25 February 2008

Honorable Minister, Deputy Minister and colleagues. Today is a special day for me because it is the first time that I address you since I assumed the position of leadership in our department. It is a department which occupies a special place in my heart and professional career. I have been actively involved in the arts since the age of 15. To me this continues to be the labor of love and passion. I know no other professional life which has not centered around the arts and culture. Indeed, my appointment to head this department is an honor and a privilege which I do not take for granted. I was involved in the conceptualization of this department from the time when the ruling party came into government. I have been part and parcel of its development since then. I am humbled by the opportunity given to me over the years to be part of the international, continental and national achievements of this department.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the previous ministers, deputy ministers and directors general under which I served because they gave all of us a chance to prove ourselves. They nurtured our talents and aspirations to be where we are today. I also want to pay tribute to the present political leadership of our department. Minister and Deputy Minister, we value, respect and appreciate your leadership and support to the department. I always tell my friends and family that I enjoy working in this department because I’m always surrounded by critical and creative thinking. I am surrounded by passion and commitment to the arts. This, Minister and Deputy Minister, is the department whose leadership I have assumed. I therefore want to thank my colleagues for the solidarity and commitment they continue to show to this department.

We have a huge and challenging task in front of us because, our government has affirmed the strategic role of arts and culture in building our nation into one of the best in the world. Arts and culture has been affirmed as a glue which holds us together, the glue that harnesses our human values and identity of our nation. It is therefore important for all of us gathered here today to appreciate the decision of government that this department will lead the campaigns on social cohesion and moral regeneration. We have been affirmed as the lead department in shaping the cultural and heritage landscape of this beautiful land. We have been affirmed as the custodians of both the cultural and artistic expressions of this rainbow nation. It is an historic honor and we dare not fail the aspirations of our people.

Our department continues to play a significant role in our system of governance through the clusters. We are a strategic partner in the social cluster. And it is within this cluster that we must focus our efforts and deliver to the people of South Africa. Over the last six months we have tabled a strategic framework for social cohesion, as well as the program of action to implement and realize those goals. With the new financial year upon us, we must roll our sleeves and deliver on that vision. I have had an opportunity to table the strategic framework and program of action to our colleagues in broad management, to the provinces, as well as Parliament. All these forums, including the Cabinet Makgotla have endorsed the leadership of our department in this regard. Another significant work is underway in the Information Society and Development cluster. We co-chair this cluster with the Department of Communications. The work which we plan to do here will ensure that creative industries are henceforth developed using the 21st century technology so that they can achieve their intended goal to contribute to economic development of our country. Plans are already underway to link our libraries to this technology because if we succeed in this endeavor we would have successfully invested in the brains of the South African population.

The content programs in our department are structured on social and economic development; heritage, archives & libraries; arts in society & languages as well as international relations. The supporting functions under coordination must also be mentioned. Minister and Deputy Minister, I must say that there is a considerable amount of good work that is being undertaken by the department. And I want to thank all my colleagues for that.  As is the case in all our endeavors, I must add that there is a huge space for improvement and for excellence. First, we need to take a critical look at the capacity and skills within the department and identify areas where we can invest in our staff and improve capacity for delivery. We cannot aim at delivering excellence if our skills do not match the word. We therefore need a fresher perspective on recruitment and retention of staff, and rewarding of performance. As top management we have identified this area as one which needs a special focus from us.

Gender imbalances in managerial positions continues to be a challenge which must be addressed as a matter of urgency. I have instructed our human resources to speed the filling of funded posts so that we can be able to address these challenges. We are currently undergoing an organizational development exercise which will enable us to have a scientific view of the organizational capacity. This will help not only in normalizing areas such as staff working under unstable contracts but also assist us to develop appropriate career paths for the personnel. This is critical in stabilizing the department. It is also critical in ensuring appropriate ways to meet the aspirations of the staff and curbing unnecessary opportunism.  We will also pay attention to the IT needs and skills of the department. Skills development within the department poses a challenge across the board. It even goes further to our associated institutions. We have started with the skills audit in the heritage sector nationwide. We will soon be tabling a framework for national skills audit in the arts and culture sector.

Our program on social development, in particular, the investing in culture and community art centers programs, requires special attention. This becomes necessary when seen against our new mandate on social cohesion. Investing in Culture program will have to articulate a clearer plan linking the second economy to the first economy. It must also map a plan for the development of SMMEs and a broad based economic empowerment strategy. We will develop these frameworks for the Ministers to consider. Closely linked to these initiatives must be a strategy and plan to unlock the economic potential of the creative industries. The national strategy is not coherent because the mandate is across government departments. The energy and resources are dissipated because of the absence of a focal point. We now have an opportunity to lead through the Information and Society Development cluster to leverage technology and turn around this under performing asset.

Ministers and colleagues, I am highlighting issues simply to pinpoint areas of opportunities while acknowledging the good work that is underway. In the Apex of Priorities which was announced by the President in the State of the Nation Address, the Geographical Name Changes were mentioned. Within the next two months we will be tabling a roll out plan which must address the current challenges and provide leadership on this contentious issue. The situation in the National Language Services has stabilized. However, the matter of leadership in this unit has not been finalized. It is my intention to resolve this issue as speedily as possible.

The international relations presents us with huge opportunities for our artists, and markets for our products in creative industries. A general review and assessment of all our cultural agreements is now overdue. Such a review will help us to focus on successful as well as strategic partnership that must be nurtured. The strategic dialogue on cultural diplomacy and our role in leading it also requires some guidance from our political principals. I believe that we have a capacity and an ability to lead in this area.

By and large, we have neglected the children of our country and perhaps over emphasized on the youth! It is almost impossible to find programs on children’s theatre and such activities in our associated institutions and funding organs. Our programs on social cohesion, will to a large degree, succeed if we also focus on this critical sector. Children’s books in all our languages, theatre productions and musicals will go a long way towards addressing the development of future audiences in our theatres. Instilling the culture of reading and learning is not only the task of the department of education. It is ours as well! That is why functioning and well programmed community art centers are vital as one of our key performance areas.

We will not be able to do all these things alone without our associated institutions. A significant portion of our budget is transferred to our associated and funding institutions. It is within our interests and those of the country as a whole to see that we deliver to the people and all communities of our country. In the next MTEF, which starts with the 2008/9 budgetary cycle, I will insist that all performance agreements between the boards of these institutions and their CEO’s should be submitted to the Minister for his information and consideration. This is a matter of aligning all areas of performance to the goals and programs of government. It is about accountability and monitoring of the performance in social investment, not social subsidy.

Indeed, we must make this year, the year of business unusual! It must be so in the manner in which we conduct our professional lives. We must aim and deliver to our sector in a manner which will make us proud and exemplary to our colleagues and to all South Africans. I am appealing to our collective sense of professionalism, excellence and service to the nation. That is what public service is about. Batho Pele! We need to support one another, care for one another, affirm one another, respect one another, as well as respect our professional space. We spend most of our adult life at work. Let’s make it a pleasant and enjoyable space for all of us. Let us be disciplined and work as a team. I want to say to all of us gathered here today that I am 100% dedicated to this department and all of you. I am 100% dedicated to the arts and culture sector and its success.

I want to thank the Minister and the Deputy Minister for all their support and guidance. I also want to thank each and everyone in this department for the effort you continue to put into your work. I am sure we all have it in us to do even better. Let’s roll up our sleeves, and work! Thank you.

1917.

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