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23 June 2004Madam Speaker, Addressing the nation at the opening of our third democratic parliament, President Mbeki recommitted us to “mov[ing] our country forward decisively towards the eradication of poverty and underdevelopment ... [and to] taking care to enhance the process of social cohesion”. He set “achiev(ing) further and visible advances with regard to the improvement of the quality of life of all our people, affecting many critical areas of social existence, including ... moral regeneration, social cohesion [and] opening the doors of culture and education to all” as our immediate strategic goal.. The Department of Arts and Culture is uniquely placed to contribute to the realization of these goals. Manu tend to see this department as the entertainment, song and dance component of the government. I prefer to project it as the custodian of South Africa’s diverse cultural, artistic and linguistic heritage. It can also be regarded as the depository of our collective national memory. We owe the achievements of this department over the last ten years to the sterling contribution made by Dr Ben Ngubane, my predecessor as Minister, and his successive Deputies. During the first decade of freedom Arts and Culture have made their unique contribution to strengthening and uniting our nation. Achievements to date include
The 2003/04 financial year saw further significant developments. The DAC is a new department, created after this year’s elections by separating the Arts and Culture functions from those of Science and Technology. In his brief when he appointed me to this post President Mbeki specifically tasked us to raise the profile of Arts and Culture and to lend to these functions the dignity they deserve. My remarks today will focus in the main on how we hope to achieve this, while addressing the most serious challenges that face our nation – eradicating poverty and creating remunerative work. The National Heritage Council was established last year to improve the management of heritage resources and to oversee the transformation of the sector. Transformation entails our museums and other heritage institutions becoming more reflective of our democratic values political dispensation, and also correcting the distortions in the country’s history and the depiction of our peoples. Six of the nine pilot legacy projects approved by Cabinet in 1998 were completed by June 2003. They include the Women’s Monument and Constitution Hill. The Chief Albert Luthuli legacy project is near completion and will be unveiled in July 2004 at KwaDukuza, in KwaZulu-Natal. A new portfolio of project; the Mapungubwe, eMakhosini Valley, Liliesleaf, Steven Bantubonke Biko, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe and Sarah Bartmann projects, presently in the pipeline, will go some way towards correcting past distortions. By early 2005 we plan to have a near complete inventory of the grave and burial sites of all those who lost their lives during the struggle for liberation. That list will include sites inside and outside South Africa. We are working with professionals to develop new national policy and strategic frameworks to ensure that there is adequate capacity to implement legacy projects as quickly as possible. The department will cooperate with other implementation agencies, non-governmental and community-based organizations, in project roll-out, with the Department acting in management and monitoring roles. Freedom Park is being executed through the Freedom Park Trust. The Construction of the first phase, that includes the Garden of Remembrance, will soon be complete. On 16 December 2004 we hope to be able to unveil it. The second phase, scheduled for completion in March 2006, will make Freedom Park fully operational. Last year Cabinet approved the National Language Policy Framework, to promote the equitable use of the 11 official languages and to ensure redress for previously marginalized indigenous languages. One of the National Language Service outputs for 2003 was the development of Mathematics terminology in all nine African languages, in collaboration with nine tertiary institutions. In June a Mathematics terminology list containing approximately 10 000 terms, was launched. We are embarked on encouraging the emergence of new literary magazines in English, the African languages and in Afrikaans. I will be entering into discussion around these issues with the key players in South African publishing. We will also consult the publishers about evolving a national strategy to promote a reading culture in South Africa. One of the many challenges South African publishers have to rise to is the danger of the rich treasury of writings in the indigenous languages, some dating from the mid-19th century, being lost to future generations of South Africans. We will undertake initiatives to encourage the republication of old works in the various African languages while stimulating new writing in these languages by younger writers. It is incumbent upon me to point out that we are not appealing solely to the altruism of South African publishers. It makes perfect business sense for publishers to encourage literacy: after all, that is what enables the public to consume their products. A comprehensive study on the print industry, funded by the Print Industries Cluster Council, established that the industry has an annual turnover of approximately R1.5 billion, pays royalties to 8 309 authors/other parties and employs more than 3 000 people. Substantial progress was made with the declared cultural institutions during the 2003/04 financial year. New councils were established for all 13 bodies, and a transformation budget of R7 million was distributed. The Indigenous Music Project, aimed at protecting, collecting and the promotion of indigenous music, was launched in September and October 2003 at the Universities of Zululand, Venda and Fort Hare. In Music, we have solid foundations to build on. These include the annual SA Music Week, the in-school education programme run with the Department of Education, and the Music in Public Spaces initiative. Our three-year projection includes a Legal Aid facility for musicians, setting up a benevolent fund for artists, establishing a music industry export council and implementing a levy on blank tapes. Significantly, next year we aim to introduce a regulatory framework that will standardise contracts and work permits for musicians. During National Heritage Month in September last year our national symbols and national orders were showcased. The promotion of the new national symbols to the South African general public will continue into next year. Commencing on Heritage Day 2004, we shall be mounting a comprehensive campaign to promote recognition and understanding of our national symbols – the flag, the national coat of arms, the national anthem and the various national orders. The department will cooperate with the GCIS, other government departments, the media and especially the schools in the implementation of this campaign. The Department is also involved in several important initiatives beyond the borders of South Africa. We participated in the drafting of the UNESCO Convention on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Timbuktu Manuscript Project, the first NEPAD cultural project, was launched on 25 May 2003 – Africa Day – by the Presidents of Mali and South Africa. Our National Archives and paper-manufacturing industry are intimately involved in that project. Cultural Development and International Cooperation, one of the key Departmental programmes, is the gateway to economic and other development opportunities for South African arts and culture on a global and national scale. The programme maintains 37 international agreements. We entered into six new agreements with the People’s Republic of China, Mexico, India, Hungary and the Flemish government last year. This past week, on 14 June, I signed a partnership agreement with my Swedish counterpart in Pretoria. The Flemish partnership seeks to promote in-service and pre-service training of artists and arts teachers. The Department’s input is handled by Arts Education and Training (AET) – which falls under our Arts Institutional Governance Directorate. Arts Education and Training has also held accreditation workshops around the country to alert training providers, in the formal and informal sectors, to the requirements of the South African Qualifications Authority. The establishment of CREATE SA that stands out as one of AET’s most significant achievements. Through CREATE SA, learnerships driven by industry demand have been awarded in a wide range of areas, including music, design, crafts, arts management, heritage and the performing arts. Approximately 2000 learnerships or skills development programmes have been taken up since 2003. Our Cultural Development and International Cooperation programme is also responsible for the Investing in Culture programme. It focuses on the crafts, music, heritage and cultural tourism sectors. Investing in Culture aims to identify and use existing skills within communities and among individuals. It is the single most significant intervention the Department is making in the Second Economy. To date
The National Treasury has recognized the contribution the DAC is making to the fight to eradicate poverty and create remunerative work. We have been given a bigger budget allocation, but an even bigger allocation will enable us to do a great deal more! In Craft, with the Department of Trade and Industry, we are developing a craft marketing strategy geared at enhancing export opportunities. South Africa has unique and innovative products with considerable product diversity. The exploitation of crafters is a well known scandal which needs to be addressed. We plan to devise innovative strategies that will result in a price regulatory framework that protects crafters from unscrupulous middle-persons. We will be entering discussions with crafters to encourage their organization for mutual support and protection; and the Department will initiate the setting up of a national crafts council that will empower crafters with business skills. Such a council could also become a marketing arm. Let me briefly to indicate the Department’s Legislative Programme. Four Bills will serve before the National Assembly: the SA Languages Bill, the Language Professions Council Bill, the Legal Deposit Amendment Bill and the SA Geographical Names Council Amendment Bill.
There are unacceptable levels of Intellectual Property Rights violations. The issue of copyright legislation is a challenge which faces us as government which we will be tackling. The Department’s budget has grown at an annual average rate of 32.5% over the past three years. Between 2000/01 and 2003/04 this growth is attributable to capital transfers in Heritage Promotion. Growth in the medium term will be substantially lower, at an annual average of 5.2%, owing largely to the termination of capital transfers to Freedom Park in 2005/06. Transfers to heritage institutions and to arts and culture institutions dominate the vote and are projected to take up an average of 85.5% of the Department’s expenditure over the medium term. The programme Arts and Culture in Society funds performing arts institutions, orchestras, the National Arts Council and the Promotion of Arts and Culture in South Africa sub-programme. The Department will continue the work it is doing, as well as endeavouring to achieve an equitable distribution of funds to ensure the sustainability of playhouses, orchestras and the Moral Regeneration Movement. We will establish and support two large instrumental ensembles during 2004/05. We will provide grants to programmes in the 24 community arts centres where we are active, and fund 10 arts festivals. We plan also to increase the participation of the disabled in festivals and to enhance their access to arts and culture in general. The sum of R93 243 00 has been allocated to performing arts institutions. Orchestras will receive R9 million. Promotion of Arts and Culture has been allocated R36 242 000. The National Arts Council will get R44 668 000 Arts and Culture in Society will receive a total of R218 153 000, or 19.11% of the Department’s budget. Slightly over half the budget for Cultural Development and International Cooperation is devoted to Investing in Culture: R75 000 000 out of R148 992 000. Through our Promotion of Arts and Culture in South Africa sub-programme, we hope to contribute directly to social development through programmes directed at out of school youth, the rehabilitation of prisoners and to the Moral Regeneration Movement. A sub-directorate, Arts and Social Development is responsible for initiating and managing projects and programmes aimed at social cohesion. Its primary focus is youth, HIV and Aids, crime prevention, human rights and disability. We plan a project: "Arts in Prisons", whose focus will be on using the arts to modify the behaviour of offenders serving time in prison. Beginning July 2004 the "Outstanding Inmate in Arts" and "Dramatists against Crime" projects will commence in cooperation with the Department of Correctional Services. Cultural Industries has been allocated R16 600 000. Funds will be transferred to support music, craft, books and publishing, film, design and other sectors in 2004/05. In International Cooperation, our targets include
Cultural Development and International Cooperation has been allocated 13.05% of the departmental budget. Heritage Promotion has R340 804 000 set aside for Declared Cultural Institutions, and R175 740 000 for Capital Works. There is an urgent need to refurbish our heritage infrastructure so that our museums can have world-class exhibition spaces and access facilities. Special emphasis will be placed on enhancing ease of access for the physically challenged. Our capital investments strategy includes
The National Heritage Council and Transformation receive R21 867 000. Heritage Transformation projects include the Oral History Project, the results of which we plan to incorporate into the National Register of Oral Sources. The South African Heritage Resources Agency has been allocated R16 512 000. With the participation of communities and the private sector, we hope to declare several new heritage sites by September this year. The Promotion of Heritage has been allotted R30 591 000. Key objectives in this sector include
A total of R593 675 000, or 52% of the Department’s budget, is set aside for Heritage Promotion. South Africa will host the UNESCO World Heritage Council at Durban in 2005. Departmental costs for staffing account for R78 746 000, administration, accounts for R35 314 000. Transformation within the Department itself has exceeded the targets set in the White Paper. The White set a target of 50% black in the management echelon; the actual figure is 86%. The White Paper target was 30% women in the management; the actual figure is 32% female. Overall, the department’s staff composition is 70% black, 30% white, 55% female and 45% male. Lastly, additional funds have been allocated. The Investing in Culture programme receives R75 million, and Social Cohesion and Social Justice R7,5 million. This additional amount for Investing in Culture doubles the amount the Department has to intervene in the second economy. The total of R150 million, together with the funds available specifically to address Social Cohesion and Social Justice, means the Department will play a considerable part in helping to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment and enhancing the process of social cohesion. I closing I extend an invitation from to the arts and culture community to join us in opening the doors of culture to all, and in promoting social cohesion and nation-building. Let us all “get down to work in a people’s contract to build a better South Africa and a better world”. Thank you. Ndiyabonga.
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