system for the integrated management of our heritage resources.
In the area of national archives, despite the capacity challenges the available staff continues to do sterling work to deliver service to our country. We have played an active role in the international arena when we registered our documentary heritage in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco, Memory of the World Register. These documents include, among others, the Bleek Collection, the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, VOC, the Rivonia Trial and the DocSA collections.
We are also delighted to announce that we have submitted two nominations to the Unesco Memory of the World Register. These are the Convention for a Democratic South Africa, Codesa, Multiparty Negotiation Forum and the Medu [Roots] collections.
We have given the go-ahead to the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa to embark on a major capital works project to ensure that they increase their capacity to preserve our records.
In the course of this year, our Bureau of Heraldry will also have a special focus on the promotion of our national anthem. This project will be launched during Youth Month. The anthem will be promoted through a variety of activities. We hope the honourable House will support our Budget Vote. [Time expired.]
Hon Chairperson, the hon Minister of Arts and Culture has one of the most difficult tasks in South Africa. One of his responsibilities is to enhance and foster nation-building and social cohesion. The hon Van den Berg was right when he referred to nation- building and social cohesion as two of the most important things that we need to achieve in South Africa. The question is whether we are succeeding in that. I am sorry to say that we are not succeeding. The hon Sunduza asks why.
Die agb Adjunkminister het ook daarna verwys. Die datum 27 April is die herdenking van die nuwe bedeling, as ek dit so mag stel. Die Rapport, wat die grootste Afrikaanse Sondagkoerant is, het op 28 April 'n elektroniese meningspeiling gehad, waarin mense kon s hoe hulle hul Saterdag, 27 April deurgebring het. Vyftig per sent het ges dat hulle niks besonders gedoen het nie. Vir hulle was dit maar net 'n gewone Saterdag. Een per sent, of 43 mense, het ges ... (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The hon Deputy Minister also referred to it. 27 April is the date on which the new dispensation is commemorated, if I may put it in that manner. Rapport, the biggest Afrikaans Sunday newspaper, published an electronic opinion poll on 28 April, in which people could express how they spent Saturday, 27 April. Fifty percent said that they did not do anything specific. For them it was just an ordinary Saturday. One percent, or 43 people, said ...]
... I attended some of the festivities. Two per cent, or 99 people, said, I stayed at home and thought about our history. Forty-eight per cent said that as far as they were concerned, we can abolish this day. Now, it's not that I like this, but I'm just putting that reality on the table. This is how people are experiencing it out there. The question is, why are we not succeeding?
I would like to start off by saying that it's not that difficult to know why we are not succeeding. You only had to listen to the speech by the hon chairperson of this portfolio committee today to know why we are not succeeding. The hon chairperson is the chairperson but, with all due respect, she is also still a rather junior member of this House. What you often find is that some of the older people, who really were in the struggle, are more mature and understanding, but sometimes members of the younger generation want to create the impression that they were fighting absolutely in the front trenches - which is not true. [Interjections.] I listened to what the chairperson said today.
Sy het op 'n neerhalende manier na die Anglo-Boereoorlog verwys en sommer net so 'n streep daardeur getrek. [She referred to the Anglo-Boer War in a derogatory manner and simply drew a line right through it.]
Hon Sunduza has absolutely no idea what kind of emotions she is talking about - none whatsoever! Tread carefully!
Sy het verwys na die standbeeld van Generaal Louis Botha wat hier voor die Parlement staan - hy was 'n eerste minister van Suid-Afrika. Sy het minderwaardig daarna verwys as ...
[She referred to the statue of General Louis Botha, which you will find here in front of Parliament - he was a prime minister of South Africa. She referred to it in a derogatory manner as ...]
... "that horse".
Sy is baie gou om te verwys na "dignity". [She is very quick to refer to dignity.] We should respect the dignity of all the communities of this country. All of them! Each and every one of them! She did not do that today.
Die Minister weet dat ons verlede jaar die beraad oor sosiale kohesie gehad het. Die probleem is dat hy nie sal slaag nie. Ek weet hy probeer baie hard om almal te kry om deel te word daarvan, maar hy sal nie slaag nie, want die resep is verkeerd.
[The Minister knows that we held a conference last year on social cohesion. The problem is that he won't succeed. I know he tries very hard to make everyone part of it, but he won't succeed, because the recipe is wrong.]
On that day, the hon Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma replied on behalf of the government ... It's a pity that my time has expired, but you know what I am saying. [Time expired.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests and the public at large, the debate on national archives and libraries is complex in that it involves looking into how best to mobilise the past for the creation of a better future.
We know that, historically, South Africa is a country with a wealth of history, both positive and negative. Pivotal periods, such as colonialism, the struggle for freedom and the birth of democracy, tell us how South Africa came to be.
In line with the National Development Plan, the ANC-led government has found that facilitating dialogue about the past can be a healing process. It would be irresponsible for us to deny that under the apartheid regime, some of the least protected human rights in South Africa related to arts, culture and heritage. Of course, this was part of the plan by the apartheid government to suppress evidence of Africans and their rich and diverse history, languages and cultures. More importantly, the suppression of rich historical data was deliberately linked to hiding the injustices inflicted on citizens by the previous government.
Even sadder was the fact that the denigration of Africa was taught in schools then, thereby misleading the nation. The ANC, as activists, condemned this in the past and the ANC-led government condemns it today. It is pleasing that since the ANC government took leadership, there has been an increase in the presence of African literature, art and the use of indigenous languages.
Most importantly, as a result of the high regard that the ANC-led government has for access to information and participation in cultural life, discrimination on the basis of culture, heritage, creed and religion is outlawed by the Constitution.
The National Archives of South Africa Act, Act 43 of 1996, cements the role of the national archives in the country. More importantly, it emphasises the importance of creating reliable and timely information systems that protect, through the provision of archives and libraries. As a result, it is irresponsible for any political party to dismiss the collection, storage and preservation of the nation's data and identity. What is ultimately clear with regard to the debate about apartheid initiated by President Jacob Zuma is that some South Africans do not know their history. They do not know where they come from and they do not know where they are going.
We are pleased that the Department of Arts and Culture has responded by strategically advancing the development of the nation's archives and libraries, which are central to the project of nation-building. The national archives are what the ANC's "Ready to Govern" document described as "a conscious effort to promote, document and research South African and African forms of cultural expression".
Archival records are paper-based textual records that include electronic records, audio-visual and photographic material. More than R780 million has been allocated for the national archives and libraries in this financial year. Growth in the budget - to more than a billion rand in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework - is in line with the department's responsibility to consolidate social cohesion and access to information.
The budget aligns with the ANC government's undertaking of infrastructure investment for economic development in a wide array of sectors. Similarly, the department is investing in modernising the infrastructure of the national archives for accessible and quality storage of social knowledge. Since the country is heading towards creating an integrated arts and culture service for communities, we urge the department to ensure that they upgrade the national automated archival information retrieval system.
In support of our national archives and libraries, the department hosts and leads an annual Archives and Heraldry Awareness Week in May every year. Cheers! This week is aimed at instilling an appreciation of history and heritage in all South Africans. Such an effort fosters nation-building and, through social cohesion, begins to fade out social exclusion.
Libraries also play an integral role in fostering nation-building and debates about the importance of social memory. A very important fact is that their functions are rooted in the provision of reading materials, mainly books, but also reference books, newspapers, magazines and journals. In this democratic dispensation libraries provide modern sources of information, such as Internet services and audio-visual material.
In line with the NDP, the Department of Arts and Culture has created a culture where libraries serve to distribute and host art launches, supporting a growing economic base of artists. We are pleased that the department will continue its focus on revitalising the country's community libraries. They guarantee access to knowledge, particularly for our youth and poor communities. Within this, we can see that equity of resources and access to opportunities are slowly taking shape. Hence, we commend the ANC- led government's support in building 13 new community libraries in the previous financial year.
The Department of Arts and Culture is set to build more libraries this year and will upgrade, renovate and maintain museums, performing arts institutions, libraries and archives, in line with its Immovable Asset Management Plan. Archives and libraries are used free of charge and provide free access to information to the working class, school-goers and the unemployed seeking jobs. This lends a hand in making education accessible. Hence, as part of facilitating better access to community libraries, the department will complete the shift of the library services function from municipalities to provinces. Overall, we can expect greater spending on the national archives and library services programme this year by the department.
In conclusion, we commend President Jacob Zuma for opening the debate about the relevance of the past for the future. We need more conversations about how South Africans identify with each other. The ANC supports this Budget Vote and we ask that all support it in order for us to continue building a knowledge economy that will benefit all South Africans. [Applause.]
Chairperson, the plan to create 150 000 decent jobs by 2016 is acknowledged and it is hoped that it shall come to pass. As South Africans we need to focus our energy towards the creation of jobs because the scourge of unemployment threatens the human dignity of the millions that remain unemployed.
It is unfortunate that the recognition of the 11 South African languages has not translated into citizens accessing information in the languages of their choice, nor has it translated into the further development of our languages and cultures, which suffered immensely under apartheid.
The department has a pivotal role in ensuring equitable cultural expression and language development is an easy tool to use. The need for citizens to access information in their own language cannot be overemphasised; nor the need to preserve culture, heritage and arts through language preservation.
The tracking of progress made by the Department of Arts and Culture through estimates of national expenditure is most welcomed, especially as it relates to the number of arts practitioners placed in schools. Schools are a good place to start when we seek to revive and preserve artistic and cultural expression.
It is understood that in the past years Robben Island, a heritage site, has been under the spotlight for the apparent mismanagement of funds. However, this cannot be rectified by the massive cuts that the department is applying to Robben Island. It is a historical heritage site and, as such, when the department seeks to assist in this issue, it should rather ensure the efficient and effective management of the site. That will not be achieved through massive funding cuts. These cuts appear particularly unreasonable when compared to other sites, such as Table Mountain, that do not hold as much historic value as the island.
It is almost as if the department is allowing important history to vanish. The discrepancies and inconsistencies on how funding is allocated need to be ironed out. Due consideration should be paid to the performance of the entities receiving grants. Similarly, the importance of such entities in the bigger scheme of things should be equally important. It makes no sense, for instance, to continue to allocate huge funding to projects that do not preserve culture or history simply because they have a good management record while neglecting sites that hold symbolic and historical value. This does not in any way encourage the proper management of funds.
Lastly, making people aware of the national symbols is an important task. The department must ensure that this is accomplished if we are to build pride in the South African brand. The rolling out of flags and other significant information must receive attention. The UCDP support the Budget Vote No 14 of the Department of Arts and Culture. [Applause.]
Mutshamaxitulu, muchaviseki Sunduza, muchaviseki Holobye wa swa Vutshila na Ndhavuko Holobye Mashatile, muchaviseki Xandla xa Holobye Phaahla, Tatana Mushwana wa Rinono - loyi a nga tikarhata namuntlha a ta haleno hikuva ha swi tiva leswaku endzhaku ka wanuna un'wana na un'wana ku na wansati, kambe ndza swi tiva leswaku etlhelo ka wansati un'wana na un'wana ku na wanuna, hi loyi a tshameke lahaya - ntlawa wa Tovyl lowu namuntlha wu tshameke siku hinkwaro wu languta wu wisa ku famba wu hungasa, mufundhisi loyi a nga khongela vhiki hinkwaro loko ndzi n'wi byerile leswaku vhiki leri swa tika na Komiti ya Vutshila na Ndhavuko, hinkwerhu ka n'wina ndza mi xeweta.(Translation of Xitsonga paragraph follows.)
[Mrs F F MUSHWANA: Chairperson, hon Sunduza; hon Minister of Arts and Culture, Minister Mashatile; hon Deputy Minister Phaahla; Mr Mushwana, who took the trouble to come here, because we know that behind every successful man there is a woman, but I know that behind every successful woman, there is a man - he is sitting over there; the Tovyl group which today took time off to rest from sightseeing after going around whiling away the time; the pastor who prayed all week long after telling him that this week will be a tough one for the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture, would salute you all.]
Speaking one's mother language is a right that not everyone can take for granted in countries where local mother tongues are threatened by more dominant languages. We as South Africans, however, are privileged in that our Constitution recognises the principle of multilingualism by providing for 11 official languages; that the state is directed to take practical and positive measures to elevate the status and advance the use of the historically marginalised languages; and, above all, that everyone has the right in terms of section 30 of the Constitution to use the language of their choice.
As early as 1955 we declared through the Freedom Charter in Kliptown that all people shall have equal rights to use their own languages. That statement in the Freedom Charter did not mean that we should use languages to exclude others but to promote a better understanding of each other's culture. That being the case, and knowing and appreciating that each other's languages can play a profound role in promoting understanding and developing social cohesion, all South Africans should be encouraged to learn an African language.
The privilege to be able to use one's own language reinforces the sanctity of all indigenous languages as instruments of heritage, identity and nation- building. It is for this reason that language becomes a highly emotive issue, as it is central to the existence of people and to their definition of who they are, who they want to be and how they wish to be identified. Unfortunately, only two of the 11 official languages are fully developed and enjoy precedence over other languages.
We therefore need to bridge the gap and accelerate the efforts to promote and develop the other nine languages. We will have succeeded in our objectives only when our mother-tongue languages have reached a point where they are used in scientific discourse and as a medium of instruction for educational purposes in the manner that the other two languages are. By saying this, we do not seek to reverse the gains of English and Afrikaans. No. However, all of us - including mother-tongue speakers of English and Afrikaans - have a duty to develop the other nine official languages that remain historically marginalised. Please, let's do it together.
Although English is a dominant language in the world, South Africans must continue to make daily use of their own languages, other than just English. It is vital that the indigenous languages, which are used in families and social networks, grow and flourish. This will only happen if these languages are cherished by their speakers and continue to be vital in both the spoken and the written word.
If stories are told, poems written and songs sung, the language will live and its speakers will change the attitudes and behaviours of other cultural groups, especially children. Children need to realise the importance of their mother language because this is critical for their sense of identity and belonging.
The promotion and development of languages must penetrate all aspects of South African life, including the media, education, labour, the Public Service and the provision of primary health in a manner that is meaningful to ordinary people. It is exactly for this reason that the ANC resolved at its Mangaung National Conference that we must ensure the development and promotion of indigenous languages with a view to including the language programme in the school curriculum. It was also resolved that an indigenous language policy that seeks to ensure that one African language should be compulsory in schools should be developed in 2014. Which language would depend on the region.
The ANC has consistently upheld the notion that broadcasting operates at two levels: Firstly, it acts as a means to reflect the rich South African cultural heritage and provides a voice to South Africans to participate in democratic dispensation. It also acts as an important platform for community involvement, education and entertainment.
Since the advent of democracy, the ANC has been consistent in developing a policy environment that transforms the media sector to meet the broadcasting needs and wants of all the segments of the South African population. To this end, television coverage has been extended to reach 92% of the population and radio coverage reaches 95% of the population. The public broadcaster and an array of independent commercial operators provide radio and television services and all official South African languages are now reflected on both television and radio, although in a limited manner. The Department of Arts and Culture's budget for the present fiscal year includes the National Language Service Programme, NLSP. Out of the total budget of the Department of Arts and Culture of R2,9 billion, R123,7 million, or 4,2%, is allocated to this programme. This amount will increase to R134,4 million and R138,9 million respectively in 2014-15 and up to 2016. The main purpose of the programme is to promote the use of all official languages and access to services and information through human language technology development and activities of 11 official languages by 2015-16. The purpose is also to build capacity in language practice by increasing the number of bursaries awarded in that field of study from 100 in 2012 to 280 in 2013-14.
Considering the very important task that needs to be funded, one is inclined to think that the National Language Service Programme deserves a bigger slice of appropriation. Consideration should also be given to ring- fencing government funding and targeting it towards developmental and educational programming favouring indigenous languages on a long-term and sustainable basis.
The ultimate achievement will be when we reach a situation where any citizen can engage government in any language of his or her choice and does not feel forced to speak or write in English or Afrikaans only. It is for this reason that the ANC has been and still is in favour of the establishment of a language policy that encourages the growth of all our people's languages within a multilinguistic framework that includes the rehabilitation and development of all indigenous languages. The ANC supports Budget Vote No 14.
Isizwe yisizwe ngolwimi lwaso kanye namasiko aso. Masibhukule sithuthukise lezi limi esazincela ebeleni. [A nation's identity is reaffirmed by its language and culture. We must therefore work hard to promote our indigenous languages.]
Thank you. Ke a leboha. Ke a leboga. Ndiyabulela. Baie dankie. Ri a livhuwa. Hi kensile. Ngiyabonga. Ngiyathokoza. Congratulations, Kaizer Chiefs, although I stay in ... [Interjections.] [Laughter.] Amandla! [Power!] [Applause.]
Chairperson, the Department of Arts and Culture has to respond to Outcome 12, which speaks to an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship. That is exactly why arts and culture drives nation-building and social cohesion.
Dit is noodsaaklik dat ons vanaand presies weet wat hierdie twee begrippe behels en wat dit nie behels nie. Ek wil dit aan die hand van twee voorbeelde illustreer. Oud-president Nelson Mandela het in sy aktiewe openbare lewe daarin geslaag om mense te laat voel hoe dit is om aan mekaar verbind te wees; om nasietrots te ervaar. Reeds vr 1964 het hy in die Rivonia-verhoor sosiale kohesie se wesenstrek as volg beskryf:
I have fought white domination and I have fought black domination. I have cherished the idea of a free society in which all persons live together in harmony.
Mnr Mandela het inderdaad harmonie tot stand gebring deur die wyse waarop hy onskynlik onversoenbares saamgevoeg het. Wie sal ooit die nr 6- rugbytrui tydens die 1995 Wreldbeker-rugbytoernooi vergeet? (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[It is essential that this evening we know exactly what these two concepts entail and what they do not entail. I want to illustrate this by means of two examples. Former president Nelson Mandela has, in his active public life, succeeded in making people feel connected; to experience national pride. Already before 1964 in the Rivonia Trial he described the essential feature of social cohesion as follows:
I have fought white domination and I have fought black domination. I have cherished the idea of a free society in which all persons live together in harmony.
Mr Mandela indeed brought about harmony by the way he united seemingly irreconcilables. Who will ever forget the number 6 rugby jersey during the 1995 Rugby World Cup?]
Hon Sunduza, I would like to say this: I think - no, I know - that some of the comments in your speech tonight fall into the next category. Listen to this.
In skerp teenstelling hiermee, egter, is die uitspraak van Minister Lulu Xingwana dat alle Calvinistiese, wit, Afrikaanse mans dink hulle besit hul vrouens en kan met hulle maak wat hulle wil. [Tussenwerpsels.] Minister, hoekom het u nooit hierdie laakbare opmerking van 'n kollega van u verwerp met die minagting wat dit verdien nie? Dt, Minister en die agb Sunduza, dra by tot nasieverdeling, nie tot nasiebou nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[In sharp contrast to this, however, is the pronouncement by Minister Lulu Xingwana that all Calvinistic, white, Afrikaner men think they own their wives and can do as they wish. [Interjections.] Minister, why did you not reject this reprehensible pronouncement of a colleague with the contempt it deserves? This, Minister, and the hon Sunduza, contributes to dividing the nation and not to nation-building.]
Hon Sunduza, some of your comments do not build. They divide.
Die bevordering van veeltaligheid is nog 'n prioriteit van die departement.
Voorsitter, ek wil graag hoor of die agb lid 'n vraag sal neem. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The promotion of multilingualism is another priority of the department.
Chairperson, I would like to know whether the hon member would take a question.]
Hon Chairperson, no, not at the moment, but when I have finished.
Die Wet op die Gebruik van Amptelike Tale wat in Oktober 2012 reeds deur die President onderteken is, is 'n stap in die regte rigting. Ongelukkig het dit nog 'n hofsaak geneem om die President te dwing om hierdie wet in werking te stel. Dit het stil-stil op 2 Mei vanjaar gebeur, sonder enige aanduiding dat staatsdepartemente gereed is om dit te implementeer. Ongelukkig versterk dit die persepsie dat die Minister en die President inheemse tale minag.
Daar moet voorsiening gemaak word vir 'n doeltreffende klagte-meganisme sodat die publiek kan kla oor tekortkominge van 'n betrokke departement se taalbeleid. Die Pan-Suid-Afrikaanse Taalraad, PanSAT, wat tot dusver heeltemal disfunksioneel was, sal nie in staat wees om hierdie taak te verrig nie, wat eenvoudig sal beteken dat die wet nie in sy doel sal slaag nie. Die DA se voorstel van 'n taal-ombudsman - of 'n taalgeneraal - moet weer aandag geniet.
Die opleiding van taalpraktisyns om hierdie wet suksesvol te implementeer, gaan deurslaggewend wees, en daarom is die toekenning van 11,8% van die program se begroting van R124 miljoen vir beurse vir studente prysenswaardig. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The Use of Official Languages Act that was signed in October 2012 by the President is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, it took another court case to force the President to implement this Act. It happened very quietly on 2 May this year, without any indication that government departments are ready to implement it. Unfortunately this strengthens the perception that the Minister and the President show contempt for indigenous languages.
Provision must be made for an effective mechanism for complaints so that the public can complain about the shortcomings of a particular department's language policy. The Pan South African Language Board, PanSALB, which has thus far been totally dysfunctional, would not be capable of doing this job, which would simply mean that the Act would not achieve its aim. The DA's proposal of a language ombudsman - a language general - must once again be reconsidered.
The training of language practitioners for the successful implementation of this Act will be crucial, and therefore the allocation of 11,8% of the programme's budget of R124 million for bursaries for students is commendable.]
Programme 4, Cultural Development, received the largest increase in the 2013-14 budget compared to the other programmes - 32,2% in real terms. This is due to the implementation of Mzanzi Golden Economy projects and is also a response to Outcome 4, which addresses job creation and economic growth. The Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report for the 2011-12 financial year, though, points to underspending of R19,4 million in this programme, which is unacceptable where jobs are at stake.
What are the project's short-term and long-term targets? What are the timelines within which these targets are expected to be achieved? Without these, monitoring and evaluating the department's progress is impossible. Minister, corruption must not be allowed to destroy this project.
Ten slotte, die regering verkondig voortdurend dat die ontwikkeling van die platteland vir hom 'n prioriteit is ...
Agb Voorsitter, aangesien dit nou amper die einde van die toespraak is en die agb lid aangedui het dat sy 'n vraag teen die einde sal neem, sal sy nou die vraag neem? [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.
[In conclusion, the government is constantly proclaiming that the development of rural areas is a priority for it...
Hon Chairperson, since it is now nearly the end of the speech and the hon member has indicated that she would take a question at the end, will she take the question now?]
Hon member, continue, please.
Baie dankie. Agb Van Wyk, hou op om my te pla, asseblief.
Die vraag is of die departement hierdie prioriteit weerspiel. Wat museums en gemeenskapsbiblioteke betref, lyk die prentjie nie altyd rooskleurig nie. Ek praat nou van die platteland. Die William Humphreys Art Gallery is die enigste nasionale museum in die Noord-Kaap en moet met 'n karige begroting van slegs R5,6 miljoen klaarkom. Eie aan mense in die Noord-Kaap, verrig hulle wondere met die karige begroting en lewer hulle uitmuntende diens, nie net aan Kimberley nie, maar ook aan dorpies ver van daar. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.) [Dr H C VAN SCHALKWYK: Thank you very much. Hon Van Wyk, stop bothering me, please.
The question is whether the department reflects this priority. As far as community libraries and museums are concerned, the picture does not always look bright. I am talking now about rural areas. The William Humphreys Art Gallery is the only national museum in the Northern Cape and has to manage with a meagre budget of R5,6 million. Typical of the people of the Northern Cape, it does wonders on a meagre budget and provides outstanding service, not only to Kimberley, but also to all the little towns far from it.]
Minister, put your money where your mouth is and increase their budget significantly.
Gemeenskapsbiblioteke in kleiner dorpe word ook meer as dikwels afgeskeep. Vir hierdie inwoners in kleiner dorpe is plaaslike biblioteke dikwels die enigste inligtingsbron en plek waar leesstof beskikbaar is. Vir leerders in hierdie gebiede is dit die enigste plek waar inligting vir skoolprojekte bekom kan word, aangesien die skoolbiblioteke nie meer bestaan nie.
Ten spyte van die departement se prioriteitstatus vir biblioteke, is daar baie gevalle in die platteland waar biblioteke net 'n droom bly. In Kamieskroon in Namakwaland is die biblioteek vir langer as 'n jaar reeds gesluit. Die werknemer daar, wat 'n ANC-kader is, wou nie verder daar werk nie, want daar was nie 'n rekenaar nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] Die vorige persoon het sonder 'n rekenaar klaargekom en die mense kon hulle boeke uitneem. Die boeke is verwyder en na Garies, 'n buurdorp, geneem. Dit is 'n klap in die gesig van plattelandse mense. Dit ontneem hulle van basiese regte en striem hulle ontwikkeling.
Die DA-regeerde Wes-Kaap het onlangs R187,4 miljoen bewillig om plaaslike biblioteekdienste te versterk. [Applous.] [Tussenwerpsels.] Miskien kan die ANC-regeerde Noord-Kaap by hulle gaan kers opsteek.
Baie dankie, enkosi kakhulu. Ek kan nou 'n vraag neem as die persoon 'n vraag wil vra. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.]
[Community libraries in smaller towns are also more frequently neglected. For these residents in smaller towns local libraries are often the only source of information and place where reading material is available. For learners in these areas it is the only place where information for school projects can be obtained, since the school libraries do not exist any more.
Despite the department's priority status for libraries, there are many cases in rural areas where libraries are only a dream. In Kamieskroon in Namaqualand the library has already been closed for more than a year. The employee there, who is an ANC cadre, did not want to continue working there because there is no computer. [Interjections.] The previous person worked without a computer and the people could take out their books. The books were moved to Garies, a neighbouring town. It is a slap in the face of the rural people. It deprives them of their basic rights and arrests progress.
The DA-governed Western Cape has recently granted R187,4 million to strengthen local library services. [Applause.] [Interjections.] Maybe the ANC-governed Northern Cape can seek advice from them.
Thank you very much. I can now take a question if the person wants to put a question.]
Unfortunately, your time has expired, hon member. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
Oh, that's a pity! [Interjections.] [Applause.]
Voorsitter, agb Minister, agb Adjunkminister, agb parlementslede en ook ons gaste, wees gegroet in die naam van die wonderlike dag wat ons ingegaan het en vanaand gaan afsluit as ons gaan l.
Ons het nie 'n wetenskaplike studie nodig om te bewys dat die opening- en afsluitingseremonies van wreldbekertoernooie wat deur Suid-Afrika aangebied is aan ons die geleentheid gebied het om ons uitvoerende en visuele kunste as 'n uitdrukking van ons nasionale identiteit te vertoon nie. Dit is geleenthede vir ons uitvoerende en visuele kunstenaars om ons stories deur sang, dans en kleredrag - soos ons voorsitter, agb Sunduza - en ook ons ontwerpe en visuele kunste te vertel. Die ANC-regering se doelwit is om met elke sektor van die samelewing in die land in gesprek te tree as 'n belangrike element van 'n demokratiese kultuur. Ek hoop mnr Mulder hoor wat ek s. [Tussenwerpsels.] Daarom s ons dat ons meer kan doen as ons saamwerk en nie net kom kla nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] Jy gaan jou kans kry. Ek wag vir jou. Jou sport gaan kom.
In die uitvoerende kunste is die kultuurkomponent 'n baie belangrike vennoot in ons strewe om 'n maatskaplike en kulturele identiteit vir ons nasie te bou. Enige buitelander wat Suid-Afrikaners beter wil verstaan, sal waarskynlik na ons musiek luister en na ons rolprente en televisiedramas kyk. Dit is hoe belangrik die uitvoerende kunste vir die beeld van hierdie land en sy identiteit is. Hulle moet dit nie steel nie. Die ANC het gehoor gegee aan die versoeke van ons kunstenaars dat die regering moet help met die beskerming van intellektuele eiendomsreg.
Wat toekomstige groei betref, wil die ANC-regering ontwikkeling sien in die landelike kultuurkomponent-sektor, byvoorbeeld wat tradisionele komponiste, akteurs, handwerkkunstenaars en skilders betref. Dit stem ooreen met die nuwe toespitsing op landelike ontwikkeling.
Die ANC wil ook sien dat die bedryf bewustelik poog om jeugontwikkeling te steun. Ons jeug moet aangemoedig word om skool en instellings vir hor onderrig by te woon en om nie onderwys ter wille van die uitvoerende kunstebedryf te verlaat nie. As hulle by die bedryf inskakel nadat hul 'n kwalifikasie verwerf het, kan hulle bydra tot die groei en ontwikkeling van ons uitvoerende kunstesektor, aangesien hulle dan oor broodnodige vaardighede sal beskik. Ons spoor diegene wat reeds in die veld is aan om alle beskikbare tyd te gebruik om te studeer. Dit is nooit te laat om jou met onderwys te bemagtig nie. Onderwys is die sleutel wat alle deure van onmoontlikheid kan oopsluit.
Die bevordering van die uitvoerende kunste behels die bevordering en ontwikkeling van literre, visuele en uitvoerende kunste deur beleidsontwikkeling en die verlening van finansile bystand aan uitvoerende kunste-instellings, organisasies, gemeenskapskuns en individue. Dit steun ook die kunste en maatskaplike ontwikkeling deur middel van aktiwiteite wat gerig is op vroue, kinders, die jeug, persone met gestremdhede en ouer persone. Dit is toegespits op vaardigheidsontwikkeling deur die verbetering van basiese onderwys deur middel van kuns, kultuur en erfenis. Die uitvoerende kunste wil teen 2013-14 teikengroepe se deelname aan en toegang tot kuns- en kultuurprogramme verhoog deur agt openbare kunsontwikkelingsprogramme in werking te stel. Die ANC-regering maak kuns en kultuur deel van die hoofstroom-skoolstelsel deur die aantal kunspraktisyns wat in skole geplaas is van 50 in 2011-12 tot 250 in 2015-16 te vermeerder. Dt is die ANC! [Applous.]
Die bestedingsfokus oor die mediumtermyn is om die rol van die kunste in maatskaplike en ekonomiese ontwikkeling deel van die hoofstroom te maak deur middel van die uitvoering van Mzansi Goue Ekonomie strategiese projekte en die ontwikkeling van die plaaslike rolprentbedryf deur die Nasionale Film- en Video-stigting. Besteding vir die Nasionale Film- en Video-stigting het beduidend gegroei van 2010-11 tot 2012-13, want bykomende fondse is bewillig vir die stigting in die 2011 begroting om die plaaslike rolprentbedryf te ontwikkel en om werk te skep.
Die stigting het 63 beurse vir verskeie rolprent- en videostudies toegeken. In 2012-13 is 49 draaiboeke met 'n plaaslike inhoud ontwikkel en 64 rolprente met plaaslike inhoud vervaardig. Oor die mediumtermyn is besteding aan die Mzansi Goue Ekonomie se strategiese projekte verantwoordelik vir die toename in besteding aan die subprogramme van die uitvoerende kunste. Die ANC-regering wil besteding oor die mediumtermyn verminder met R4,9 miljoen. Hierdie besnoeiing sal teweeggebring word met bewilliging van fondse aan die Nasionale Kunsteraad en die Playhouse- maatskappy. 'n Bedrag van R17,7 miljoen uit hierdie program is in hierdie tydperk ook geoormerk vir die administrasieprogram om die inligtingstegnologie- en beursdienste te sentraliseer.
Elke kunsvorm, van toneel tot dans, opera, kabaret, die skone kunste en handkunswerk, klassieke musiek tot jazz tot lesings, word oral in Suid- Afrika verteenwoordig. Die land is ryk aan kulturele diversiteit, wat dit 'n belangrike bestemming maak vir alle kunsliefhebbers. Baie moet nog gedoen word om te verseker dat menseregte en die basiese demokratiese regte waarvoor die Grondwet voorsiening maak, versterk word en doeltreffend is. Dit behels voortgesette bevordering van kuns, kultuur en erfenis in Suid- Afrika en waardering vir die rol wat sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling speel deur die instelling van minstens 57 programme en projekte in 2013-14 wat die maatskaplike en ekonomiese status van Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskappe sal verbeter. Maatskaplike verryking, sosiale kohesie en nasiebou word bevorder deur kuns, kultuur en erfenis en nie deur die Minister alleen nie. Deur die toewysiging van hulpbronne en die versekering dat produksies maatskaplike inklusiwiteit en nasiebou bevorder, sal hierdie programme gedentifiseerde gebiede bereik.
Die ANC-regering se mediumtermyn-bestedingsraamwerk verklaar dat ons kuns en kultuur wil gebruik as 'n meganisme om die kulturele diversiteit van ons samelewing te bevorder en om ons mense te verenig. Ons wil die kultuur, kunste en sport bevorder ten einde gemeenskaps- en nasietrots, positiewe maatskaplike waardes, asook ekonomiese ontwikkeling, insluitend toerisme, te konsolideer. Die ANC beskou die kunste dus as 'n ekonomiese sleutelaktiwiteit, bykomend tot die verskaffing van vermaak, die bevordering van kulturele identiteit en die bevordering van 'n nasionale identiteit. Die musiekbedryf alleen het die potensiaal om werk en rykdom te skep. Dit word deur regstreekse optredes, die vervaardiging en verkoop van klankopnames, die invordering van outeursgelde en administrasie, die vervaardiging en verkoop van musiekinstrumente en die regsgemeenskap bereik.
Die diefstal van intellektuele goedere raak die inkomste van baie kunstenaars. Die SA Polisie, in samewerking met die Departemente van Justisie en van Handel en Nywerheid, is besig om die voorkoms van roof in hierdie bedryf uit te wis. Magsoptrede teen roofbedrywe, inhegtenisnemings en skuldigbevindings oor die land heen neem toe weens die gesamentlike pogings van di departemente.
Ten slotte wil ek dit benadruk dat Afrika vandag erken word as die Wieg van die Mensdom. Ons het in ons deel van die kontinent 'n ryk en uiteenlopende verlede. Die kompleksiteit en diversiteit daarvan word nou eers waardeer. Ons erfenis is inderdaad die fondament waarop ons bou om ons samelewing te herbou. My boodskap vandag is om vreugde te vind in die rykdom van ons samelewing. Ek pleit by u om te dink aan die volop geleenthede wat ons het - as gemeenskappe, as ons land en as ons kontinent, behalwe vir di mense wat negatief is. Dink aan u erfenis en hoe dit in baie opsigte verskil van di van u ouers. Dink ook aan die besondere kenmerke wat u bind aan vorige generasies, aan temas en tradisies wat u lewe gevorm het. Soos die agb Sunduza ges het, haar pa is ook vandag in die Huis teenwoordig, so die punt wat ek nou maak - dat ons baie by ons ouers en voorouers moet leer - is belangrik. Ons kulturele dorpe demonstreer ook die tradisionele leefstyle van verskillende mense aan besoekers in 'n natuurlike omgewing.
Gun my die geleentheid om ook alle kunstenaars te bedank wat tydens die verkiesingsveldtogte met ons saamgewerk het. Die ANC waardeer u steun opreg, kunstenaars. Ons moet nou almal saamwerk om die doel van 'n beter lewe vir almal te verwesenlik.
Ek wil graag uit my hart aan die opposisie s dat dit my pleidooi is dat ons die land moet bou. Ons kom almal uitgevat in ons beste uitrustings na hierdie Parlement in Februarie en dan luister ons na die President se staatsrede. Dan l ons President in sy toespraak uit wat hy voorsien in die jaar en op die pad vorentoe moet gebeur. Nasiebou is een van die punte wat hy uitgespel het in sy toespraak, maar nasiebou kom nie alleenlik van die President of van ons Minister af nie. Elkeen in hierdie Huis - ongeag van watter party ons kom - het 'n rol om te speel en te vervul sodat ons die land bou en sodat ons die nasie bou. [Applous.]
Nasiebou begin in jou huis. Ek raak bekommerd as ek so kyk en leiers begin in 'n ander rigting praat, om skuld te gee vir die President of die Minister. Nasiebou begin in jou huis en is spesifiek gemik op die jong seuns en dogters in ons huise wat geleer moet word wat die samelewing behels, wat 'n nasie behels, sodat ons 'n volgende geslag leiers in die land kan h om oor te vat.
Ek wil 'n voorbeeld gee wat ek oorgekom het. Ek klim in 'n hysbak hier in Kaapstad. Die persoon s dat hy of sy nie saam met anderkleurige persone in die hysbak wil wees nie en loop by die hysbak uit. Is dit nasiebou? Nee, want jy kyk nog na kleur. Nasiebou is dat ons verby kleur moet kyk, dat ons hande moet vat, mekaar vergewe, alhoewel ons nie kan vergeet nie. Dt is nasiebou. [Applous.] Nasiebou is wanneer jy kyk na jou buurman of buurvrou. Het sy 'n stukkie brood op die tafel? Gee ons om vir mekaar as ons sien dat ons buurvrou geteister word deur haar kind wat verslaaf is aan dwelms en alkohol? Verleen ons hulp en vra ons hoe ons kan help om haar in so 'n situasie met haar kind uit te help? Dt is nasiebou.
Ek wil verder op die punt van nasiebou praat. Agb Ma Storey het vir ons 'n storietjie vertel in die komitee. Sy het ges as sy na die supermark Pick 'n Pay gaan, voel sy nie eers lus om in te gaan nie. Daar word jy gestamp en gestoot, want jy hoort nie hier nie. Die uitlating wat die DA-leier Helen Zille gemaak het - dat die vlugtelinge moet teruggaan na waar hulle vandaan kom - het gemaak dat die mense van die Kaap nou ook vir jou 'n koue skouer gee. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Ek wil vir die agb lid van Cope s dat ons in die komitee baie goed saamwerk. Moenie hier voor kom staan en dan praat u iets anders nie. As u nie weet wat 'n hoof finansile beampte en hoof uitvoerende beampte is nie, kan die komitee vir u opleiding aanbied. [Applous.] Die hoof finansile beampte is die een wat na ons geld moet kyk in daardie departement. Die hoof uitvoerende beampte is die een wat die leisels moet vat om daardie instituut vorentoe te laat beweeg. Daarom moet hy of sy ook 'n finansile agtergrond h.
Aangaande die kwessie van die Khoi en San - ek is nie gekoop nie. Ek wil nie h mense moet s as jy nie Khoi of San is nie, verstaan jy nie die kultuur nie, en dan bly jy stil, of jy doen behoorlike navorsing. Die Khoi en San se kwessie rondom Stuurman is voorgehou aan ons. Drie weke of 'n maand gelede was die Khoi en San, die Griekwas en die Namas in gesprek met die portefeuljekomitee. Daardie mense het gestipuleer wat hulle verwag van die staat. Hulle het ook ges dat die enigste party wat vir hulle omgee die ANC is. [Applous.] Hulle het dit pertinent gestel in daardie komitee. Die party wat na hulle luister, is die ANC. [Tussenwerpsels.] Daarom skroom ek nie om dit te s nie. Die ANC steun die begrotingspos. [Tyd versteke.] [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Ms L N MOSS: Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon Members of Parliament, as well as our guests, greetings in the name of this wonderful day that we have started and will be concluding when we lie down tonight.
We need no scientific study to prove that the opening and closing ceremonies of the world cup tournaments hosted by South Africa have afforded us an opportunity to display our performing and visual arts as an expression of our national identity. These are events for our performing and visual artists to tell our stories through song, dance and attire - like our chairperson, hon Sunduza - as well as through our designs and visual arts. It is the ANC government's aim to enter into dialogue with every sector of society in the country as an important part of a democratic culture. I hope Mr Mulder can hear what I'm saying. [Interjections.] That is why we say we can do more by working together and not just coming here to moan. [Interjections.] You'll get your chance. I'm waiting for you. Your sports will come.
In the performing arts the cultural component is a very major partner in our endeavour to build a social and cultural identity for our nation. Any foreigner keen on better understanding South Africans will probably listen to our music and watch our films and television dramas. That is how important the performing arts are for this country's image and its identity. They shouldn't be stealing that. The ANC has responded to the appeals from our artists that the government should assist with the protection of intellectual property rights. Concerning future growth, the ANC government would like to see development in the rural cultural component sector, for instance as regards traditional composers, actors, craftsmen and painters. This is in line with the new focus on rural development.
The ANC would also like to see the industry's conscious endeavour to support youth development. Our youth should be encouraged to attend school and institutions of higher learning and not to ditch education in favour of the performing arts industry. If they engage with the industry after obtaining a qualification, they can contribute to the growth and development of our performing arts sector, as they will then be in possession of essential skills. We encourage those already in the field to use all available time to study. It is never too late to empower oneself with education. Education is the key with which all doors of impossibility can be unlocked.
Promotion of the performing arts involves the promotion and development of literary, visual and performing arts through policy development and rendering financial assistance to institutions of the performing arts, organisations, community arts and individuals. It also supports the arts and social development by way of activities that are aimed at women, children, the youth, persons with disabilities and older people. It is focused on skills development through the improvement of basic education by way of arts, culture and heritage. By 2013-14 the performing arts would like to increase the participation by target groups in, and their access to, arts and cultural programmes with the establishment of eight public arts development programmes. The ANC government is making arts and culture part of the mainstream educational system by increasing the number of artistic practitioners placed in schools from 50 in 2011-12 to 250 in 2015- 16. This is the ANC! [Applause.]
The expenditure focus over the medium term is to make the role of the arts in social and economic development part of the mainstream through the execution of the strategic Mzanzi Golden Economy projects and the development of the local film industry through the National Film and Video Foundation. Expenditure regarding the National Film and Video Foundation has increased significantly from 2010-11 to 2012-13, because in the 2011 budget additional funds were appropriated for the foundation to develop the film industry and to create jobs.
The foundation has awarded 63 bursaries for various film and video studies. In 2012-13, 49 screenplays with local content were developed and 64 films with local content were developed. Over the medium term, spending on the strategic Mzanzi Golden Economy projects has been responsible for an increase in expenditure on the subprogrammes of the performing arts. The ANC government wants to reduce expenditure over the medium term by R4,9 million. This reduction will be brought about through the appropriation of funds to the national Arts Council and the Playhouse Company. An amount of R17,7 million from this programme has also been earmarked for this period for the administrative programme to centralise the information technology and bursary services.
Each art form, from acting to dancing, opera, cabaret, the fine arts and craftsmanship, from classical music to jazz, to lectures, is represented everywhere in South Africa. The country abounds with cultural diversity, which makes it a major destination for all art lovers. A lot still needs to be done to ensure that human rights and the basic democratic rights as provided for in the Constitution are strengthened and become effective. This entails the continued promotion of arts, culture and heritage in South Africa and appreciation for the role played by socioeconomic development through the introduction of at least 57 programmes and projects in 2012-13 to improve the social and economic status of communities in South Africa. Social enrichment, social cohesion and nation-building are promoted by the arts, culture and heritage and not by the Minister alone. By way of the appropriation of resources and the guarantee that productions will promote social inclusivity and nation-building, these programmes will reach identified areas.
The medium-term expenditure framework of the ANC government states that we want to use arts and culture as a means to promote the cultural diversity of our society and to unite our people. We want to promote culture, arts and sport in order to consolidate community and national pride, positive social values, as well as economic development, including tourism. The ANC therefore regards the arts as a key economic activity, in addition to providing entertainment, promoting cultural identity and providing a national identity. The music industry alone has the potential to create work and wealth. It is accessed through direct performances, the production and sale of sound recordings, the collection of royalties and administration, the production and sale of musical instruments and the legal fraternity.
The theft of intellectual property affects the income of many artists. In conjunction with the Departments of Justice and of Trade and Industry, the SA Police Service is in the process of eliminating the prevalence of theft in this industry. Decisive action against illegal syndicates, arrests and convictions are on the increase countrywide due to the joint efforts of these departments.
Finally, I want to emphasise that nowadays Africa is regarded as the Cradle of Mankind. In our part of the continent we have a rich and divergent past. Its complexity and diversity are only now being appreciated. Our heritage is indeed the foundation upon which we are building in order to restructure our society. My message today is to find joy in the abundance of our society. I plead with you to consider the many opportunities we have - as communities, as a country and as a continent, apart from those people who are negative. Consider your heritage and how in many ways it differs from that of your parents. Consider also the distinctive characteristics that bind you to previous generations, to themes and traditions that have shaped your life. As the hon Sunduza remarked, her father is also present here today, and the point I am making - that we have a lot to learn from our parents and ancestors - is important. Our cultural villages also demonstrate to visitors the traditional lifestyle of different people in a natural environment.
Allow me the opportunity to thank all artists who worked with us during the election campaigns. The ANC sincerely appreciates your support, artists. We must now co-operate in order to realise the goal of achieving a better life for all.
I would like to tell the opposition from my heart that it is my plea that we build this land. In February we all come to this Parliament in our best attire to listen to the President's state of the nation address. In his speech the President then details his vision of what must happen in the year and on the road ahead. Nation-building was one of the points he spelled out in his speech, but nation-building cannot only come from the President or from our Minister. Everyone in this House - regardless of the party we represent - has a role to play and to fulfil so that we can build our land and this nation. [Applause.]
Nation-building starts at home. I get worried when I see leaders starting to talk in a different direction, apportioning blame to the President or the Minister. Nation-building starts at home, and it is in particular aimed at the young boys and girls in our homes who have to be taught what constitutes society, what constitutes a nation, so that we may have a next generation of leaders in the country to take over.
I want to give an example of what I have experienced. I got into an elevator here in Cape Town. The person said that he or she did not want to be in an elevator with people of colour and stepped out of the elevator. Is that nation-building? No, because you are still looking at colour. Nation- building is looking past colour, taking hands, forgiving each other although we cannot forget. That is nation-building. [Applause.] Nation- building is looking out for your neighbour. Does she have a piece of bread on her table? Do we care about each other, when we see how our neighbour is being terrorised by her child who is addicted to drugs or alcohol? Do we assist and ask how we can help her to sort out her child in such a situation? That is nation-building.
I want to continue on the point of nation-building. Hon Ma Storey told us a little story in the committee. She told us that when she went to the Pick n Pay supermarket, she didn't even feel like entering. You get bumped and knocked around there because you don't belong. The remark by DA leader Helen Zille - that refugees should return to where they come from - has made the people of the Cape give you the cold shoulder as well. [Interjections.]
I can tell the hon member of Cope that we co-operate very well in the committee. Do not come and stand here and say something different. If you do not know what a chief financial officer or a chief executive officer is, the committee can offer you some training. [Applause.] The chief financial officer is the one who must look after our money in that department. The chief executive officer is the one who must take the reins in order to make that institution move ahead. Therefore he or she should also have a financial background.
As regards the issue of the Khoi and San - I have not been bought. I don't want people to say that if you are not a Khoi or San you will not understand the culture, and you keep quiet or you do proper research. The Khoi and San issue around Stuurman was held up to us. Three weeks or a month ago the Khoi and San, the Griquas and the Namas were in discussion with the portfolio committee. Those people stipulated what they were expecting from the state. They also said that the only party that cared about them was the ANC. [Applause.] They stated this appropriately in that committee. The party that listens to them is the ANC. [Interjections.] That is why I do not hesitate to say this. The ANC supports the Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]
Baie dankie, agb Voorsitter. [Thank you very much, hon Chairperson.]
I will not be able to respond to all the issues raised by hon members because of the little time I have. Let me start by thanking all the members for their contributions. I want to assure them that I have taken very detailed notes of their comments and we will be able to take into account all those issues as we implement our programmes.
I did not hear whether the hon Van den Berg supported the Budget Vote or not. [Interjections.] That's fine. I thought that if you did, then we would succeed in our work. Earlier the hon member said that he didn't think we were succeeding... Sorry, it was not the hon Van der Berg but the hon Mulder. Sorry, hon Van den Berg. The hon Mulder said that we were not succeeding in our work, but I can assure him that if he supported this Budget Vote, we would show him that we are indeed on the right track and that we are going to succeed. [Applause.]
I think the task of nation-building is not something that you can deal with emotionally. It's a very difficult task indeed. Perhaps I should advise him today that he should have tea with hon Sunduza and have some discussion. Earlier I said that one of the things we are doing is to encourage dialogue and conversation, because the way to build a nation is through dialogue, conversation and understanding each other's culture and history. I think it is important that when we deal with history, we deal with the history of all our people. We should not be selective. [Applause.] I think we will succeed. I want to say to the hon Van den Berg ...
... ons werk baie hard om kultuur te depolitiseer. Ons weet in die verlede was kultuur en kuns verpolitiseer. [... we work very hard to depoliticise culture. We know that culture and arts were politicised in the past.]
We are working hard to ensure that we change that past and to ensure that culture is the culture of the people. We must work with everybody in the country to ensure that we do exactly that.
Let me try to conclude by making a few points. There are members, like hon Van Schalkwyk, who talk strongly about the funding of museums, including the William Humphreys Art Gallery. We agree that museums and heritage sites are very important because tourism in the country develops due to many of these institutions. Whether people go as local or international tourists, they go to our museums and heritage sites. We are working hard to ensure that they are properly funded and that those places are upgraded, including the roads leading to those areas. We are going to work hard to address that.
There was one issue that came across strongly from a few members - two in particular - namely a statue of Nelson Mandela here at Parliament. It does seem as if all parties agree on this issue. If that is the case, we will discuss it with the Speaker and work on implementing it. [Applause.] Of course, we remain sensitive to history as we do these things, but I think there is consensus that we should move in that direction. We will erect a statue at the Union Buildings and we will also erect one here at Parliament in response to this consensus.
We have noted the rest of the issues, including that of funding. We will make sure that we work, particularly with the portfolio committee, to address these issues. Thank you very much for your support. You can be assured that everything you said here will be done.
Baie dankie. [Thank you very much.] [Applause.]
Debate concluded.