Chairperson of the House, the Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Joe Phaahla, and all Members of the Executive Councils, MECs, present, the chairperson and hon members of the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture, Members of Parliament, the Director-General, Mr Sbu Xaba, senior managers, chief executive officers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, we are honoured to present our 2011-12 Budget Vote at the start of an important month in the development of our democratic nation. This month of June is dedicated to honouring the many sacrifices made by generations of young people to bring about freedom and democracy in our country.
This year we commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Soweto uprising under the theme: Youth Action for Economic Freedom in our Lifetime. During this month we recommit ourselves to the objective of further advancing youth development as an integral part of building a society that is united, democratic, nonracial, nonsexist and prosperous.
Hon members, for the presentation of this Budget Vote we are joined by young practitioners in the arts, culture and heritage sector. [Applause.] We acknowledge that more work still needs to be done to develop an appreciation, the arts amongst young people.
We are also aware of the need to ensure that talent is identified and developed from a young age and that a career in the arts becomes a career of choice for young people. These are some of the tasks that we will continue to be seized with as we move forward.
Some of the specific programmes we will engage in include, firstly, working with the Field Band Foundation to build the mass participation of youth in music and the performing arts. Working together with the National Youth Development Agency, NYDA, this year we will support Youth Day celebrations. Our support will include running programmes aimed at raising awareness of the significance of Youth Day.
Hon members, I am pleased to report that, as part of our ongoing commitment to supporting youth in the arts, we have allocated more than R6 million to youth programmes in the current financial year. In addition, through our partnership with the European Union, more funds will be made available to advance youth development in the arts.
Chairperson, we as the ANC government are proud of the progress we are making in building the kind of society envisaged by our forebears, who declared in 1955 that:
South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white ...
We must continue to commit ourselves to the realisation of the ideals of the Freedom Charter. This we should do so that we will have made significant progress towards achieving the goals of the Freedom Charter by its centenary in 2055.
Last year, during the 2010 Fifa World Cup, the nation demonstrated high levels of unity and patriotism. To us this proved that our goal of building a nation united in its diversity is within reach. We must sustain the momentum we built up during the World Cup to forge a national identity and promote social cohesion.
In order to further strengthen efforts aimed at nation-building and promoting social cohesion, the Department of Arts and Culture began a process of repositioning the arts, culture and heritage sector as a major contributor to the economic emancipation of South Africans. This process culminated in the historic National Consultative Conference on the contribution of the arts, culture and heritage sector to the economy, which we held in April this year.
The conference brought together more than 1 000 delegates who, for the first time in many years, crafted a clear path for this sector and defined its contribution to the economy. Delegates at the conference noted the following.
Our natural heritage, measured by the value of ecotourism, contributes R21 billion per annum to the economy.
Our music industry is worth around R1,7 billion in sales and was ranked 17th in the world in 2007.
The craft sector contributes R1,1 billion annually to the gross domestic product, GDP, and employs approximately 38 000 people.
The visual arts sector has a turnover of nearly R2 billion per annum and there are an estimated 17 000 people working in that sector.
The total net turnover of the book publishing industry in 2007 was estimated to be worth R3,2 billion.
Finally, the film industry generates over R5,5 billion in economic activity annually and employs an estimated 30 000 people
Delegates at the conference further noted that societies with greater social cohesion tend to be the ones that are more economically prosperous.
Delegates declared that, and I quote:
The creative economy in South Africa has the potential to be a leading sector in generating economic growth, employment and trade, as is the case in many advanced economies...
This they did as a direct response to President Zuma's clarion call that the year 2011 should be a year of job creation. A number of specific proposals were agreed to at the conference. These include, firstly, the need to develop interventions throughout the education system to identify and develop the artistic talent of learners at a young age and encourage learners to pursue careers in the arts.
The conference also committed itself to a process that will lead to the establishment of a National Skills Academy for the Arts.
It was also agreed that there is a need for the establishment of an enterprise which will source goods and services from the sector, thus ensuring better access to markets for arts practitioners. The conference also agreed on the establishment of cultural precincts throughout the country. In the current financial year, work will begin on establishing five cultural precincts, commencing with the planning of a precinct in Mangaung, to be followed later by other provinces.
Furthermore, a touring venture will be established, which will develop exhibitions and performances that will tour the country, and ensure that exhibitions are displayed at the cultural precincts.
The conference also committed itself to taking forward the planning and implementation of the National Liberation Heritage Route.
A public art programme will also be designed, focusing on beautification and storytelling through art in communities, as well as showcasing our artistic talent.
The conference agreed on the establishment of an Art Bank to curate and display local art works in public buildings.
The conference further committed to the establishment of a cultural observatory, the purpose of which will be to develop key indicators, collect cultural statistics and analyse trends within our sector.
Hon members, project teams are now in place to develop detailed business plans for the implementation of all the conference resolutions. Consultations with provincial and local government with regard to the establishment of cultural precincts have also begun. We look forward to reporting to this House on the progress we are making as we travel on this uncharted but necessary journey.
The new path that we have crafted will require that we re-examine the funding of our sector. This was also the overwhelming view of delegates at the conference. In this regard, the Department of Arts and Culture has embarked on a process of realigning funding to the priorities identified at the Consultative Conference.
We will also be approaching National Treasury with a view to securing increased funding for our sector, focusing on the priorities that we have identified. We are confident that we will receive a sympathetic ear from National Treasury because our priorities speak directly to job creation, which is the primary focus of the work of this government.
We will also be working with the Department of Trade and Industry, with a view to ensuring that our sector benefits from the support measures outlined in the Industrial Policy Action Plan, Ipap 2.
We are confident that, because of the plans we are putting forward, our sector will also be considered for funding from the R9 billion fund for job creation which was announced by the President earlier this year.
We will work with other public funding agencies, such as the Industrial Development Corporation, IDC, and the private sector to secure adequate funding for the sector. Over the past few months we have had discussions with the National Lotteries Board, with a view to mainstreaming Lotto funding for our sector.
We made a commitment to stabilise the department and build the necessary capacity to effectively implement our mandate. Chairperson, I am pleased to announce that we have appointed a Director-General, Mr Sibusiso Xaba, who is here with us today. [Applause.] The immediate task of the DG will be to ensure that all vacant critical posts are filled by the end of this current financial year.
We have inaugurated the bards of the National Arts Council, NAC, the National Film and Video Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Museum. The process of appointing the bard of the National Heritage Council is also at an advanced stage. Our intention is to appoint all outstanding boards by the end of this financial year.
The Robben Island Museum is an important World Heritage Site. Our goal is to ensure that it is preserved as an important part of our liberation heritage and that it remains a major tourist destination and world-class facility.
In the coming months we will begin a process of rationalising all our institutions to minimise duplication and ensure clarity of roles. We have, therefore, come up with a turnaround strategy for Robben Island.
Chairperson, in his state of the nation address, President Zuma indicated that we would launch a National Liberation Heritage Route to honour all those who had contributed to the liberation of our country. We are pleased to report that provincial consultations on the National Liberation Heritage Route have been completed.
This project has also been presented to a number of African countries and is supported by the African World Heritage Fund. One of its board members, Mr Leon Rajaobelina, is here with us.
Hon members, as we implement the National Liberation Heritage Route project, we do so fully aware that next year the oldest liberation movement in Africa, the ANC, will be celebrating its centenary. This is an important part of our liberation heritage, to be celebrated and preserved for future generations.
Linked to the National Liberation Heritage Route is our honouring our national icons. This is in addition to the work we are doing with Freedom Park on the Gallery of Leaders, the Wall of Names, Isivivane and Sikhumbhuto.
I take this opportunity to thank Dr Wally Serote, who retired as our Freedom Park CEO earlier this year. I want to thank him for the outstanding work he has done to develop this site, which stands as a monument to our country's freedom and democracy.
In taking forward the work of preserving and restoring our liberation heritage, we will be unveiling the National Heritage Monument project next year.
As part of our legacy project, last year we upgraded the graves of the following icons of our struggle and declared them heritage sites: Charlotte Maxeke, Lillian Ngoyi and Helen Joseph. This year the South African Heritage Resource Agency will finalise the upgrading of the graves of the following icons and declare them heritage sites: Zaccheus Mahabane, Dr James Moroka and Thomas Mapikela, all in the Free State; O R Tambo, Sefako Makgatho, Alfred Xuma, Pixley k Isaka Seme, and Rahima Moosa, all in Gauteng; Rev Langalbalele Dube, Chief Albert Luthuli, and Josiah Tshangana Gumede, all in KwaZulu-Natal; and Steven Bantubonke Biko and Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe in the Eastern Cape.
Liliesleaf Farm will also be declared a heritage site. It is here that icons such as former President Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada, Andrew Mlangeni, the late Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Elias Motsoaledi and Arthur Goldreich gathered, planned to overthrow the apartheid regime, and formed ukhonto weSizwe. We will celebrate its 50th anniversary in December this year.
Chairperson, work is also being finalised this year on declaring the Voortrekker Monument a heritage site.
In February this year, we marked the 30th anniversary of the 1981 Matola Raid in Mozambique. The highlight of this event was the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the government of Mozambique and the unveiling of the design of the Matola Raid Monument and Interpretation Centre. This historic site will stand as a constant reminder of the common heritage we share with the people of Mozambique in national liberation. We acknowledge in our presence in this House today a delegation from Mozambique, led by the Permanent Secretary of Culture, Ms Maria Manuela Rico. [Applause.]
We are also joined on this occasion by Ms Xoliswa Sithole, one of our country's most talented film makers. Ms Sithole's work has been recognised internationally for its relevance to the plight of women and children. Ms Sithole recently won a second British Academy of Film and Television Arts,Bafta, award for her documentary, Zimbabwe's Forgotten Children, in the current affairs category. She has also won a Peabody Award, the oldest multimedia award. I hope she is somewhere in the House. Hon members, talented and pioneering film makers should continue to receive support from government. R130 million has already been made available to the National Film and Video Foundation, NFVF, by National Treasury. It will be disbursed over the next three years. We must do this as part of our commitment to telling our stories to future generations and the world at large, and also to strengthen the contribution of the film industry to job creation and economic growth and development. In the next three years the department will increase its investment in the production of local films. This will include positioning our country as an international film destination.
We will also continue to encourage and support initiatives to promote our artists on the world stage. Our immediate task in this regard is to finalise the policy on our cultural diplomacy, in partnership with the Department of International Relations and Co-operation. Among other things, this policy will result in the deployment of cultural attachs in our diplomatic missions. [Applause.]
Hon members, in conclusion, we are allocating R178 million to administration; R549 million to the performing arts; R101 million to the Pan South African Language Board, PanSALB; R180 million to cultural development; R763 million to heritage; and, of course, the National Archives and Record Service will get R694 million. Ke a leboga. [I thank you.] [Applause.]