Chairperson, Deputy Minister Paul Mashatile, we meet today, a day after the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa and the whole continent celebrated the launch of Africa Day, 47 years ago in l963. This historic day took the Freedom Charter forward. Launched in l955 by the real Congress of the People, the ANC, one of its clauses states that -
All national groups shall have equal rights!
This is further defined to mean that -
All people shall have equal right to use their own languages and to develop their own folk culture and customs.
Hence, yesterday, we saw Members of Parliament and members of civil society dressed in multiple colours, attired in bright, rainbow colours and debating in their indigenous languages.
The ANC-led government then was not wrong to establish the Pan South African Language Board, PanSALB, in order to promote and develop indigenous languages. We note, however, that whilst PanSALB has been established in almost all provinces, not much has been done to ensure that African languages are developed to the same status as English and Afrikaans, even after 16 years of democracy.
The 4% increase to Programme 3 should then ensure that it equals the output. As members of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation, we have to ensure that we hold PanSALB and its provincial satellites accountable. A turnaround strategy is needed in order to address the concerns. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guarantees South African citizens the right to cultural, religious and linguistic communities, to enjoy their culture, practise their religion and use their language, and to form, join and maintain cultural, religious and linguistic associations and other organs of civil society.
But these rights have limitations if they are practised in a manner inconsistent with any other provision of the Bill of Rights. It is against this background that we condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the hoisting of the old verkrampte [conservative] flag and the singing of Die Stem, the old apartheid national anthem, by the small community of Ventersdorp during the week of the funeral of the late Terre'Blanche.
We would have expected the department, in its programme on the promotion of social enrichment, social cohesion and nation-building through arts, culture and heritage, to engage any person, or community that takes us back to the apartheid period ...