Budget speech by the Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais

WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPORT, ANROUX MARAIS

2018/19 BUDGET VOTE SPEECH

27 MARCH 2018

 

Honourable Speaker
Premier
Cabinet colleagues and Members of the Provincial Parliament
Chairperson of the Standing Committee
Head of Department and managers of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport
Our partners in the sport and cultural sectors
Media
Residents of the Western Cape

 

Good day, goeiedag, molweni nonke

Introduction

Speaker, it is indeed an absolute pleasure and honour to once again present to this House and the greater Western Cape community, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport’s budget for the 2018/19 financial year. I will elaborate on how the Department has allocated the appropriated R 760 734 000 to enable a socially inclusive, creative, active and connected Western Cape. The following presentation embodies our commitment to responding to the needs of the communities we serve. It also highlights the instrumental role the Department fulfils in nation building, in inspiring hope and in the holistic development of the individual through sport and cultural affairs.

Cultural Affairs and Sport: Inspires prosperity and progress

Speaker, we find ourselves in an ever-changing socio-political climate: One characterised by a national nonchalance to the dire straits our people face on a daily basis. A national socio-political environment which has for a long time become accustomed to funding corruption, maladministration and state capture. Speaker, at the short end of the nonchalant stick, is our children; the youth we have all sworn to afford better prospects to. As a result, a new culture of hopelessness and despondence has left our youth uninspired and unmotivated to be better versions of themselves. Speaker, this is evident in the realities our youth act out on stages through our various drama festivals across the province. Stories of unemployment, teenage pregnancies, substance abuse, absent fathers, gangsterism, abuse and the lack of viable opportunities take centre stage when our youth are afforded the platform to express themselves. Speaker, a mind-set shift is urgently required to grow as a people and to offer our youth better prospects. It is the duty of this Department and government as a whole to allow our people to critically see their environments differently and to establish their rightful place in taking ownership of their circumstances and communities which inculcates a sense of belonging, pride and will to prosper which in turn then lets our children dream bigger and imagine better futures for themselves.

Speaker, the question that arises: “How do we then deliver on our mandate with less than what we had when we already started with the bare minimum?” The four programmes within the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport speak directly to redressing the damaging effects of hopelessness and social ills as they contribute to positive youth development and negotiate a collective identity: one which inspires prosperity and progress for the province. All four of our programmes co-function holistically to accelerate unity, hope, reconciliation, respect, pride and a celebration of our diversity and simultaneously creates an enabling environment for all who call the Western Cape home. As I now present the 2018/19 budget of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, I ask all present here today to be mindful of the proactive role you each have to fulfil in assisting us in allowing our children to imagine a better life by enabling a thriving environment in which children can be children again. Let the children play.

Programme 1: Administration

For the 2018/19 financial year, Programme 1: Administration is allocated R66 365 000. This allocation allows the department to achieve service excellence through continuous improvement of financial management practices. This appropriation will ensure support to all other programmes and enable them to improve service delivery to all in the Western Cape. A dedicated R32 363 000 will provide an overall financial management support service to the department including financial management services to the 3 public entities reporting to my office: Western Cape Cultural Commission, Western Cape Language Committee and Heritage Western Cape, all of whom are represented in the gallery today.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge the officials of our award winning Department present here today, under the leadership of our Head of Department, Mr Brent Walters. I thank all of you for the professional spirit in which you impact the residents of the Western Cape through Cultural Affairs and Sport with care, competence, accountability, integrity, innovation and responsiveness. The dedicated support provided by the Ministerial staff, also present in the gallery today, is greatly appreciated and does not go unnoticed. I trust that together we will continue to promote, develop and transform cultural affairs and sport in the Western Cape. 

Programme 2: Cultural Affairs

Contrary to the popular belief that knowledge is power, I am of the opinion that the power instead lies in the expression of that knowledge and more importantly in it being understood by another. The 2005 UNESCO Global Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions recognises that culture contributes to development holistically - both socially and economically. The convention affirms that cultural diversity should be celebrated and protected.  By making diversity accessible to all, it increases our range of choice, and helps "nurture human capacities and values".  It argues that when diversity is celebrated, it allows for a more complete realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms central to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Speaker, cultural diversity can be protected and promoted only if human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression, information and communication, as well as the ability of individuals to choose cultural expressions, are guaranteed. Programme 2: Cultural Affairs is central towards achieving these goals, creating the enabling environment for expression to flourish through arts, culture, museum, heritage and language related services.

For the 2018/19 financial year, Programme 2: Cultural Affairs is allocated R111 917 000. Speaker, this amount may seem significant in Rands but the increasing number of requests from communities and organisations immediately informs us that the demand certainly outweighs the supply.

It is no secret that our political landscape is currently shifting and while we are now forced to become innovative with the very little funds available to us, our department continues in its resilient efforts to rebuild a once divided nation through cultural affairs and sport. We strive to promote, advocate for and preserve cultural affairs and we cannot do so successfully and more importantly, sustainably without the support and partnering with those who ardently drive this very vision, mindful of all who call the Western Cape home.

Speaker, the extent of our austerity measures dictates that establishing, maintaining and improving partnerships is vital in achieving the sustainability of our departmentally funded programmes.

In achieving sustainability, we have increased our efforts to encourage collaborations to expand skills and opportunities. We have also reviewed and reconsidered cultural services and programmes offered to the youth so as to make provisions for relatable engagements to assist in navigating through the Western Cape’s diverse cultural landscape, fostering understanding, tolerance and mutual respect for differing cultural backgrounds.

Speaker, our long standing partnership with Artscape, represented by its CEO, Marlene Le Roux and the Baxter Theatre, represented by Fahiem Stellenboom in the gallery today, is testament to this very goal. Both theatres have made considerable strides in diversifying and transforming theatre stages so that it integrates and reflects realities that resonate with our youth and communities within the Western Cape. Productions such as “The Fall”, “Aunty Merle” and “Mixability” as specialised in by the Unmute Dance Company who mainstreams artists with disabilities alongside able-bodied artists showcase the current realities our youth finds themselves in today. It inspires a sense of belonging, contributes to the understanding of different perspectives and offers a frame of reference which paves the way for tolerance and acceptance of the beauty in our diversity, which otherwise may be misconstrued and used as a divisive factor which has detrimental results for the social inclusivity we are striving to encourage. The Annual Zabalaza Festival brings this goal to life as it was incredible to have first-hand experience of the momentous support base offered to our emerging developmental performing artists. The Baxter Theatre Centre was bursting with song, dance and the exuberance of youth at this year’s festival. The awe-inspiring celebration of award winners as well as nominees at the Festival’s closing ceremony held on 17 March 2018 induced goose bumps of pride and augmented the urgency in which we need to create an even more enabling environment for our developmental artists to flourish.

With the limited funds available to us, we will continue to prioritise the development, preservation and promotion of arts and culture in the Western Cape through the creation of effective and vibrant functioning arts and culture structures, activities and environments. Speaker, during the past financial year, in excess of R18 000 000 was invested in professional organisations, NGO’s, cultural tourism as well as the umbrella bodies of the Minstrels, Christmas Bands and Malay Choirs. We received 227 applications for funding to the value of R103 266 388, a clear indication of the need for support in this sector. Through partnerships and collaborations, youth were exposed to various environments where the arts are at the forefront of job creation and skills development. 

The funding of cultural organisations has allowed us to facilitate the interaction between the larger professional companies, festivals and community organisations and break the rural-urban divide. Through partnerships, twinning and exposure we have advanced both the artistic and organisational capacity within communities and promoted social inclusivity at various levels through our initiatives.

Speaker, one of our beneficiaries to receive funding from Programme 2: Cultural Affairs performed only but a screenshot of their expertise during lunch. Represented by its co-founder Laurence Esteve and Tania Majavie in the gallery today, Zip Zap Circus School combines their skills to contribute to a better South Africa by developing the leaders of tomorrow through creating a safe space for children and by practicing and teaching equality, kindness, respect, good manners, love and compassion for one another - all of which is currently lacking in many of our communities.  With humble beginnings, under, in and swinging from a tree in their founders’ backyards and through ongoing collaborative efforts, “ordinary” children and youth who were previously labelled “failures” in conventional school settings are now performing for world leaders and travelling the world to represent our beloved country. They are succeeding at growing into independent adults who contribute positively to the economy and they personify actual role models for others, empowering our communities with empathy and hope. The various programmes run at Zip Zap indeed support our provincial strategic goals of improving education outcomes and opportunities for youth development as they are the first in South Africa to develop a professional circus qualification to provide vocational apprenticeships to at least 50 learners between the ages of 16-26 years old by 2020. Their vision is quite simple, yet profound: “Inspiring kids for life” with the core purpose of giving opportunities to children who are the major stakeholders. I have personally been audience to many of Zip Zap’s productions and was heartened to engage with their passionate CEO, Laurence Esteve on the remarkable projects underway. Speaker, our Department thrives on ensuring that the organisations we are associated with achieve their ideals and objectives and especially in the arts, we celebrate artistic excellence when achieved.

This is true of Zip Zap’s social innovative arts Programme which gives young people a chance through the medium of the circus arts. They nurture and mentor young people to reach an international standard within this genre. Zip Zap is producing world class artists who have performed all over the world – after performing at the White House for the last Halloween party of Barrack Obama in October 2016, they were invited by Roger Federer to perform at the Match For Africa 3 in Zurich in April 2017, then at Leu Tempo festival in Reunion Island in May 2017. They have just returned from their 39th international tour attending the 2nd African Circus Arts Festival in Ethiopia funded by UNESCO and will travel to France in September this year. This further enhances the opportunities for young artists to leverage their networks, circle of influence and longevity of their careers.

The organisation, over the last 26 years has left a mark in the Cape Town art sector and the circus industry worldwide. Their school touches 2000 youth each year in 9 different programmes - absolutely free of charge. Zip Zap has proven its worth of every investment and as a matter of fact they continue to give back on a regular basis.

Last year Zip Zap started an innovative collaboration oration of their craft with another of our beneficiaries, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra which has fused the genres. It was a breath-taking production with world class circus acts in tandem with world class orchestra music. The artistic excellence and entertainment value was of such a high standard that there will be a follow up with JOURNEY BEYOND in August 2018. This production is geared to travel and carry the stories of our children overcoming adversities across the world, making us all immensely proud.

Speaker, established in 1992, the Zip Zap Circus School is a section 18A, NPO and Public benefit organisation with a level 1 BBBEE rating. In 2017, Zip Zap catered for 2042 beneficiaries. 1433 of these were learners from disadvantaged areas from 33 different schools or NGOs bused in to experience the circus arts and discover that they too can have a future in the industry as a teacher, a technician or a performer. Speaker, in addition to assisting us in building social capacity, Zip Zap also generates business for independent contractors and a range of enterprises, all based in the Western Cape. To create Circus, they build equipment, props and costumes. They host artists from across the country and around the world, contract local technicians, hire equipment for events and employ coaches to train their artists. They transport and feed children to attend their programmes. The following figures reflect the income generated for local businesses last year:

• R286 684 in equipment
• R161 511 for ground transportation
• R34 839 of equipment hire
• R583 548 was paid out to casuals such as lighting designer, singer, musicians, outsourced performers and bookkeepers
• R46 514 bursaries for beneficiaries to attend the vocational programme
• R120 851 of production costs to Artscape, Computicket and other performing art entities
• R390 051 in marketing, printing and advertising

Speaker, in 2017/18, Zip Zap provided various jobs to its staff in the Western Cape to the total of R3 639 529. The remuneration paid to residents from the following communities totals:

• R329 137 in Northern Suburbs
• R1 131 672 in the Cape Flats
• R77 962 in the Winelands

Speaker, to illustrate the pervasive nature arts and culture has to bring about positive change to negative states of mind, I zoom into a few of the programmes offered by Zip Zap. Speaker, the Ubuntu Programme established at the Ubuntu Clinic in Khayelitsha in 2012 is aimed at improving the lives of the children who attend the clinic to access medical care and antiretroviral treatment through exposure to circus arts. Zip Zap instructors visit the clinic every Wednesday morning to interact with the children awaiting medical services. Speaker, the outcomes of the Ubuntu Programme reiterates the immense power the arts has to help young patients feel included which consequently motivates increased attendance at clinics and therefore reduces the burden of disease on the province.

Speaker, the Second Chance programme foregrounds youth at risk in which circus workshops are used to reinforce positive role models while developing the physical, social and emotional skills of youth in shelters, orphanages and schools. Since 2009, the project has helped community based organisations to rehabilitate youth at risk and to reintegrate them in their communities of origin. Sponsors provide funding to enable youths to be transported from various communities to the free workshops hosted at the dome. During the 2 hour programme, the children – some of whom had never been to the city centre, let alone attended a circus performance are introduced to circus art. Speaker, a whole new world is then opened in the mind of the child and motivates self determination to empower themselves and allows them to use their imagination in a more colourful manner as opposed to the doom and gloom they have become accustomed to.

Speaker, the Dare to Dream programme is a full-time vocational intervention that provides beneficiaries with an alternative education in the circus arts and the possibility of employment as circus or entertainment professionals. With access to professional performance training and equipment, mentoring by highly experienced circus artists and daily on the job honing of skills as instructors in Zip Zap’s outreach and educational projects, the beneficiaries who complete the three-year D2D programme are proficient circus performers with internationally sought-after skills who will continue to develop their artistic disciplines and who are very likely to find employment. Speaker, the Zip Zap dome also contributes to cultural tourism as they offer the dome as a hiring venue for various events at a fee which is then fed back into funding their life changing programmes.

Speaker, this Department is indeed fundamental in achieving the provincial strategic goals of the Western Cape Government as it is all encompassing and essential across all departments allowing our children to dream, imagine and to be empowered. 

It is clear that with the R34 313 000 appropriated to Arts and Culture, we will continue to improve the self-esteem of our youth and identify in them talents they would otherwise not explore, while creating economic opportunities through the arts. We enable a love for reading, history, culture, heritage and arts which improves educational outcomes, not only for the youth but our province as a whole. This year will again see us open channels of communication so that all in our province are able to access our services irrespective of their mother tongues as we promote linguistic democracy by elevating the status of all 3 official languages.

Speaker, in the coming year we will steer a Choral Music resurgence in the Central Karoo together with Cape Town Opera, Western Cape Choral Music Association and communities in the Beaufort West region.  It is our intention to maximize the potential of Choral Music in the Western Cape, mindful of the unique product which we have, namely our diversity within the sector. This we hope to achieve through drawing our partners closer and augmenting the networks we have made.

Our collaborative work has afforded youth an opportunity to experience both the artistic, professional stage and technical aspects of the arts. A new approach to craft development has been introduced whereby museums will be used as outlets to promote, market and sell crafts. Our aim is to ensure the upward mobility of crafters throughout the value chain.

In order to succeed we need to further nurture and develop our relationships with the national and provincial departments, professional organisations, municipalities, academia and key persons in the arts fraternity who to date have never faltered in their support for all we do. For this we profusely thank them.

Museum Services

Speaker, Museum Services will receive R60 443 000 from the overall 2018/19 departmental budget. Museums generally employ small numbers of people but they represent a gateway to the tourism economy for most small towns.  Increasing tourism can therefore improve socio economic conditions.  Access to museums by previously marginalised communities is also important in achieving the vision of a socially inclusive society.  Given these objectives, museum offerings are extremely important.  The Museum Service will therefore continue its programme of transformation through the renewal of displays and community consultation at affiliated museums.

At the end of the 2017/2018 financial year a new Board of Trustees for the Cango Caves was appointed. We trust that the new Board will improve the state of affairs negatively affected by the then ANC government’s mismanagement.

Speaker, the Museum Service currently has 30 affiliated museums under the categories: provincial-, province-aided- and local museums. These affiliated museums only partially reflect the total number of museums situated in the Western Cape.

The Museum Service is currently in the process of amending the Museums Ordinance No. 8 of 1975 in order to align it to the constitution and to ensure that resources are spent more efficiently and effectively. Additionally, the Museum Service is also in the process of drafting new legislation, based on the Museum Service Policy (2013). This will enable more museums to meet the necessary affiliation criteria and effectively accelerate the transformation of the museum landscape in the province.  The Museum Service is also implementing a new regional museum management model in order to manage administrative and financial systems more efficiently enabling the department to provide services to even more museums.

The Hout Bay Museum is also in the process of finalising a co-operation agreement with the Denis Goldberg Legacy Foundation Trust which aims to build the House of Hope, a new Arts and Culture education and training Centre in Hout Bay. Professor Denis Goldberg worked actively towards the liberation of South Africa and is a well-known anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He is one of only two surviving Rivonia Trialists. He was arrested in 1963 and sentenced together with Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders to life imprisonment. He was imprisoned for 22 years until he was released in 1985. The Hout Bay Museum is grateful for this opportunity to work with the Denis Goldberg Legacy Foundation Trust.

Support to the 30 affiliated museums will continue in the form of funding, marketing and promotion, education and training, exhibition development, conservation work, the secondment of staff, and mentoring and advice. Where resources allow, services will be extended to unaffiliated museums as well.

The Museum Service will continue to make a substantial contribution toward job creation through the EPWP programme. Over 170 work opportunities were made possible within museums in 2017/2018. The Museum Service will look at options to expand job creation opportunities even further in 2018/2019.

The Museum Service will produce two new travelling exhibitions to support efforts by museums to attract and keep visitors.   As part of building inclusive communities, Drostdy Museum, Montague Museum and Stellenbosch Museum will expand their offerings by addressing previously hidden narratives such as Khoekhoe history and slavery.   This year the theme for International Museum Day is Hyperconnected Museums: New Approaches, New Publics. The objective of International Museum Day is to raise awareness of the fact that, “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples”. In response, affiliated museums are considering ways to include previously excluded sections of the community in their programmes and activities.

Heritage

For the 2018/19 financial year, Heritage Resource Services will receive R8 705 000. In the past financial year there has been significant developments in the province’s commitment to identify, conserve, protect and promote the heritage resources of the Western Cape Province. In this regard, our Department has steadily worked to promote significant archaeological sites, as part of the country’s tentative listing of a World Heritage Site serial nomination for the Early Modern Humans: Pleistocene Occupation Sites, which includes three sites in the Western Cape comprising: Diepkloof Rock Shelter, Blombos Cave and Pinnacle Point Site Complex. Integrated Conservation Management Plans have been developed for each of these sites, and the Department is working to establish the Western Cape management authority structure for these sites over the next few months. The development of a nomination dossier for the Western Cape sites, is in progress. And all these efforts form the basis for the further development of an Archaeological and Palaeontological Heritage Tourism Route, which aims to promote heritage tourism in the province.

The Department has been actively involved in the Technical Committee of the National Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route in respect of three sites in the Western Cape. These sites include, the Robben Island Prison Landscape, sites related to Nelson Mandela’s Route to Freedom on 11 February 1990, (these include the Mandela House at Drakenstein Correctional Facility and Cape Town City Hall) and finally, the site related to the first confrontation between Khoe Herders and the Portuguese in 1510, referred to as “Tussen die Riviere”, “Between the Rivers”, referring to the Liesbeeck River and the Black River. These sites are proposed to form part of a national resistance and liberation heritage route.

A provincial Heritage Resources Management Bill is currently being drafted which the Department envisions will assist in creating greater efficiency, efficacy and certainty in the identification and management of the province’s significant heritage resources.  The proposed Bill will create much required certainty in as far as how development and heritage conservation can co-exist in order to promote economic growth and job creation.

In recognition of and in celebrating the province’s diverse heritage, the Department, through its entity, Heritage Western Cape, has declared the site of the Rocklands Civic Centre in Rocklands Mitchell’s Plain as a provincial heritage site. The significance of the site relates to the national inaugural launch of the United Democratic Front at the locale on 20 August 1983. In addition, the Auwal Masjied, in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town has been declared a provincial heritage site as the oldest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere. Moreover, Heritage Western Cape will proclaim Hostel 33 in Lwandle as a Provincial Heritage Site. Hostel 33 is a reminder of the brutality of the migrant labour system and is currently used as a part of the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum.

Geographical Names

Geographical Names provide a sense of identity and belonging to our communities. A highly emotive aspect of debate is the on-going transformation of the heritage landscape in South Africa through changes in existing geographical names.

There are more than 12 000 geographical names in the province of the Western Cape.  In order to establish how communities feel about these names I am proud to announce that the department has launched an audit of all offensive names in the Western Cape.

The purpose of the Audit of Offensive Names is to identify all names that could possibly be considered offensive by the public. The identification of these names is part of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports’ overall vision to create a “socially inclusive, creative, active and connected Western Cape”.

An offensive name is any name that causes someone to feel resentful, upset or annoyed and therefore has a negative effect on social inclusivity within the province. Names that are insulting, rude, derogatory, disrespectful, hurtful, provocative, humiliating, uncivil, impolite, shocking or scandalous fall within these criteria. The deadline for submission is 31 March 2018, so there is still time for members of the public to submit any offensive names. Links to the relevant audit forms are available on the departments website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Furthermore, the standardisation and verification of all 12 000 geographical names in the Western Cape is progressing well. This process involves researching the historical background of every name, capturing the information, and correcting the spelling of geographical names where necessary.

The Oral History Initiative (OHI)

Speaker, I am delighted that our Oral History Initiative, aimed at documenting the oral histories of Western Cape residents for future generations to celebrate their heritage is going from strength to strength. Much of the history of our communities is preserved only in the minds of their storytellers. To truly understand our past from a unique perspective, it is important to drive a formal programme to capture the valuable stories beneath our social tapestry. Through the project, personal histories and community experiences become shared heritage and libraries social hubs once again, promoting social inclusion and community development through sharing and understanding. Oral testimonies recorded on video are available at the participating libraries and the Provincial Archives.

As a partnership project between the Library Service, Museum Services, Archive Services, 25 municipalities and communities in the Western Cape, the main objective is to roll out the Initiative to all public libraries in the Western Cape within a 5-year-period. Measures have been put in place to afford community members the liberty to visit their local libraries and to share their personal stories. The librarian will then liaise with the Library Service officials who then alert Museum Services to conduct the interviews and recordings and documents the contributions on DVD discs which is made available for circulation in the public library and archives.

Speaker, the OHI is one of the Department’s most welcomed projects across the province. After each roll out more residents are keen to be interviewed to share and document their stories. Since its launch in 2015, approximately 193 interviews have been documented as the OHI has already been rolled out in each district in the following areas:

• Overstrand: Hawston and Mount Pleasant
• Bergriver: Piketberg, Velddrift and Goedverwacht
• Drakenstein: Paarl, Saron, Gouda and Hermon
• City of Cape Town: Bonteheuwel and Hangberg
• Central Karoo: Beaufort West, Laingsburg and Matjiesfontein
• Eden: George
• Matzikama: Vredendal, Tankwa Karoo and
• Kannaland: Ladismith and Zoar.

Speaker, in this financial year, we will afford the following areas the healing, connecting and reconciliatory opportunity of the OHI:

• Cape Agulhas: Elim, Bredasdorp, Napier, Baardskeerdersbos and Waenhuiskrans in April 2018
• Wuppertal in the Cederberg in July 2018
• Worcester in October 2018 and
• Mossel Bay in February 2019.

Speaker, following the success of the OHI, the couple Diaan Lawrenson who had brought 7de Laan’s Paula to life and lifelong local artist, Jody Abrahams approached us in late 2016 to assist in the production of the Via TV series: “Wat is in ’n Naam?” in which they explore their roots through their families’ stories. Some of the episodes were filmed at the Western Cape Archives and Records Service (WCARS) where they researched the content. The Western Cape Archive and Records Service provides genealogy (family history) research assistance to the public who are interested in tracing their family history using archival records.  Oral history, an added service offered by our department, seeks to provide the missing narrative in the history of the people of the Western Cape by affording communities opportunities to record their stories, which may have been carried from generation to generation through oral tradition. Both these services are indicative of our department’s dedication and contribution to social history and inclusivity.

The series, “Wat is in ‘n Naam?” promotes the services available at the WCARS and shows in real terms the importance of tracing and knowing your family history, especially when different cultural backgrounds join in matrimony and the children question their diverse heritage. The production has garnered much attention and continues to increase its viewership which resulted in the inclusion of Emo and Michelle Adams’ personal history journey as well. Heartfelt gratitude is expressed to Diaan and Jody for their ongoing support and passion to drive social inclusivity through arts and cultural affairs. 

Language Services

Speaker, often, too many people underestimate the importance of affording the space for self-improvement, or receiving services in one’s mother tongue. Everyone deserves the ability to communicate and be communicated with. It is for this reason; the Department will continue to facilitate meetings of the Western Cape Provincial Language Forum. This body comprises language practitioners and meets six times a year to support the professional development of language practitioners in order to improve the Western Cape governments’ ability to ensure that its services are delivered equitably in all three official languages as well as marginalised languages such South African Sign language. In addition, the Forum engages in terminology development and is active in attempts to revise and update the existing orthography for Xhosa. 

Speaker, with the R5 377 000 appropriated to the Department’s Language Services we will continue to provide language support services in all three official languages of the Western Cape to all departments of the provincial government and provide interpreting services where possible, including South African Sign Language interpreting.

Initiation season 2017/18

As early as 2014, the Western Cape was one of the leading provinces in dealing with initiation in the country. To date, we are the only province that has developed a framework to govern the initiation rite of passage practised by communities.  As a leading stakeholder, our Department plays a facilitation role in achieving its goal of creating a safe and enabling environment for the initiates. We are mandated to preserve, promote and develop culture within the Western Cape. In keeping with the mandate, the Customary Male Initiation programme was introduced and has expanded immensely since inception in 2008. This has necessitated collaboration with communities, practitioners, government departments and entities such as Cape Nature, municipalities and traditional surgeons and carers.  Speaker, please allow me to convey my condolences to the families and loved ones of young men who have passed in the summer season. I want to reassure all that the department and its partners in the community will continue to institute systems and mechanisms to mitigate risks and ultimately ensure a safe and sound initiation rite of passage. During the new financial year, the department will strengthen its interventions and support including the registration of traditional surgeons and carers.

Cultural Facilities

Speaker, our cultural facilities have become a key focus of our department and the coming year will see the electronic booking system come to fruition. Further the potential of the facilities will be explored and the business case developed to expand the usage of these facilities so that increasing revenue streams can be realised. The current water crisis in the province has prompted the Department to implement water saving measures at all the facilities. These included the installation of water efficient showerheads at facilities, rain water storage tanks and the closure of swimming pools at the facilities.

Programme 3: Library and Archive Services

Library and Archive Services are allocated R349 566 000 to promote, develop and transform sustainable library, information and archive services. In 2009 the Western Cape had 330 public library service points. I am happy to announce that we now have 371, which translates to 41 more communities being empowered.

We also currently have 222 rural libraries with 1 076 PC workstations with free internet access to the public. A total of 184 of those libraries are part of the Western Cape Broadband project and 125 have 24/7 Wi-Fi outside the library. Since 2009, 26 new libraries have been built, 17 of them with full funding from the Department’s Conditional Grant.

Speaker, the Western Cape has the biggest public library service of all the provinces by far. Our 371 library centres count for more than 20% of all public libraries in the country. The nearest other province is Gauteng, with more than a hundred fewer. The Western Cape also has the highest library membership and by far the highest book circulation figures of all provinces.

Programme 4: Sport and Recreation

Speaker, sport and recreation have proven to contribute to the social inclusion of our diverse population. It is for this reason that R185 523 000 is dedicated to Programme 4: Sport and Recreation. This allocation will indeed promote sport in order to contribute towards the reconciliation and development of the Western Cape community through the provision of equitable, accessible and affordable sport facilities, programmes and services. It will also promote school sport by assisting with structures, competitions, talent identification, development, as well as specific and next-level activities. Speaker, our Department supports the holistic growth of individuals through sport development and sport promotion. In addition to promoting cultural affairs, we use sport as a tool to offer our youth an alternative to the social ills ravaging our communities as well as to build on social inclusion, unity, pride and nation building.

Speaker, in the wake of the worst drought to hit the Western Cape in decades, sport participation has been negatively affected. There are an estimated 1 million sportspeople in the City of Cape Town and the greater Western Cape who play one or more of the 73 recognised sporting codes. Speaker, there is also approximately 120 000 learners who participate in school sport. Due to the level 6B water restrictions imposed in the City of Cape Town, many sporting clubs have had to cancel or reduce their season. Some of these include softball, baseball, cricket, hockey, football and rugby. Speaker, it goes without saying, due to the water restrictions, there has been and will be a decrease in sporting participation, in sporting events, in income for clubs, in sporting tourism and we then subsequently run the risk of the possible increase in social ills as our youth are not as involved in their respective codes as they once were.

Speaker, because sport fields and the maintenance thereof falls under the ambit of either the relevant municipality or school, sport clubs and federations making use of these facilities, have to adhere to the water restrictions implemented by the municipality as well as the water saving efforts agreed to by the various federations.  To date, in support of continued sporting activity, our Department engaged with the custodians of sport in the Western Cape, through the various sport federations.  The Cape Town Sport Council held a meeting with their federations with representations from the City of Cape Town sharing challenges and successes.  Our Department was part of this intervention and the Western Cape Sport Confederation will have a similar meeting for the greater Western Cape Province with the Western Cape Sport Federations on the reduction of water usage by the various sporting codes in the very near future.

Speaker, it is important to note that different clubs have become innovative in their measures to ensure continued sport participation while water restrictions have been imposed. A rugby club in Kylemore instead positively considered the challenge as a team building exercise and has since February 2018 requested each team member to bring at least 2 litres of their grey water to practice sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays in a bid to maintain their grounds to allow for future games to be played at the facility. To benefit the upliftment of clubs and communities, it is indeed important to incorporate a whole of society approach as we all have an instrumental role to play in reducing demand on our natural resources. 

Speaker, to further our support of continued sporting activity in the province, our Sport Directorate has also allocated R540 000 to the Drakenstein, Cape Agulhas, Laingsburg, George and Saldanha municipalities. Each municipality is to receive R108 000 to drill a borehole at a facility crucial to allow sport to continue. This amount will cover the costs of drilling the pump as well as a reservoir tank.

Speaker, with the appropriated R45 468 000, the Sport Directorate will support 131 sport federations, an additional 11 more than the previous financial year, six district sport councils all of which is represented by their respective chairpersons in the gallery today, and the Western Cape Provincial Sport Confederation, through transfer funding. The Club Development Programme (CDP) continues to support 180 clubs through provision of capacity building, transport, equipment and attire.

Speaker, an amount of R5 473 000 will support the 131 federations of which R260 000 will be allocated for transformation projects. R400 000 will be set aside for the assistance to athletes and administrators performing international duty. Speaker, this financial support to accredited sport structures enables the various federations and sport councils to fulfil their mandate by promoting and developing the respective codes in the Western Cape. The funding of the federations promotes greater participation in sport, social inclusion and contributes to a healthier lifestyle amongst all who call the Western Cape home. Through their respective development, administrative, transformation and capacity building projects, sport federations will nurture and develop athletes with potential from grassroots to elite levels. These athletes, coaches and administrators participate at national and international spheres and serve as role models and beacons of inspiration which contribute to the overall empowerment of our communities, particularly the disadvantaged areas.

Speaker, to ensure that the Western Cape Provincial Government’s objectives are achieved, sport federations have accepted that a sport development, growth and transformation agenda will be followed. Speaker, therefore, the following historically disadvantaged sectors of the Western Cape Sport community will be given preference in terms of development programmes: rural areas, youth, women and sport for people with disabilities.

Speaker, I will personally, ceremoniously, be presenting the following funds to the 6 sport councils and district municipalities in support of their respective federations in the month of April:

• Cape Winelands: to receive R1 170 000
• West Coast: R 530 000
• Eden: R1 390 000
• Cape Metro: R1 740 000
• Overberg: R280 000 and
• Central Karoo: R90 000

Our dedicated sport officials will ensure that these funds are used to enrich our communities to empower our youth through sport and not misappropriated for personal gain.  

In order for us to constructively contribute to nation building and to offer better prospects to our youth, we have to invest in community building first. To achieve this, we have established various partnerships to encourage community support, participation and unity. Amongst many others, the Department has strengthened its partnerships with Nedbank, Old Mutual and other organisations. In the past year we have also engaged with various stakeholders who are genuinely determined to uplift communities through sport and we will continue our collaborative efforts to offer our youth the very best we possibly can.  I look forward to further engaging with Bonga Cycling Academy managed by the 27-year-old, Mr Bonga Ngqobane and team in the gallery today. I was fortunate to visit the academy on Human Rights Day in Makhaza, Khayelitsha and was left hopeful and inspired by their remarkable efforts selflessly conducted in the area to create greater opportunities for their fellow youth through sport and education.

Speaker, to boost economic growth and job creation in each district, we will again provide financial support to major events this financial year. These include mega events like the Cape Town Cycle Tour, Two Oceans Marathon Race, the Cape Town Marathon, the Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge, ABSA Cape Epic, the Foot of Africa Marathon, HSBC Sevens Cape Town Tournament and the Western Province Ice Hockey International Championship. In partnership with the respective municipalities and district sport councils we will continue to support municipalities in the provision of sport festivals in: Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay and George.

The Western Cape has in the past, been producing top athletes and this has partly been because of the partnership and working relations between the Western Cape Academy of Sport (WECSA), sport federations, the district sport councils, and the Western Cape Provincial Sport Confederation. Through this partnership and favourable working relations, the academy system has continued to help nurture and build developing and world class athletes that go on and represent both the Province and South Africa. Our support to 180 athletes through the academy system in Saldanha, Glasskasteel in Bredasdorp, Beaufort West, Drakenstein and Oudtshoorn will continue in this financial year. I also take this opportunity to wholeheartedly thank all our partners for their continued support in realising our mission to increase mass participation, talent identification and skills development to uplift our communities and to offer our youth positive aspirations.

Recreation

Speaker, recreation is an essential service promoted through the Department as it includes services and programmes that an individual can voluntarily engage in during his/her free time to achieve an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Also, it is a platform from which sport can develop and grow, as recreation promotes a philosophy and ethos of healthy living, lifelong activity and lifelong learning. Recreation provides activities for all ages and may alert people to the potential and skills that lie within themselves.

Speaker, I am pleased to confirm that our department will be supporting the Golden Games in the Western Cape for the 2018/19 financial year. The budget constraints and limited financial resources however dictate that this support be limited to a district event level. An amount of R80 000 for each district has been set aside to close the gaps that exist in the logistical arrangements of the project.  Our Department values our municipal partnerships and commends the commitment to support our senior citizens in each district and the province as a whole.

School Sport

Speaker, R33 337 000 is allocated to School Sport. Within the School Sport environment, next-level opportunities will be created through the promotion of:

1.  School Sport Development, which focuses on assisting with:

• Intra-school and Inter-school leagues in support of the Western CapeEducation Department;
• School-going learner-based competitions at next level;
• Code specific coach development
• District and province based selected representative teams

2.  School Sport Programmes, which focuses on assisting with:

• Promoting synergy with respective federations
• Coordination of talent identification and talent development
• Developing a pathway for further development of talented learners          

MOD Programme

Speaker, our MOD Programme is hosted across the province at Primary and High Schools. Generally, Primary School-based MOD Centres act as the feeder to their neighbouring High School-based MOD Centres. In this way, the learner is presented with the opportunity to have continuous access and exposure to opportunities offered through the MOD Programme, for a period of at least 12 years.

MOD Centres are mainly based in vulnerable areas. This being the context in which most, if not each of the MOD Centres reside, relatively poor facilities, resources and security, or a lack thereof, prevail. Despite these adversities and circumstances, through positive human elements such as perseverance, passion and commitment, a number of participants display skills and talents, as well as the potential for further development. Through various talent identification and talent development processes, the participants that display the said potential for further development have the opportunity to advance their skills and talents to another level. Speaker, with the R53 807 000 allocated to the MOD programme, we will take proactive steps to put measures in place to improve each centre dependent on their specific needs.

After School Game Changer

Speaker, the Western Cape Government is leading government innovation to ensure low and no fee learners are able to access expanded education opportunities through the provision of comprehensive quality after school programmes. These offer learners an opportunity to find their passions, build confidence, learn valuable life skills and improve educational outcomes.

By expanding opportunities, the After School Game Changer aims to provide young people with positive, constructive activities after school hours and reduce risk taking and anti-social behaviour. We also hope to create opportunities for learners to thrive and become active productive citizens.

The After School Game Changer leverages off the work of the MOD centres and the work of the Departments of Cultural Affairs and Sport and Education in sport and arts as well as crowd in additional academic support and life skills opportunities.

The target by 2019 is for 20% of learners in no and low fee schools to be active consistent participants in after school programmes. These programmes will include sport, arts and culture, numeracy, literacy, academic support and life skills. 

In achieving this goal, we are targeting a footprint in at least 300 schools in the coming year. The Ministry and the After School Game Changer Directorate have been engaging with various stakeholders such as Heal the Hood, Impact through Sport, Cad4All and Oasis to contribute to the sustainability of the MOD programme as well as to offer our learners increased options relatable to them.

Alcohol Harms Reduction Game Changer

Speaker, not only does sporting activities create a sense of belonging, teamwork, respect, self-confidence, passion, pride, hope and unity, it also provides focus, direction, purpose, expression and hope for the future. It is for this reason that sporting activities have been identified as a contributing factor to the Western Cape Government’s game changer of tackling alcohol abuse. If our youth are occupied with positive development programmes they can be deemed youth with potential rather than youth at risk as anti-social activities such as substance abuse and gangsterism fail to then become a priority.  Speaker, in collaboration with Oasis: Reach for your Dreams, our Department launched a pilot project of the 4-A-Side Alcohol Harms Reduction Game Changer program in Khayelitsha and Gugulethu to test the response to such an initiative. After successful activations, involving just over 30 participants at each event and venue, it was decided to launch a stronger initiative in these two areas over the Christmas holiday period. Instead of only a Friday, the activations would include Saturday as well. At the venue in Khayelitsha, stronger security measures and neighbourhood watches were introduced to encourage participants from rival conflicting gang areas, to join us on a Friday and Saturday night. Pamphlets were also distributed in the area to encourage youth to join. Speaker, the objective here was to create a healthy sporting alternative on a Friday and Saturday night to those who would typically frequent local liquor outlets, therefore positively occupying at least 30 participants per night, per venue for 4-5 hours. Attendance and participation in the programme increased over a 10-week period, totalling approximately 168 participants in Khayelitsha and 162 in Gugulethu. We are grateful for the passion, resilience, perseverance and determination of the Oasis team lead by Mr Cliffy Martinus and coaches Bongani Mathiso and Sergio Van der Ross. They have undoubtedly made a significant impact in the lives of those they supported and will continue to empower in this coming financial year.

Conclusion

Speaker, our Department plays a fundamental role in the social inclusivity of our diverse population, which inevitably opens the much needed dialogue on identity, allowing for respect, understanding and cultural acceptance: all of which creates a sense of belonging. I can go on and on about the long lasting impactful work this department does for our communities, however, the time limit does not allow for me to elaborate on all of this. The people on the ground must however know about the positive developments amidst the controversy. Our youth must be provided with beacons of hope as they find themselves in vulnerable spaces and these role models exist in our sportspeople and rising arts and cultural stars. Our people are in dire need of renewed hope that as a nation, we are united in our diversity and in our will to flourish and progress.

This department, the dedicated staff and our constructive programmes have the ability to change lives in the Western Cape for the better. The public must be made aware that a healthy lifestyle is available to them and once they see that others are taking up the opportunities, it will have a snowball effect. I call on all present here to plant that seed of hope and inspire them to want to be better versions of themselves. Engage with our communities at a level that far exceeds a prospective cross on a ballot paper. Listen to the challenges and aspirations of our people, communicate their needs to a colleague who has the capacity to make a real difference in the life of that one person and follow up on the progress. It is pivotal for us regardless of political affiliation, differing cultural backgrounds or even job descriptions to increase trust, social inclusion, quality education and confidence in the human spirit to contribute to the enrichment of our communities and the wellbeing of the South African condition. We owe it to the children.

I thank you.