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.]