Chairperson, the approach to integrate all races is central to the mandate of this department and, as such, to the advancement of social cohesion, which is our comandate. It has therefore been done through various programmes within the Department of Arts and Culture.
In October 2009, we held the social cohesion colloquium in Durban, KwaZulu- Natal, mainly to start a national dialogue on social cohesion. A national conference on social cohesion will be held later this year, and it will be led by President Jacob Zuma.
The department supports rural community projects that educate young people, women and people with disabilities about the arts, culture and heritage sector. We have signed a framework of collaboration with the Department of Basic Education through which we collaborate in the promotion and education of our children in schools about arts and culture programmes. We have also ensured that we assist the department by deploying some of our artists as art teachers to support the department. We set up community art centres even in some of our rural areas in partnership with the provincial and local government.
The department also offers funding through its agencies like the National Heritage Council and the National Arts Council, which are accessible to many people, including those in the rural areas. We have looked at the promotion of African classics, which is a project that promotes African classical literature written in indigenous languages and the culture of reading. These include books such as Mhudi by Sol Plaatje, and A C Jordan's Ingqumbo Yeminyanya, The Wrath of the Ancestors, and many others in our indigenous languages.
The department will use Youth Month as a platform to popularise the correct singing of the national anthem and the internationalisation of the etiquette thereof. The national anthem should be regarded as a national prayer, which is sung with seriousness and calmness. We don't expect our young people to be walking around when we sing the national anthem. We expect all men to take off their hats. We don't expect everyone to put their hands on their chests - unless you are the President of the country. [Applause.] All of us must simply stand to attention and sing it properly.
Ungazonwayi nokuba uhanjwa ziimpukane ebusweni, nyamezela, uziyeke zehle zisenyuka ezo mpukane kude kugqitywe uMhobe weSizwe. [Do not move your hand, even if flies are irritating you, until the singing of the national anthem is finished.]
Through most of the projects above, and many more, we have demonstrated that we are indeed united in our diversity. As we all know, our national anthem is sung in five South African languages. It is inclusive of all races and most of our different tribes and languages in the country. Thank you very much, Chairperson.