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.]