Voorsitter, gemeet aan die monitre waarde van Kuns en Kultuur se begroting, kan die departement dalk as 'n mindere gesien word. Trouens, Kuns en Kultuur is die kern van voortgesette strewes om te versoen en Suid-Afrikanisme te bevorder en te maak werk. Misluk ons daarmee gaan die swaarverdiende demokrasie daarmee saam oor die afgrond.
Die DA ondersteun die begroting; maar die Pan-Suid-Afrikaanse Taalraad, Pansat, en die SA Erfenishulpbronagentskap, SAEHA,is swak bestuur. Sonder sterk politieke rigtinggewing en bestuur het Pansat en SAEHA vyf jaar vermors.
Pansat moet 'n leidende rol speel om die talewetgewing toe te pas en die bestuur daarvan te reguleer. SAEHA het net een aspek van Suid-Afrika se erfenis om te bewaar. Indien Pansat oor die volgende vyf jaar misluk, is dit die einde van veeltaligheid in Suid-Afrika. Ek wil dit beklemtoon: As Pansat misluk, is dit die einde van veeltaligheid in Suid-Afrika.
Dis in ons hande of veeltaligheid gaan sevier en ons erfenis bewaar gaan word. So is dit, Voorsitter. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr N J VAN DEN BERG: Chairperson, judging by the monetary value of the Arts and Culture budget, this department could possibly be viewed as inferior. As a matter of fact, Arts and Culture is at the core of continued endeavours towards reconciliation and the promotion of South-Africanism and making it work. Should we fail in this regard, the hard-earned democracy would be ruined as well.
The DA supports the budget; however, the Pan South African Language Board, PanSALB, and the South African Heritage Resources Agency, SAHRA, has been poorly managed. As a result of a lack of proper political direction and management, PanSALB and SAHRA had wasted five years.
PanSALB should play a leading role in respect of implementing language legislation and regulating the management thereof. SAHRA has to preserve but one aspect of South Africa's heritage. Should PanSALB fail over the next five years, it would be the end of multilingualism in South Africa. I want to emphasise this: Should PanSALB fail, it would be the end of multilingualism in South Africa.
It is in our hands to determine whether multilingualism will triumph and whether our heritage will be preserved. That is the way it is, Chairperson.]