Madam Speaker
Ministers and Deputy Ministers
Honourable Members
Heads of Statutory Bodies
Directors General and Officials
Ladies and Gentlemen

As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the march of over 20 000 women to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956, I would like to dedicate my speech to all the women (and children) of South Africa, who despite present-day challenges of poverty, diseases, unemployment, violence toil everyday to building a better South African and a better world.

I would also like to pay tribute to the late Cde Nomngqengqo Duna (uMamqocwa), who passed away on 5 March 2003. She was my friend, my comrade and my hero. An inspirational woman who was a repository of knowledge and an embodiment of the philosophy we are promoting today. A philosophy that recognises that every women has God-given innate leadership abilities.

Although Mamqocwa was not as fortunate as some of us to have received an education beyond primary school level, she was amazingly endowed with intelligence and an analytical mind – naturally gifted.

She was a role model, a brave woman and a great leader in her won right who demonstrated that knowledge is not only gained though formal education but through lived and experiential wisdom. An unsung hero – long live the spirit of Cde Mamqocwa.

In his opening statement at the Special Event on the Challenges of Eradicating Poverty for Sustainable Development in 2001, UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan had this to say: “The poor are seldom poor by choice. Very few people in this world enjoy living on handouts. Most people know that they are quite capable of earning their living by their own efforts, and are eager to do so. But they must be given a fair chance to compete. That applies to individuals. It applies to companies. And it applies to countries.”

I agree whole-heartedly with Mr Annan and in today’s Budget Vote debate, I would like to focus only on those programmes and projects of the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) that address the challenges of the Second Economy through the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGI-SA) and the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA). And as stated in the ASGI-SA document “we are convinced that to achieve ASGI-SA’s goal of halving unemployment and poverty by 2014, we will have to pay particular attention to the concerns of women and youth”.

Arts in Society

The Mosadi wa Kono Kono Campaign, is a programme which aims to unleash the God-given innate capabilities, possessed by all women regardless of their circumstances. This campaign acknowledges and pays tribute to the incredible leadership role played by ordinary women, especially in the poorest of communities.

It strongly advocates the development of women leadership and the creation of a cadreship of role-models. The women involved in this programme play a leading role in their communities, championing development initiatives that are supported by our Investing in Culture (IIC) fund. We do not expect women to demonstrate excellence without having invested in cultivating this excellence.

The Mosadi wa Kono Kono campaign has already been launched in six (6) provinces. However, the Mosadi wa kono kono fever has already caught on in all nine (9) provinces. Women and women’s networks have been actively involved in cultural development and skills training programmes.

At this point I also wish to congratulate one Mosadi wa Kono Kono who has recently received the Order of the Baobab, Mama Grace Masuku. She was recognized for her role in promoting indigenous plants with medicinal value and passing on her incredible knowledge to large groups of equally enthusiastic youth.

Later in the year, during August (Women’s month), we will be hosting an Awards Ceremony to honouring or giving due recognition to women who have done outstanding work in their communities; Women who have played a courageous role in history and those who have contributed to the development of their communities. The youth will play an critical role in identifying and profiling Mosadi wa Kono kono.

The programme Arts, Social Development and the Youth is working towards arts access to all communities particularly the marginalized groups such as children, women, and people with disabilities, inmates in correctional centres and other vulnerable groups.

The range of arts services includes art therapy and art-making for social and economic development. Through the support of the Art Therapy Centre, the Department is funding the training of 20 community arts counsellors, who will graduate this year. With additional support during the current financial year, 12 more community arts counsellors will have their training upgraded to meet SAQA requirements and will graduate this year as well. These graduates are currently doing their internships in community facilities and we envisage their placements in Community Art Centres.

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In serving marginalized communities DAC is hopes to strengthen the working relationships and partnerships with the Departments of Labour, Health, Education, Correctional Services, Social Development, and Trade and Industry as a shared social cluster mandate. Services through arts access must be acknowledged and advocated at the highest level in order to direct appropriate portions of resources into meaningful development and roll out nationally.

We also hope to launch The National Youth Expressions Campaign within this month so that it coincides with the 30th Anniversary of the Soweto Student Uprising. This Campaign is targeting young people and would provide educational and skills training opportunities and viable and sustainable employment opportunities.

It is envisaged that accredited learnerships will be run in Community Art Centres and other sites of learning, situated within those targeted communities. Learners will be expected to complete a nine month programme that will be assessed on an ongoing basis.

Arts in Correctional Facilities is a programme which was introduced to three facilities as a pilot project last year. As the pilot project was a great success we are now planning, together with the Department of Correctional Services and Social Development, to implement this project in thirty-six (36) other identified correctional facilities.

The programme provides skills training and a creative outlet for the inmates in the process of being rehabilitated.

We have also designed an Early Childhood Development programme for children under the age of five years, who are living with their mothers in correctional facilities. At present there is no development programme to nurture them along educational, emotional and psychological milestones. It is, therefore, extremely important to provide these children with the normal wherewithal to cope with schooling later so that they do not remain at risk. It also serves to restore dignity to families.

Society has a vital role to play in the preservation of family, whether it is child-headed households, single parenting or any other family structure and through arts, universal positive human and family values can and should be promoted.

The Department has introduced the Cultural Fluency Campaign which addresses the creation of a progressive society that understands and accepts cultural differences that make up the nation and fosters tolerance and social dialogue. The campaign speaks to issues of removing barriers to intercultural competence.

The Department has recently also been seriously considering the Role of Culture in Human Settlements. For us, the overarching challenge is to present solutions that are not only practical, but incorporate a heightened level of social consciousness. This may be derived through the suggested approach, Cultural Planning, which has already taken root in other developing nations such as Botswana and Cuba, which looks at Social Inclusion, Social Integration, Creative Expression, Cultural Diversity and of course Funding.

A presentation of the concept was made to the Social Cluster and we hope that, again, we will be able to work together with the Departments of Housing, Social Development, Environmental Affairs & Tourism and Education.

The Community Arts Centres Programme is four years old this year.

The Programme has grown in its status from its early and humble beginning that was characterised by a vision entitled ‘Towards optimally functioning Community Arts Centres in South Africa’.

This vision led to the development of many strategies that the department implemented that changed the face of Community Arts Centres in South Africa and since 2005 the department has declared Community Arts Centres as anchor projects.

Today we are proud to report that, through our bi-national agreement with the Flemish Government, we have come up with a new vision that promotes and position Community Arts Centres as Institutions of Development: ‘A network of vibrant policy-driven Community Arts Centres that have the capa¬city for sustainable delivery of appropriate services in terms of national, provincial and local socio-economic development priorities and that effectively interact with relevant development institutions and processes’.

We understand that critical to the sustainability of Community Arts Centres is effective management and good programmes that addresses wider community needs. In accordance with this new vision, we are continuously working hard to ensure that the centres become relevant to government priorities.

The Community Arts Centre Programme was allocated a budget of R5 million rand in the previous financial year. As part of the bi-national agreement with the Flemish Government, the Department has made provision for R833, 000.00 as a contribution towards the development of Community Arts Centres in the three (3) provinces of Limpopo, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.

The Department facilitated the establishment of a National Forum of Community Arts Centres in 2004. Part of the budget went into strengthening the institutional capacity of this structure to enable the department to promote access to and optimal participation in the Community Arts Centres.

R2 2 million has been allocated to programmes in Community Arts Centres to ensure that there are programmes in music, craft, heritage, sewing running and that these directly benefit member of the targeted communities. The department will continue to support some of the programmes to develop them into excellent productions. These projects include District festivals, Mosadi wa Konokono campaign, performing arts and music training.

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Investing in Culture Funding in Community Arts Centres

The Department of Arts and Culture has already started funding arts, culture and heritage projects that have the potential to grow as small businesses. Projects range from music development, craft training and development, jewellery-making, leather works and many other cultural innovations. A total of R7, 451,200. has been invested into 15 Community Arts Centres.

However, we must put in more resources and effort to unlock the creative assets that are in the hands of our poor and disadvantaged people. The department is now aware of what we can be achieved through Community Arts Centres that are strategically situated where the less privileged and poor people of our country live.

The current debates on underdevelopment, the second economy and what can be done to fast-track women and the poor out of the second economy, urgently require us to rethink and afford these Centres, the arts and culture as important mechanisms to fight both underdevelopment and poverty in our communities. The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) document reads” Arts and culture permeate all aspects of society and are integral parts of social and economic life, as well as business and industry based upon the arts”.

With this investment, we are moving in to demonstrate that given the relevant and adequate support the Community Arts Centres can help to narrow the poverty gap and create more jobs for the communities where they are located.

So in keeping up with the relevance of proper and up to date use of the information and communication technologies and how these can enhance the projects and outputs in and around Community Arts Centres, the Department has partnered with the University of Pretoria to establish, alongside Community Art Centres, Women Entrepreneurial Skills Training Centres.

These centres will provide skills training and capacity-building programmes for women. Amongst others, women will be trained in computer literacy, entrepreneurship, business and financial management. To this end, the department has invested R500, 000.00 for the feasibility study by the University of Pretoria. This initiative, we hope, will piloted in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.

The DAC will also be working very closely with the Departments of Trade and Industry and Communications to make this initiative a success.

Following on from a conference held in Brazil last year which discussed the issue of enhancing the creative economy and looking at shaping an International Centre on Creative Industries, the department also hopes that this project would plant the seed of shaping a South African Centre on Creative Industries. The Centre’s role, it is envisaged, will serve as a knowledge bank and clearinghouse for programmes and activities on creative industries. It will also link up with the International Centre.

The department has set aside an amount of R1 million for the Community Arts Centre Awards which will be held in this current financial year. The Awards project is intended to highlight the value of Community Arts Centres in development, create such awareness for the public and the private sectors; and to promote good governance and excellence in delivering artistic work.

The project will also assist us in generating information about best practices that will be used by other centres and create networks.

We would like to see a significant improvement in Community Arts Centres because they represent a high visible form of delivery by government.

4. Language in Society

The focus in the National Language Services is on active implementation of the Language Policy. To this end the mathematics, science and technology dictionaries have been completed in all official languages. Nine Language Research and Development Centres have been established, one for each of the official indigenous African languages. Many translations of documents were done both in the eleven official languages and in foreign languages.

The Telephone Interpreting Service for South Africa (TISSA) (which I reported on last year) had an initial target 300 but found that more were required as a result more than these are operating with the help of Golola/Opticall service providers throughout the country.

The National Language Forum established a task team for the SA Language Practitioners Council to conduct research on the ‘professionalisation’ of the language profession. Their findings contributed vital information for the development of the concept and policy documents.

Fifty-two Bursaries were awarded last year, 15 have passed the Honours Degree and 35 are still in the system doing the Masters Degree. Thirty-four new bursaries were awarded to undergraduate students who are still in the system.

Cultural Development

Thirty percent (30%) of the Investing in Culture funding has been channeled to the ISRDP and URP nodes. This has contributed to the creation of about 800 jobs. Planned projects for 2006 in music, crafts, design, books and publishing, visual arts, film and television include the formation of a National Music Body, the establishment of a national representative body for the crafters, the launch of the Literary Heroes campaign, the drafting of the design and visual arts policy and skills development for the youth in the field of TV and film studies.

At this point I wish to point out the challenges women face in the film industry. There are fewer women in this industry and still fewer African women. Many of them occupy non-creative positions, as coordinators, producers etc. The few women, who are directors, face great challenges from their male counterparts. They are often seen and used as tokens. With the greatest respect, they are filmmakers, as much as their male counterparts, and must be afforded the same treatment and opportunities. Is somebody listening out there? This is South Africa, where equality between women and men and between the races is entrenched in the Constitution.

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We need to, through NFVF, encourage women to tell and direct their own stories. And, before I forget, let me, once more congratulate the women and men who were involved with the film “Tsotsi” and made it successful to win the prestigious Oscar Award

International Cultural Co-operation

President Mbeki has on numerous occasions laid emphasis on our responsibility to achieve new and decisive advances in playing our role to ensure the success of SADC, the AU and its programme and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). He has also committed this country to continue engaging the African challenges, focusing on peace and democracy in the region and further strengthen the African Union.

As South Africans we are also informed by the principles and protocols of the African Union and its collaboration with a broad range of countries in the developing world subscribing to the ethos that cultural diversity which is underpinned by democratic values, social justice .and tolerance, is indeed indispensable for social cohesion, peace and security at national and international levels.

The Department of Arts and Culture will be looking into issues pertaining to the relationship between Cultural Diversity and peace-making efforts on the African continent. In this respect the Department has commissioned the HSRC to investigate and develop a framework on the relationship between cultural diversity and peace and security making in Africa. This initiative seeks to look at promotion of cultural exchanges and celebrate culture in all its diverse natures and seeks to better enhance the quality of living for all Africans.

Conflict between states in Africa has decreased significantly over the past decade, but civil wars and conflicts within states persist in a number of countries. Although these conflicts are often the result of competition over resources and political power, the political factions often use cultural and identity differences as a tool for mobilizing support against opponents.

Cultural diversity, which should be the riches of a country, is used by these leaders for positioning themselves in the struggle for political power. Cultural differences are then used to identify others as inferior in the same way colonisers psychologically and physically enforced the identity of others on the natives. As such, cultural differences can be a justification not only for political dominance but also a justification for economic dominance.’

Even when political peace is restored through international agreements, underlying cultural tensions and seemingly incompatible cultural and religious identities make it difficult to develop national unity. As a result possibilities for return to conflict remain present. On the other hand international experience shows that where cultural diversity is accepted as an asset for the nation, peace initiatives become more entrenched in society, and societies become prosperous. Culture can thus play a constructive role in building unity in post-conflictual situations.

The examples from Mozambique, Angola and our own beautiful country offer promising opportunities for Africa with its rich cultural history and cultural traditions that promote social cohesion and peace, such as ubuntu. Our own experience of reconciliation and nation building places an obligation on us to share our new cultural riches with our sisters and brothers in African states in conflict. As a first contribution DAC has requested the Human Sciences Research Council, together with relevant organizations from Africa and abroad to do an investigation into the role of cultural diversity in peace making in Africa. Such an investigation may deepen our understanding of the constructive role of cultural diversity in reconciliation and post-conflict construction of both national and cultural identities.

Our sense of identity is rooted in our past and where we come from, and includes a heritage springing from the very cradle of civilisation, while on the other hand we are bombarded by the onslaught of globalisation which presents both threats to the preservation of this cultural heritage, as well as the challenge to promote and protect our cultural diversity.

For several years the “term cultural diversity” has been employed as a concept that under-girds certain intangible, yet very important human rights. Indeed it is enshrined in our own constitution along with the recognition of the right of freedom of expression, the right to artistic creativity, freedom of the media, the right of citizens of this country to use the language of their choice and the right to participate in the cultural life of the country as they choose.

Following the successful 33rd UNESCO convention held last year, we intend to ratify the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of diversity of cultural expressions.

South Africa will host a Cultural Diversity Conference for Africa and the Diaspora later this year.

South Africa’s participation in the India, Brazil, South Africa (IBSA) Trilateral activities include: Music, Craft and Fashion Exhibition in Brazil and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Conference in South Africa.

As the next country to host the Soccer World Cup in 2010, after Germany, South Africa will have a cultural programme during the closure of the 2006 World Cup.

South Africa will become a member of the Commonwealth Foundation once the processes are finalized during this financial year. This would then ensure participation in Grant Making; Partnerships; Programme Management; Research & Innovation; Awards, Prizes & Fellowships; Networking & Information Dissemination and Policy & Practice Advocacy.

Heritage

The National Heritage Council (NHC), a two year old statutory body, organized a Civil Society Engagement on World Heritage as a build up to the World Heritage Committee Meeting held in Durban, in July 2005. This was the first time a national civil society engagement was held in South Africa. Both the efforts of the Council and the fact that the UNESCO meeting was held in sub-Saharan Africa for the first time created a keen public awareness. The NHC is currently conducting a nationwide audit of the heritage sector. This vital information on the state of our heritage landscape makes it easier to coordinate, transform, consolidate and develop policies that promote the sector. The NHC is also engaged in broad consultations to develop the first draft of the Heritage Transformation Charter by November 2006. A very important project that the NHC is involved in is the rediscovery of the history of Mpumalanga Province more than a billion years back. The first manuscript has been handed to the Province and preparations are underway for the publishing of this work and also for its inclusion into the education curriculum. One of the many projects the NHC is currently occupied with is the launch of the South African Heritage Awards.

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The SA – Mali Project has entered a new phase of the construction of the new library and archive buildings for the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu A highly successful exhibition of a selection of manuscripts from Timbuktu was presented by the Department in conjunction with the Standard Bank at the Standard Bank Gallery in Johannesburg. This is to be followed by a far more extensive exhibition in 2006 – 2007 that will travel to several major centers in the country It is being prepared on behalf of the Department by Iziko Museums in Cape Town.

UNESCO registers Documentary Heritage in the Memory of the World. So far two South African Collections are registered – The Bleek Collection housed at the National Library in Cape Town and the V.O.C. Collection housed in the Cape Town Archives Repository. South Africa will be hosting the 8th Meeting of the International Advisory Council (IAC) of the Memory of the World Programme during the 2nd week of June 2007.

The first Annual National Conference on Oral History was held in 2004. At the 2nd Annual Conference held in 2005, an Oral History Association for South Africa was established. This Association will be hosting the 3rd Annual Conference this year in KwaZulu-Natal (2006).

Events and Technical Services

Introduction

Our Department’s intervention is the beginning of the many steps towards forging a growth path in our economy through a consolidated, governable and globally competitive industry. The industry that will in the future, significantly contribute to the growth and development of the country, through job creation, poverty reduction and profitable dynamic value-adding Cultural Industries.

The Department of Arts and Culture plays a pivotal role in forging meaningful interventions and driving the transformation of various Cultural industries and related sectors, our role sufficed a need for the Department’s partnership with the sectors to create a forum for knowledge exchange and to take stock of where this hidden and almost non-existent but yet influential industry is.

The Events Indaba

The first Events Indaba was mounted on the 29-30th September 2005 at Gallagher Estate, Midrand, to highlight the challenges that confront the Technical Production industry, and to explore the issues of opening-up economic opportunities and the industry governance. The Technical Production Industry is made-up of amongst others; academics, technicians, engineers, stage designers, production companies, events organizer and managers, and corporate bodies.

The Indaba created a fertile ground for retrospect and redress as far as the make-up and the composition in the industry, international speakers who were invited to the Indaba applauded the Department and the industry for this initiative and gave landmarks and pointers, on how issues of common nature could be addressed.

Robust topics like transformation, skills and human resource development, health and safety were thoroughly trashed and outlined. And a way forward was forged by the election of the Events Technical Services Task team to address key Challenging issues and the Conference resolutions.

The Task Team.

The Department will be inaugurating the 13 members on the 26 June 2006 in Johannesburg who were elected at the Events Indaba to serve on the Task Team, it is planned that at the Inaugural function the projects for the Task Team will be launched and a media brief will be hosted. Task Team projects are crucial themes which forms a tent-pole for the policy frame-work process. The Task Team put-up an action plan which unfolds by having provincial conferences. The purpose of the provincial conferences is to make sure that we get maximum participation from all role players and stakeholder.

Feasibility Study

A study was conducted on the eve of the Events Indaba, largely to inform the indaba on legitimate topics for discussion. A feasibility study report was handed to the Department and presented at the conference. The study was an active research where most of the industry players were interviewed. Fortunately for the Department was that the study was conducted by an economist who was very clinical in articulating figures and numbers. Facts about the make-up and composition of the industry are very worrying factor. Transformation is far from being realized in these sectors. The previously disadvantaged are still marginalized. The industry is still white and male dominated and the status quo remains.

Activities 2005. Performing Arts and Technical Services.

Project 2005

Objective
Budget

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Activities 2006

Projects 2006

Objective
Budget

In conclusion, I wish to, once again emphasise the importance of the cultural dimension in social and economic development. I have attempted to demonstrate the important role played by heritage, creativity and identity and why it is important that theses should be preserved and developed through coherent, sustainable programmes which must be fully integrated in the national development strategy.

Sometimes I get the feeling that we are not communicating this message very clearly and that is probably why the budget allocated to the Department of Arts and Culture is always inadequate. I would request that Parliament reconsiders our budget for the next financial year in the light of the information I have attempted to convey today.

I would like to thank the members of the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture, and in particular the ANC Study Group, for their support, their diligence and their patience with the Ministry and the Department. I trust that once a Chairperson for the Committee is appointed they will go into overdrive.

I also wish to thank Minister Pallo Jordan for his guidance and support, the DG and Senior Management, and all those officials from Director level downwards, who have had to put with me.

Thank you to the Ministry staff for their support, but I wish to specially that Mrs Melanie Hess, for putting up with me and supporting me under, sometimes, very trying circumstances. Her shoulders are often wet from my tears but she has be a pillar of strength throughout my time as a Deputy Minister.

Thank you all for your attention.

This year in the Age of Hope we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Women’s March against the imposition of passes, we pay tribute to the many women and acknowledge the courageous role that women have played in the history of our country.

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