Chairperson, I would like to start by congratulating the newly appointed director-general of the Department of Arts and Culture. We trust that the director-general will tackle the many challenges of the department with the necessary vigour and enthusiasm. Mr Minister, I also hope that the appointment of the director-general will lead the way to now appointing people in the many acting positions in the department.
When one analyses the budget of the Department of Arts and Culture, it is quite clear that this department is to a large extent a conduit for funds transferred to other entities. This makes the oversight of these entities extremely important. It is quite worrying that there are still a number of entities, such as the National Arts Council, the Afrikaanse Taalmuseum, the Performing Arts Centre of Free State, Pacofs, and Robben Island that are still being given qualified audit opinions. Some of these institutions, such as Pacofs and Robben Island, have been receiving qualified audits and disclaimers for the past five years. Surely this is not good enough, especially when a World Heritage Site is involved. Therefore, Minister, I am quite relieved to hear about a turnaround strategy for Robben Island and we trust that it will really be turned around.
Although this department comprises a wide range of programmes, there are a few specific aspects that I would like to focus on.
The first aspect is the state of the performing arts in South Africa. When one looks at the funds made available for the performing arts, one is led to believe that things are quite positive.
The increase in funds for the National Film and Video Foundation is also welcome, as we have proof of the film-making talent in South Africa - our films have won an Oscar and recently awards at Cannes and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Bafta. This can indeed be a point of growth and development.
It is also worth mentioning that we will be focusing on the development of the youth in the arts. The training of the youth, talent identification and the establishment of the Skills Development Foundation are extremely important. These are wonderful projects and we should congratulate you, hon Minister.
However, we have to realise that we also have to look at the other side of the coin, and that is where the actual jobs are. We have to realise that there are many challenges facing artists and arts organisations in South Africa. One of the most significant challenges is to get recognition for the crucial role the arts play in the quality of life of South Africans and the development of communities.
Although the department has invested in arts and culture, continued - and importantly - wise and effective investments are essential to sustain and enhance the level of artistic and cultural activities in the country.
Many performing arts organisations and companies - and artists themselves - are facing financial difficulties, and the bodies are on the verge of closing down. This is a very serious issue, since these organisations often nurture the creative talent that is crucial for the generation of economic activity in South Africa's cultural sector.
Without sufficient funding for the performing arts, we could have a situation where there is a loss of artistic and technical skills. This could lead to an impoverished arts sector in the country.
This has serious implications for the department's and the country's goal of social cohesion and nation-building, not to mention the potential loss of job opportunities.
The performing arts sector has the challenge of developing new audiences and creating greater access to productions. This is directly linked to affordability. However, the dilemma is that in order to create more access, prices have to be more affordable. More affordable prices jeopardise the long-term viability of arts organisations, which have to deal with limited government funding and increasing production costs.
When one looks at the amount of R549 million, the third highest allocation in the department's budget, it does seem at face value that it would be sufficient to address the sector's needs. However, the bulk of the allocation goes to the playhouses, with only R68 million allocated to the National Arts Council. This is where the artists and performing arts companies have to compete for a very tiny slice of the cake.
The problem is that of sustainability. It is extremely difficult for the performing arts sector, indeed for any sector within arts and culture, to continue to develop and even prosper if they have to rely on ad hoc funding year after year. It is virtually impossible to plan further than for the next few months and impossible to have the privilege of having time to create new works, instead of being in survival mode.
Added to this is the heartbreaking reality of many of our talented artists and performers, who live in abject poverty in their old age. It is time that the funding structure for the performing arts, indeed the creative arts, is revisited.
I am indeed very pleased to hear that you are doing something in this regard. It is necessary that a thorough analysis is made of the actual needs of the sector and whether the current funding model and budget address these.
A second aspect that I would like to highlight is the state of multilingualism in our country. An amount of R56 million has been allocated to the Pan South African Language Board, PanSALB. The mandate of this board is to create an environment conducive to developing, using, promoting and protecting the 11 official languages, as well as languages such as Khoe, Nama, San and South African Sign Language.
How is it possible that such an entity, with such an important mandate, in fact a constitutional mandate, has a CEO who has been suspended with full remuneration for more than two years? This, plus the legal costs, has been such a drain on PanSALB's finances that they cannot proceed with any language projects! How can the language rights of the citizens of this country be protected when the board itself cannot sort out its own internal problems? This matter has to be addressed as a matter of urgency. In this instance I am looking forward to actually reading the proposed South African Languages Bill which we are awaiting.
Lastly, Chair, this is the department that has the important responsibility of ensuring social cohesion and nation-building. If we have to judge where we are in terms of this, the recent examples of intolerance displayed at Human Rights Day and Freedom Day celebrations, where speakers from opposition parties were booed and treated with total disrespect and contempt, indicate that not much progress has been made. Indeed, it seems as if there is degeneration in respect for others and their points of view. Even if one factors in that this was in election time, the basic tenets of social cohesion and nation-building should make this kind of behaviour unacceptable in any context.
It is therefore commendable and quite appropriate that tomorrow you are launching a social cohesion campaign, South African @ Heart. I trust that this campaign will address the real issues standing in the way of true social cohesion and nation-building, and that it will not be only a superficial effort of plastering over the cracks that divide our nation. Thank you. [Applause.]