Chairperson, hon Minister Paul Mashatile, hon Deputy Minister Dr Phaahla, the director-general, Members of Parliament and all distinguished guests, allow me to make a few remarks about the comments made by our friends from the opposition parties.
One thing I have to commend about the DA members, hon Lotriet and hon Smalle, is that they are always with us in the portfolio committee meetings. Cope and the IFP also are always there, even when we go out on oversight visits. They speak about what they have experienced and what the department is doing.
Nevertheless, hon Lotriet, regarding the challenges you have highlighted, I think the director-general, who is brand-new, out of the box, is here and he is going to attend to those challenges. [Interjections.] Yes, he will attend to these challenges, like the current lack of financial support for artists and performers.
Hon Ntshiqela of Cope, you are with us when the committee goes out. I'm just wondering why you want to bring a political campaign into this debate. I think it's utterly irrelevant. Maybe the ANC will teach Cope how to cope with such values.
We thank the IFP for supporting the Budget Vote. Hon Matladi of the UCDP, we miss you a lot in the portfolio committee. I think that if you can attend the portfolio committee meetings more regularly, you will be able to go along with us regarding what we are doing. [Interjections.] Yes!
We also take note of the comments about our not using our own languages. I thought you were going to debate in Setswana so that you could promote that language! That is why the department is here and promotes that.
Nevertheless, thank you all for supporting the Budget Vote.
Now, on a serious note, let me say that my point of departure is that the Budget Vote debate on Arts and Culture must start with our policies. At the 52nd National Conference of the ANC in Polokwane in December 2007, we reaffirmed our belief that arts and culture are the cornerstones of any national democratic society and a fundamental pillar in the transformation of the society. The ANC therefore recognises that social transformation cannot be separated from the revolutionary role and nature of culture, and the revolutionary role that it plays in the transformation of any society.
To promote cultural development and heritage is part of the ANC's Reconstruction and Development Programme, RDP, for poverty alleviation, which started as early as 1995 and 1996.
Also, it affirms and promotes the rich and diverse expression of South African culture. It promotes the development of a unified, national culture representing the aspirations of all South Africa's people.
We commend the R60 million allocated by the Minister to the youth.
It further ensures that the resources and facilities for both the production and the appreciation of the arts and culture are made available to all and not just a few. It is just that there are constraints on funding.
It also conserves, promotes and revitalises our national cultural heritage in order for it to be accessible to all communities.
Hon member from the UCDP, I want to demonstrate my culture by speaking my own language now.
Mutshamaxitulu, mpimanyeto wa nhluvukiso wa swa mfuwo wu nyiketa nkarhi wa kahle wo sasekisa vumaki, tiphurojeke, na vuleteri lebyi faneleke. Mutameri wa Nkwama u tekela enhlokweni nkoka wa vuvekisi eka mfuwo leswaku ku tumbuluxiwa mitirho, nhluvukiso wa swikili na ku nyikiwa matimba eka swa ikhonomi. Ntiyiso lowu wu fambisana na mbulavulo wa tiko wa Riphabiliki lowu nga vuriwa hi Phuresidente loko a pfula Palamende a vula leswaku u lava ku tumbuluxiwa mitirho.
Mfuwo wu hluvuka hi ku tirhisa maendlelo ya vaaki. A ku na mfuwo lowu nga tiyimelaka hi woxe handle ko hluvuka no cinca. Vumbiwa bya Riphabiliki ra Afrika Dzonga byi seketela swa nhluvukiso wa mfuwo wa hina hikwalaho a ku na ku hlangana ka matimba exikarhi ka Vumbiwa naswona a ku na ku hambana ka matimba exikarhi ka Vumbiwa bya hina na milawu ya mfuwo ya Ubuntu kumbe Botho.
Ntshunxeko wa hina tanihi vanhu wu ta langutiwa hi tlhelo ra nhluvukiso wa mifuwo ya hina. Nhluvukiso lowu a wu humeleli ntsena kambe wu dzime timitsu eka vaaki no nghenelela eka timhaka hinkwato ta vutomi. Wu katsa swiphemu swa nkoka swa mahanyelo na ikhonomi leswi tlhelaka swi khumba mabindzu na vumaki.
Vamanana va le makaya lavo tala va vona va endla vutshila, xikombiso, ku endla vuhlalu na ku vumba. Leswi hi swi vonile hi ri komiti ya photifoliyo loko hi yile eVenda eka Manana Noria Mabasa laha muako wa yena wu nga pfuriwa hi khale ka Xandla xa Holobye, Ntombazana Botha.
Lava i vamanana lava fanelaka ku seketeriwa. Vamanana lava va le makaya laha va hanyaka evuswetini lebyikulu. Va lava ku pfuniwa hi timali ku kota ku endla mitirho ya xiyimo xa le henhla leyi va nga kotaka ku kombisa ematikweni hinkwawo no pfuneta ku hluvukisa nhluvukiso wa swa ikhonomi.
Emugangeni wa ka hina laha ndzi humaka kona eka N'wamitwa vamanana va tirha mitirho hi mavoko hi ku khavisa. Ku na swin'wana leswi va swi endlaka swi na mfungho lowu va nge i Kaross. Swi kona eka tindhawu ta timbala ta vuhahisi bya swihahampfhuka bya misava, xikombiso, OR Tambo na Cape Town. Na kwala Palamende laha hi kumaka kona mathikiti xi kona xifaniso xa le khumbini lexi hayekiweke lexi nga tsariwa Currie Cup. Swi endliwa hi vamanana lava.
Vamanana lava a va dyondzanga xikolo. Va tshama ehansi va nava milenge emindzhutini va karhi va rhunga. Lexi vavisaka hi leswaku manana loyi a va rhangeleke hi lowo basa. U swi teka a ya swi xavisa a tlhela a xavisela matiko ya le handle hi nxavo wa le henhla. Vamanana lava a va kumi swo va hanyisa.
Hi rhandza ku kombela ndzawulo ku languta timhaka leti no tlhela yi nyika matimba eka vamanana lava hi ku va pfuneta hi timali. Vuhlalu lebyi ndzi nga byi ambala byi endliwa hi vamanana lava. A va dyondzanga kambe loko va endla nkhaviso u nga kala u vula leswaku va huma exikolweni. (Translation of Xitsonga paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, the allocation for cultural development provides a good opportunity to improve production, projects and the necessary training. The Treasury takes into consideration the importance of investing in culture to promote job creation, skills development and economic empowerment. This truth is in line with the state of the nation address delivered by the President during the opening of Parliament, when he said that job opportunities had to be created.
Culture develops by being people-oriented. No culture can be sustainable without development and change. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa supports the development of our cultures, and this is why there is no power struggle in respect of the Constitution and there is also no conflict of interest between the principles enshrined in the Constitution and the principles of ubuntu or botho.
Our freedom as a people will be perceived in terms of the development of our own cultures. This development cannot just happen, but is rooted in the community and its involvement in all spheres of life. It includes important facets of behaviour and economy, which further include trade and industry.
Most of the women in the rural areas are involved in the making of art work, for example, beadwork and pottery. We witnessed this with Mrs Noria Mabasa when, as a portfolio committee, we went on an oversight visit to Venda, where her building was opened by the former Deputy Minister, Ntombazana Botha.
These are women who need to be supported. These women in the rural areas live in abject poverty. They need to be assisted financially so that they can produce quality goods which they can showcase to the entire world and which will also promote economic development.
At the village where I hail from, N'wamitwa, women make decorations by hand. There are things they make that have a logo design known as Kaross. You'll find these at international airports, for example, OR Tambo and Cape Town. Here in Parliament, where we get our permits, there is even a portrait hanging on the wall entitled Currie Cup. It was made by these women.
These women are illiterate. They sit down with their legs stretched out in the shade and sew. What is so painful is that they are led by a white woman. She takes the artworks and sells them overseas at a higher price. These women do not get anything in return from which to make a living.
We would like to request the department to look into these matters and also to empower these women by assisting them financially. The beads that I am wearing were made by the women. They are illiterate, but when they make decorations, you might think they were trained.]
We acknowledge the support given by the Department of Arts and Culture to small entrepreneurs in the arts and culture area, especially in the craft section.
There is one thing I want to mention about practising our culture. We want to talk to our traditional leaders about the culture of "ukungenela" [widow is by force made to marry the younger brother of her deceased husband] and "ukutwala" [a girl is abducted and by force made to marry a man she has not chosen]. Girls and women have rights. Even a widow has the right to be protected by the Constitution. That has to change.
In conclusion, I have no doubt that we have a rich culture and heritage, and these need to be preserved and developed to ensure a better life for all. It is through this budget that we can do so. My culture and your culture constitute one nation. That is an important reference point for our nation, in the same way as unity in diversity is. The ANC wishes to support Budget Vote 14 on Arts and Culture.
Endzhaku ku tlhelela singe. Inkomu. [Backward, never! Thank you.] [Applause.]]