Agb Voorsitter, agb Minister, agb lede, as ons praat oor ons kultuurskat en -erflating, moet ons eers al ons mense gelukwens dat hulle ons verskeidenheid so mooi verteenwoordig het met die 2010 sokkerskouspel. Ons is met rede trots op ons land en sy mense vir die welslae wat behaal is met hierdie geleentheid om ons land as vertoonvenster te kon gebruik om ons uiteenlopende dog gesamentlike kultuurbelewenis aan al die lande uit te stal. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Mr F ADAMS: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, when we speak of our cultural treasure and cultural legacy, we have to firstly congratulate all our people on having done such a good job at displaying our diversity during the 2010 soccer spectacle. We have every reason to be very proud of our country and its people for the success we achieved in utilising this opportunity to showcase our country to the world and to present our diverse, yet collective cultural experience.]
Yes, we are proud of all our people and the rich heritage that we have. We have just returned from a provincial week, and I must say that I was, once more, exposed to the reality of how little the party that the hon Watson belongs to, the DA, and the DA-led provincial government, care about the culture of all our people in my own province, the Western Cape. It is as if culture is not a priority to the DA.
In the provincial government, the DA gave this very important portfolio to a junior partner in its coalition. A year into this administration's term the MEC has had to go and has been replaced by another MEC who has been demoted from one of the critical portfolios. Clearly, cultural affairs is the stepchild of the DA in the Western Cape. That is how they treat everything - as a stepchild - if you are not a member of the DA.
This was even more glaringly evident when the outgoing MEC last week, in a mini debate, had to admit that there were problems with the awarding of tickets to children from poorer areas to have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of going to the 2010 soccer spectacle. They only ended up being disappointed. Seemingly the tickets landed in the hands of family and friends who belong to a certain political party in the Western Cape. This scandal and abuse of power needs closer examination.
I realise that this year the theme of Heritage Month is: "Celebrating our Living Human Treasures and Heritage". It is also celebrating South African craft. However, I also had to learn that this very important job creation tool has been scaled down in the Western Cape, where the DA, to which the hon Watson belongs, is in control.
Let me tell the hon Watson, through you, Chair, that in the City of Cape Town, one of the first things the then Mayor, Helen Zille, did was to throw the craft market out of the Civic Centre, where it had helped to provide an opportunity for a number of entrepreneurs to display their handwork and earn a living. It was deemed to have been an ANC project and that is why they threw it out. Again to the hon Watson, through you, Chair, during the soccer celebrations many crafters on the parade were also pushed aside into obscurity. They were not even afforded a chance to showcase their handmade wares like utility articles, shoes and clothing to the visitors on the Fan Walk or on some of the streets closed off for pedestrians.
One would expect that the Western Cape province would stimulate crafting more and create opportunities for the small traders. Instead, it is cutting funds and assistance to these kinds of undertakings, if you don't know, hon Watson, through you, Chair. Like with the RED Door project, it is moving away from the global trend of building cottage industries to focusing instead only on existing industries that the ANC has put there.
Dan praat ons nie eers van die afskeping van ons eie Kaapse kultuur en erfenis nie. Die Kaapse Klopse is eiesoortig aan die Kaap en meer geleenthede behoort geskep te word op verskillende vlakke om vryetydsbesteding vir sulke mense so te kanaliseer dat mense hulle energie kan gebruik om selfgeldend 'n eie identiteit te koester en uit moedeloosheid te ontsnap, agb Watson.
Ek wil die wens uitspreek dat die Wes-Kaap meer mededinging tot stand sal bring, behoorlike befondsing sal verseker, en veral, dansbedrywighede sal aanmoedig om die jeug van die straat en dwelms weg te hou. Die DA het nie eers so 'n plan nie, agb Watson. Dan is daar die skynbare nepotistiese verskynsel, agb Van Lingen, deur u, Voorsitter, met die Wes-Kaapse leier, Theuns Botha, wie se singende seun telkens by verskeie geleenthede opduik om op te tree. Dan is die DA, Voorsitter, hard om te praat oor nepotisme, maar kyk wat maak hulle.
Toevallig sing die jonge Willem Botha by talle geleenthede wat deur die stad of die provinsie geborg word - soos die aanskakel van kersliggies, die Top Tiener wedstryd en selfs feeste waar pa en seun nou al die publisiteitswa bestyg het om saam-saam onderhoude toe te staan, agb Groenewald. 'n Mens kan maar net wonder of hy so dikwels sou kon optree as dit nie was vir sy pa se party wat in beheer is en kitaar slaan oor wie genooi kan word nie. Dis nepotisme, Voorsitter. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Then we are not even speaking of neglecting our own Cape culture and heritage. The Cape Minstrels are unique to Cape Town and more opportunities should be created on various levels so that the leisure time of these people can be channelled in such a way that the people can utilise their energy to assert their own identity and to escape from despondency, hon Watson.
I would like to express the wish that the Western Cape should create more competition, ensure decent funding and especially encourage dancing activities to keep the youth off the streets and away from drugs. The DA does not even have a plan to this effect, hon Watson. Then there is the apparent phenomenon of nepotism, hon Van Lingen, through you, Chairperson, with the Western Cape leader, Theuns Botha, whose singer son pops up time and again at various functions to perform. Then, Chairperson, the DA is quick to raise the issue of nepotism. However, look what they are up to.
By chance the young Willem Botha has performed at functions sponsored by the city or the province - like the switching on of the Christmas lights for instance, the Top Tiener [Top Teenager] competition and even festivals where both father and son have now appeared on the public platform and given interviews together, hon Groenewald. One can but wonder whether he would have been able to perform as often had it not been for his father's party being in control and determining who should be invited. That is nepotism, Chairperson.]
I also wish to address another matter, and that is the need for proper and better indigenous sites.