Minister Anroux Marais' Budget Speech Vote 13 Cultural Affairs and Sport

WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPORT, ANROUX MARAIS

2019/20 BUDGET VOTE SPEECH

27 MARCH 2019

 

 

Honourable Speaker

Premier

Cabinet colleagues and Members of the Provincial Parliament

Mayors from various municipalities

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

 

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 2019/20 financial year. I will elaborate on how the Department has allocated the appropriated R 820 305 000 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 our response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the creation of increased opportunities, strengthening our sense of identity through nation building, in inspiring hope and the holistic development of the individual and collective through sport and cultural affairs.

Cultural Affairs and Sport: Integral response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Speaker, I call to mind the dialogue on the Fourth Industrial Revolution which has become increasingly more prevalent in the South African conversation as a result of its global implications. In his State of the Nation Address earlier this year, President Ramaphosa announced his appointment of a Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution as a plan “to ensure that we effectively and with greater urgency harness technological change in pursuit of inclusive growth and social development”. There exists much confusion and uncertainty around what exactly the Fourth Industrial Revolution is, how it will affect civilization and more recently how do we respond to the digital age in the dark. One thing is clear, the arts, cultural affairs and sport development and promotion will have to take centre stage as a proactive response to the rapid changes underway.

Our Department has a fundamental role to fulfil as it delivers services which affords the opportunities to escape the cycles of poverty in our communities. Our Department makes a significant difference in bringing about positive change to our communities. We improve the self-esteem of our youth and identify in them talents they would otherwise not explore. The nature of our business plays a powerful role in shaping, framing, communicating and influencing the future. In fact, according to the South African Cultural Observatory, “It is our responsibility to reflect, question, resist, review and rebuild when and where necessary. In short, it is our duty to reimagine the future”. Our department has made great strides in implementing a reimagined future in trying times, but we will fail in our objectives without our hardworking officials and passionate partners.

At the start of 2018, Andrea Bandelli, the Executive Director of the Science Gallery International maintained that art finds itself right at the core of the activities shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He notes that “art and humanities are fundamental pillars of any education system and in today’s technology-dominated world, their contribution to the school curriculum is more important than ever.  Concerted effort needs to be made to equip the present and future generations with the ability to empathise, imagine, and create, and the key to develop these abilities is a life-long education that is interdisciplinary, cross-functional, cross-industry and cross-cultural.

It is therefore pivotal to integrate the arts and sport into the education system and societal discourse as it will indeed reduce the skills gap that the next generation is facing, and subsequently prepare the leaders of tomorrow. Amongst others to be further elaborated, it is for this reason that we have allocated R210,6 million to Sport and Recreation to financially support the After School Game Changer through the MOD Programme and School Sport to name only a few.

However, empathy, imagination and creativity are not only for tomorrow’s leaders and jobs, we need them right now to ensure that science and technology are developed in a human-centred way. Today we need to balance advanced technical competences with an unprecedented level of moral complexity that these technologies entail. With this in mind, Cultural Affairs will receive R119,07 million for the 2019/20 financial year.

Om voorbereid te wees op die omstrede tegnologie wat ontwikkel word, verseker nou dat ons ten volle kan deelneem aan die gesprekke wat die toekoms van ons samelewings vorm. Die tegnologiese deurbrake van die Vierde Industriële Revolusie kan ons samelewing meer volhoubaar en inklusief maak, of die verdeeldheid wat daar onder ons is, groter maak. Daar is egter geen maklike "ja/nee" of "goeie/slegte" skakelaar nie. Dit is nie 'n enkele besluit wat die impak van tegnologie op die samelewing bepaal nie, maar eerder 'n ontvouende proses gebaseer op dialoog met verskillende belanghebbendes. Speaker, ten einde betrokke te raak by gesprekvoering met ons gemeenskappe, moet ons administratiewe bevoegdheid so optimaal moontlik benut word. Met die beperkte provinsiale begroting gaan Program 1: Administrasie 9% van ons totale begroting ontvang en dit word teen R70,9 miljoen bewillig.

Speaker, die mag van kuns en geesteswetenskappe vorm die kern van tegnologiese prosesse, om hierdie besprekings van inligting te voorsien, te begelei en te ondersteun. Yo-Yo Ma stel dit baie duidelik wanneer hy sê: "Dit is nie genoeg om kultuur aan die kunstenaars en musikante uit te kontrakteer en dit as passiewe gehoor te ontvang nie. Ons moet die volle spektrum van menslike begrip betrek en elkeen van ons moet deelneem aan die bevordering van ons kulturele hulpbronne." Ten einde ’n bydrae te lewer tot die volle spektrum van menslike begrip, het ons R419,7 miljoen aan Biblioteek- en Argiefdienste toegewys. Dit is gelykstaande aan 51% van ons algehele jaarlikse begroting.

Kultuursake en sport is vandag, meer as ooit tevore, noodsaaklik om 'n emosionele raamwerk te bou om sin te maak van die gesprekvoering wat sentraal staan tot die vierde industriële revolusie. Kuns, kultuur en sport bou vertroue, die vertroue wat nodig is om botsende sieninge en belange te oorbrug, om huidige hindernisse en struikelblokke met dinamiese en innoverende benaderings te oorkom en die waardes wat onderliggend is aan enige proses van tegnologiese innovering, te verstaan.

Kultuursake en sport moedig ons aan om "kalm, konstruktiewe en selfs ongemaklike gesprekke te voer oor die soort toekoms wat ons wil hê", soos gepropageer deur prof. Klaus Schwab. Hulle is katalisators vir hierdie gesprekke, ’n voortdurende herinnering aan die feit dat ons met hierdie vraagstukke moet omgaan; en 'n rede, 'n herinnering, en soms 'n verskoning om nie van hulle weg te skram nie.

Ons Departement het en sal voortgaan om 'n deurslaggewende rol te speel in die aanspreking van die behoeftes wat nodig is vir 'n beter toekoms vir ’n verenigde Suid-Afrika. Die Wes-Kaap sal nie dieselfde wees sonder ons kenmerkende kultuur en sportaktiwiteite nie en daarom vier ons dit deur erkenning te gee aan diegene wat dit lewendig hou en die voortbestaan daarvan verseker.

Together, we are in the business of building a nation, inspiring hope and motivating better versions of those we serve through cultural manifestation and creating an enabling environment in which it can flourish. Speaker, since 2009, under DA leadership, the Western Cape Government has prioritised creating opportunities of growth and jobs by improving education outcomes and increasing opportunities for youth development. The following highlights what can be achieved if the whole of society works better together with care, competence, accountability, integrity, innovation and responsiveness:

• Our 373 library centres account for more than 20% of all public libraries in South Africa. Since 2009, 53 new libraries have been build and we upgraded a further 18 with a total investment of R1.5 billion. This has empowered 42 more communities in 22 municipalities since we came into office. We are proud to report that the Western Cape holds the highest library membership in South Africa, and by far the highest book circulation figures of all the provinces. In fact, over 15,6 million library items were issued to over 811 000 registered library users in 2017. Rural libraries have also been connected to free high-speed internet in 22 municipalities.
• In the past 10 years, the number of major sporting events we support have increased by 248% from just 25 events when we took office in 2009, to 92 events in 2018/19.
• I am also immensely proud to announce that we have won the bid against New Zealand to host the 2023 Netball World Cup in the City of Cape Town and greater Western Cape.
• Funding for local sports organisations has also increased by 124% since 2009, with an average of 120 organisations supported at grassroots level each year.
• Since 2014, 7689 young men have been initiated in the Western Cape, with a 99.74% safe passage rate. Speaker, this was made possible through our Customary Male Initiation Programme, which has facilitated in collaboration with communities, practitioners, government departments and entities such as Cape Nature, municipalities and traditional surgeons and carers.
• In the last term of 5 years, we have achieved more than a four-fold increase in learners regularly attending quality after school programmes which makes provision for school sport and cultural expression. We have gone from 14 900 learners benefitting in 2014 to 81 100 learners participating regularly in 2018/19. We have gone further to professionalize the sector with almost 500 coaches trained to date and introduced a practitioner’s Code of Conduct, training programme, and a post-graduate qualification in partnership with universities. More importantly, there has been a 187% increase in schools registered with the After School Programmes from 118 in 2014 to 571 in 2018.
• With much pride and collaboration, we have developed a new Archaeological tourism route to show the world that humanity did indeed begin Africa.
• We have promoted isiXhosa through the world’s first Chess and Cricket terminology books published in the language and
• Our Oral History Initiative has so far captured stories in 23 communities across all six districts of the province.

Speaker, more could have been done and more still needs to be strategically actioned through compassionate political will needed to lead this very important department. We can only but imagine how much more we could offer, and sustainably so, to all those who call the Western Cape home, if the national government under the ANC also placed the people of South Africa first as they promised in 1994. Instead, we have now become accustomed to the plundering of public funds, maladministration and corruption for the personal gain of an untouchable unaccountable few, which sadly reduces opportunity for the development of the majority.

Speaker, there is a stark difference in the outcomes of the last 10 years under the DAs strategy of consolidating budgets for maximum citizen impact to improve opportunities for youth, to support the creation of a safe and secure province, to enable an environment for job creation and skills development by building and maintaining economic and social infrastructure and most notably, applies good governance standards to optimise service delivery.  Speaker, compared to the ANC’s “lost” 10 years, resulting in a net debt of R2.28 trillion in 2017/18, increasing to R3.03 trillion or 52% of our GDP in 2020/21. Speaker, this is attributed to various factors, most frustrating and disheartening: state capture, corruption, maladministration and pure nonchalance towards the dire needs of our people.

Speaker, as powerful and integral as Cultural Affairs and Sport is to making a positive impact on people’s lives while promoting our national identity in its diversity, it is not exempt from the national indifference exhausting public funds for personal gain. The devastating result is regressive as it leaves the people we serve in the Western Cape in more adverse conditions as they have been robbed of many opportunities to live lives they can value. Speaker, before the ANC members of this house vocalises how appreciative the Western Cape Government should be for the budget received from National Treasury, I assure you, there should be no joy found in such arrogance. Our track record of good governance and maximum-citizen impact service delivery has been confirmed by various independent stakeholders, including the Auditor General’s report for the past five years. Yet, other provinces are awarded exorbitant budgets, facilities and resources with little or no deliverables to show in real terms. A case in point Speaker, each year of which this coming financial year will mark the fourth, the national department of Sport and Recreation South Africa, under Fikile Mbalula at the time, instructed each provincial department to contribute R10m of our annual budgets towards the establishment of the National Training and Olympic Preparatory Centre in Bloemfontein, the hometown of the former Minister. Speaker, four years on, only dust is proof of this investment as the national department only officiated the sod turning on the site on 10 November 2018. For the purposes of clarity, to date, R30 million has been re-appropriated from each provincial department’s budget amounting to a total of R270 million which is now at the national government’s disposal, with no plan communicated, no concrete facility, no accountability nor urgency or evidence based research into the needs of our sportspeople. Speaker, further reducing development, opportunities and transformation in the Western Cape and forcing us to be innovative with the little budget received based on rife maladministration and pie in the sky strategies, the national department procured a 1970s Volkswagen Combi for each province and presented it to each of us at the national Sport Awards late last year. Speaker, the cost of this wasteful expense would afford the abundance of requests we receive in the Western Cape the assistance needed for the empowerment of our under-resourced sportspeople, facilities and events on grassroots level to bridge the gap between developmental participation and higher levels of competition.

Speaker, I am afraid the national cultural affairs sector also ironically brings little hope administratively and is failing to advocate and promote the diverse South African identity, the upkeep of our heritage landscape and in turn the progression of one South Africa for all. Madiba’s vision for the democratic South Africa will not come into fruition if the ANC remains silent and does not hold its leaders accountable for the moral and social deterioration of our integrative tapestry as a diverse people. In January this year, it was reported that R8 million was stolen from the Living Legends Legacy Programme, which the Western Cape Government supports as it was launched to safeguard and prioritise heritage development and the provision of opportunities for interaction and the sharing of skills, knowledge, experience and resources with younger generations. A few weeks later, in February the fundamental role of providing arts and culture services was further vilified when 7 entities funded by the National Department of Arts and Culture was ridden with allegations of corruption and maladministration. Speaker, the monetary implications of this is still unknown but through media reports we do know:

• The Chief Executive of the National Arts Council was placed on special leave because of an excess bonus payment
• At the National Library, the Director of the Centre for the Book was charged with several counts of misconduct and a disciplinary hearing began last year in which he was found guilty on four of the seven charges.
• The director of bibliographic and collection services was charged for incompatibility, workplace bullying and harassment.
• The Robben Island Museum is being investigated for maladministration
• The South African Heritage Resources Agency is also under investigation after allegations against the chairperson and the chief executive surfaced regarding irregular expenditure, breach of oversight and non-compliance with supply chain management policies
• The national Department of Arts and Culture wants one national orchestra which threatens our esteemed Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra as funding to regional companies will stop in favour of a single national ensemble.

Speaker, as the ANC continues to heckle that we are in the Western Cape and that national practices are irrelevant, please note with grave concern that cheap political grandstanding is killing the positive aspirations of our youth, tearing our moral fibre apart and further crippling progress in the Western Cape. The battle between the captured and the capturers is holding our youth’s potential hostage. With the crumbs left from the ANC’s “Let them eat cake” rhetoric, the Western Cape Government had to become innovative in embedding good governance and integrated service delivery through partnerships and spatial alignment guided by our functional fiscal strategy.  Speaker, I know reflect on how innovative our Department has been in the past financial year to achieve our vision of a socially inclusive, connected and active Western Cape.

ARTS DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION

Speaker, die Eenheid vir Kunsontwikkeling het sy implementering van die genre-ontwikkelingsprogram versterk deur verbeterde samewerking met munisipaliteite en organisasies. Die program het ontwikkel en daar is ondervind hoe die invloed van burgers optimaal benut is in plattelandse gemeenskappe waar kuns- en kultuurontwikkeling dikwels verwaarloos word. Die eenheid se implementering van die projek in die Sentraal-Karoo-distrik, is ’n sprekende voorbeeld en bewys van ons verbintenis tot ons departementele visie wat deur die Hele-samelewing-benadering (WOSA)-beginsels benadruk word, en het vennootskappe en hulpbronne optimaal benut te midde van besuinigingsmaatreëls. Die eenheid het begin om plattelandse kunsontwikkeling as model voor te hou in die lig van die uitdagings en maatskaplike insluiting en integrasie te bevorder deur sy geïdentifiseerde bestuurders van kultuur, nasionale trots en ekonomiese geleenthede. 

The following highlights the Arts Development Unit’s achievements over the last year:

• Implemented the Heritage Dance workshop and Heritage Day Festivities in partnership with Dance for All (DFA) and the Prince Albert Community Trust (PACT). The unit facilitated the coordination of the heritage dance workshop which laid the foundation for the Heritage Day Festival partnership.  Youth from the community who had very little exposure to the African Fusion Dance genre and traditional dance styles were trained by specialist from Dance for All. The dance workshop not only exposed participants to dance skills but also conscientized them to the ancient dance of our ancestors.  This dance workshop was the first contact for a more established programme. 
   
• Heritage Day Festival: The unit facilitated the attendance of youth musicians from across the province to showcase their talent at the festival. This was requested by PACT in order to expose the youth to music training and other skilled youth musicians. The Heritage Day Festival celebrated the community of Prince Albert, its heritage and provided an opportunity for cross sections of the community to celebrate their common national identity.
   
• Dance Classes with Dance for All:
  Corbin Pienaar (a dance teacher in the making) and Janine Stal (an administrator in the making) were trained in 5 dance styles and administration at Dance for All for a period of three days
  Prince Albert dance classes commenced in the first week of March, at the POP centre, under the supervision of Dance for All.
   
• Technical sound training with Eastern Acoustics:
   
• Through the facilitation of the unit, three trainees from the Prince Albert community received training at the Woordfees, for a period of 10 days (22 Feb – 3 March). Two will be trained at the International Jazz Festival on the 29-30 March and two will receive training at the Suidoosterfees from the 25th of April- 1st of May 2019.

Based on the first engagements and partnerships, the following initiatives have been developed by the PACT:

• Preparations to commence with instrument classes at the POP centre are already underway. The facilitators include Fadiel Lodewyk, who is responsible for administration and instrument maintenance and Burnett Bosman and Hentie Lewis who serve as music trainers. Training will take place in: melodicas, recorders, harmonicas, keyboard, and drum kit.
   
• Through Media classes, a group of 6 students are trained in videography every Wednesday by Johan Cloete. Photography classes with Gita Claasen commenced on 16 March 2019. Speaker, the Central Karoo Arts Programme’s success and spinoffs show the positive impact partnerships and commitment from communities can achieve.

Further achievements by the Arts Development Unit include:

The Drama Development Programme:

The drama development programme has seen a very successful year. It has been rolled out in the Eden and Cape Winelands districts, and through partnerships with the Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival, district and local municipalities, the programme has once again achieved success by unearthing talented community theatre practitioners.

Through its phased approach, the script and production workshops have developed young writers, directors and actors who have created new narratives that mirror youth and community life stories and provided healing to youth artists, communities and developed new audiences. Winning productions, scripts and actors are invited to perform at established festivals that have partnered with our department to showcase theatre talent from our rural communities.

This programme competed with the best in the province last year and won the Bronze award in the best implemented programme category for its far reaching impactful drama development programme at the Premier’s Service Excellence Awards Ceremony.

In 2019/20, with additional budget allocated in the 3rd quarter of 2018/19, the unit embarked on documenting its award winning programme in the form of a documentary. This year will see the completion of the documentary. Speaker, it will be a first for the programme and its participants. We look forward to sharing our work with all.

Music Development Programme:

The music development programme began with its annual percussion workshop camp which sees youth percussion musicians from across the rural districts in the province, attend a skills training workshop facilitated by expert percussionists in the industry. The training programme culminates in the showcasing and participation in the Baxter Theatre Steelband Festival which takes place annually at the Baxter Theatre.

Our annual Choral Festival was rolled out in the Central Karoo District last year. With support from local municipalities, grassroots choral groups were exposed to training from WECCMA and the Cape Town Opera in Beaufort West in September 2018. The training programme included an element of community organisational development to support the growth of community based choral groups.

The Choral Festival programme will take place in the West Coast this coming financial year. This will see our department, municipalities and established organisations support the development of local choral groups in the district.

Our pilot Song Writing Competition is a spin off from the annual song writing workshop camp as we realised the project needed to be extended to other districts in order for musicians and potential song writers to gain access to mentoring. The programme was facilitated by established music producers in the country who adjudicated over the competition and a workshop where song writers were exposed to current music industry training. Successful winners will enrol in a 6-month mentorship programme with established song writers and attend the Music Exchange conference with Mr Martin Myers.

The music development programme continues to provide access to skills development and work opportunities for youth in the music sector. Youth from the cross section of arts music organisations who work with our department are identified to gain work placed skills at various festivals which receive departmental funding. This year saw local youth gain festival event management experience at the Jazz on the Rocks Festival and will at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival this weekend. Artists from the Drakenstein (WOSA) Municipal Arts Forum were afforded the opportunity to perform at the 27 For Freedom Marathon and Cultural Festival which took place at the Drakenstein Correctional Facility in commemoration of Madiba’s release in February this year. 

Literary Arts Development programme:

The Literary arts development programme focuses on the development of creative writing and storytelling in the previously disadvantaged communities. Its aim is to expose youth or unpublished writers to the techniques of creative writing for all literary genres in isiXhosa specifically. This year, the mini literary arts festival was rolled out in Drakenstein (WOSA) at the Mbekweni Youth Centre in partnership with the National Library of South Africa, PRAESA and City of Cape Town libraries. The festival aimed to provide a platform for readers, writers, artists and youth who are interested in creative writing and literary arts. It included a writers’ clinic where elements of the craft were explored. Reading circles facilitated discussions with youth groups discussing particular literary works that were developed by them.  The story telling programme saw the senior citizens from Qolothani Makhosikazi reading stories to crèche children. Later the senior citizens narrated their storytelling to audience members. This tradition of storytelling aims to focus on the preservation of the art of storytelling as a vehicle for transmission of personal, community and social histories, the expression of values and morals that guide social interactions and contribute to the social fabric of local communities.  It is envisioned that this programme will grow in strength in time to come. 

The Literary Arts programme, with a focus on literary skills development will roll out its Slam Poetry workshop in Knysna with a focus on developing youth slam poets. An emerging writer’s workshop will also be implemented to support the development of unpublished authors. The programme will culminate into a mini literary arts festival in the Cape Winelands municipality.

Craft Development Programme:

The Craft Development programme has collaborated with province-aided museums in Genadendal, Montagu, Bredasdorp and Moreesburg to present the pilot Musee Craft project. The project has identified crafters from the local community and trained them in craft development, marketing and sales. The culmination of the project saw the launch of craft shops at these museums. This project has provided crafters with training by an established craft facilitator and creates opportunities for self-employment through the craft shops.

Dance Development Programme

The Dance Development programme kicked off its project activities with the facilitation of the Afterschool Dance programme. Informed by the WOSA and the RSEP strategies, the unit has rolled out a dance programme at two primary schools in Simondium and Klapmuts. The dance project has allowed learners from both schools to participate in dance classes, perform at our Africa Day Festival and participate in a dance camp where identified talented learners are put through a master class for the weekend. This dance programme aims to groom young talented dancers from these communities to enter formal dance programmes at established dance institutions.

The Kaapse Se Dans Solo project is twofold.  Through a master class workshop, talented solo dancers from across the metro were identified to develop choreography skills and solo dance skills. There are few solo dance showcase platforms in the province and our Department is proud to partner with DFA and Jazzart in order to develop this format of dance and provide a platform for showcasing. Fifteen soloists participated in the master class and final showcasing performance which took place at Artscape. The successful dancers were provided with an opportunity to showcase their talents and skills at the Baxter Dance Festival scheduled for later this year. 

In 2019/20, the programme will pilot its dance teacher’s project that aims to train rural dance instructors as teachers to strengthen dance development in our rural communities. Informed by the WOSA strategy, the dance teachers’ programme will be rolled out in the Saldanha Bay and Prince Albert municipalities. This will culminate in a dance teacher showcase to display the work and translation of the training into dance projects. 

This year will also see the piloting of our Dance Festival which will showcase the best of DCAS Dance programme and its dance projects displaying highlights of project training from across the province. 

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 environment to communicate and be communicated with. It is for this reason that the Department will continue to promote the three official languages and South African Sign Language. We will accelerate our efforts to facilitate meetings with the Western Cape Language Forum. This body comprises of language practitioners and meets six times a year to support the professional development of language practitioners in order to improve the Western Cape Governments’ capacity to ensure that its services are delivered equitably in all three official languages as well as marginalised languages such as South African Sign language, Nama, Khoi and San languages. In addition, the Forum engages in terminology development and is active in attempts to revise and update the existing lexicography for isiXhosa.

Speaker, net meer as R4,9 miljoen is toegewys aan die Departement se Taaldienste. Ons sal voortgaan om taalsteundienste in al drie die amptelike tale van die Wes-Kaap, sowel as tolkdienste, waar moontlik, insluitend Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal, aan al die departemente van die provinsiale regering te verskaf.

PUBLIC ENTITIES

Western Cape Language Committee

The newly elected Western Cape Language Committee was inducted on the 24th of January this year. This public entity will monitor the implementation of the Western Cape Language Policy in all Western Cape Government departments as well as to promote previously marginalised languages during its three-year term.

Western Cape Cultural Commission

A new commission was appointed on the 15 October 2018 consisting of 14 members for a three-year term. An induction session was facilitated by the Department to gradually introduce them to their key roles and pivotal responsibilities.

Through the work of the Commission we will further capacitate the 24 registered Cultural Councils through supporting compliant applications received for research, conferences and projects.

Heritage Western Cape

This public entity seeks to identify, protect and conserve the rich and diverse heritage resources of the Western Cape. There are landscapes, sites, artefacts, buildings and structures that are of significance to the people of the Western Cape. Heritage Western Cape will continue to identify, protect and conserve these heritage resources and will ensure that they are promoted and conserved for generations to come.

CULTURAL FACILITIES

Die kultuurgeriewe bied 'n geleentheid en veilige ruimte aan die jeug waar hulle kan uitdrukking gee aan hul gedagtes, idees en kreatiwiteit in die vorm van kuns of die bestuur van sportaktiwiteite. Daar is die afgelope jaar aansienlike verbeterings aan die kultuurgeriewe aangebring om die veiligheid en gemak van gebruikers te verseker. Daar was 'n hegte werksverhouding met die Departement van Vervoer en Openbare Werke wat vrugte afgewerp het. Die aanlyn-besprekingstelsel is vanjaar geïmplementeer. Hierdie stelsel verleen toegang aan die publiek vanaf enige plek in die provinsie en bied gelyke geleenthede vir almal. ’n Hersiening van beleide en tariefstrukture was nodig. Hierdie veranderinge is gefinaliseer en word tans geïmplementeer. Die implementering van die UOWP het meer menslike hulpbronne beskikbaar gestel om bystand te verleen by die geriewe. Dit het ook terselfdertyd werksgeleenthede geskep.

Ek is baie hartseer om u te moet inlig dat verliese gely is as gevolg van brandstigting by die Okkie Jooste-fasiliteit. Die saak word deur interaktiewe strukture aangespreek wat deur regeringsrolspelers in die gebied gefasiliteer is.

Hierdie boekjaar word gekenmerk deur die ontwerp van 'n nuwe gebruikersmodel om die inkomste wat ingevorder word te verhoog en sodoende verdere opgradering by die geriewe te verseker. Die model is daarop gemik om privaat gebruik gedurende die buiteseisoene te lok, terwyl ons steeds voorkeur gee aan ons gemeenskappe om die rustigheid van ons geriewe te ervaar.

Die fokus vir ons geriewe in die komende jaar is om die benutting daarvan te maksimeer en om dit aan 'n breër spektrum van kliënte te bemark, ten einde ’n bydrae daartoe te lewer om te verseker dat die fasiliteit gebruik word as 'n voertuig om maatskaplike integrasie te bou en welsyn en veiligheid te bevorder.

JAARLIKSE BEFONDSING

Organisasies op verskillende vlakke van ontwikkeling is ondersteun deur ons jaarlikse befondsingsiklus, insluitend geregistreerde kultuurorganisasies, die Kaapse Klopse-groepe, Kersfeesgroepe en die Maleierkore. Deur middel van verskeie kuns- en kultuuraktiwiteite speel hierdie organisasies 'n belangrike rol in die bydrae tot maatskaplik inklusiewe en verbonde gemeenskappe. Daar is vir die 18/19-boekjaar meer as R13, 3 miljoen beskikbaar gestel vir die ontwikkeling, bevordering en bewaring van kuns en kultuur.

Die komponent beoog om nuwe samewerkingsverhoudinge te ontwikkel en programme te voer na nuwe vlakke van uitnemendheid. Die komponent het die proses begin om 'n elektroniese aansoekstelsel bekend te stel waardeur organisasies aanlyn kan aansoek doen vir jaarlikse befondsing. Die befondsingsbeleid sal hersien word aangesien die eksterne omgewing voortdurend verander.

Die jaarlikse vraag na finansiële hulpbronne is heelwat groter as die monetêre toewysing en van daar die noodsaaklikheid om vennootskappe te sluit en 'n hegter interaktiewe verhouding met die kunsgemeenskap te ontwikkel. Vir die huidige jaar is 'n bedrag van R14, 3 miljoen beskikbaar vir die bevordering, ontwikkeling en bewaring van kuns en kultuur.

INITIATION SEASON 2018/19

The Western Cape is the leading province in facilitating the scared rite of passage that is initiation in the country since 2014.  To date, the Western Cape is the only province that has developed a framework to govern the initiation rite of passage predominantly practised by amaHlubi, amaXhosa and Basotho communities.  The goal of the Department is to create a safe and enabling environment for the initiates. We are mandated to preserve, promote and develop culture within the Western Cape.

Traditional surgeons have a pivotal role in the leadership and realisation of this practice and are valuable sources of an increasingly rare skill. They have a central stake in the training and without their cooperation and consent; implementation might be negatively affected. During the period under review the Department worked closer with traditional surgeons in order to elevate their role and significance into the programme. Meetings were held to establish concerns as well as finding solutions for those. Training specifically designed for the traditional surgeons was provided. Additionally, the Department held meetings with municipalities to facilitate collaboration with communities, practitioners, and the local initiation forums.  Speaker, we value the strengthened partnership with the Western Cape Department of Health.

Speaker, please allow me to convey my condolences to the families and loved ones of the two young men who passed on during the summer season. I want to reassure all that the department and its partners 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 training and registration of cultural practitioners as well as the elevation of raising awareness of government’s interventions.

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVE SERVICES:

With the largest share of our overall budget, Programme 3: Library and Archive Services will receive R419,7 million. This appropriation allows us to continue supporting and developing the biggest provincial library service in the country with the most registered library users, currently more than 841 000. 

We will be expanding our total library service points across the province to 378.  The following new libraries will be opening this year, Du Noon Library, the Khayalethu Library in Knysna and the Rose Valley Library in Oudtshoorn. 

We are also funding infrastructure projects for 3 new libraries in Groenheuwel (Drakenstein), Koekenaap (Matzikama) and Elim (Cape Agulhas), and funding 6 library upgrades in Bergsig (Kannaland), Brandwagt (Mossel Bay), Worcester (Breede Valley), KwaMandenkosi (Beaufort West), Grabouw (Theewaterskloof), and Harold Krumm (Saldanha).

The department provides library service points in most of the very small rural communities of a few hundred people or more.  Most of the small rural library centres are provided with free internet through the Rural Library Connectivity Project (RLCP).  We will have 227 rural libraries connected to the internet in the new financial year. In many of these communities it is the only internet connection available. 

To ensure blind and visually impaired people across the Province have access to internet and reading material free of charge, the department in collaboration with the South African Library for the Blind, has established 17 Mini libraries for the blind facilities in existing public libraries, spread across the rural areas.  We are planning to roll out 5 more libraries for the blind in 2019/20.

The Oral History Initiative kept up its momentum during 2018 and again attracted much attention and praise.  The aim of this project is to preserve the oral histories and life experiences of community members by recording and documenting their stories and then making them available to users at public libraries. We will continue to roll out the project in Knysna, Mamre, Swellendam and Caledon this year.

As we celebrate 25 years of democracy this year, the Archives service will be reflecting on this period, through programmes and activities during the National Annual Archives Awareness week. The theme for this year is “Archival Footprint: the relevance of archives 25 years into democracy”. The role of archives in the preservation of and keeping of history, enabling society to reflect on where it has been, is now and is going in the future, will be highlighted. 

The aim of the Annual Archives Awareness week is to popularise the profession to engage communities around the importance of archives in the preservation of societal memory and provision of access thereof. The week promotes the importance of good record keeping practices and allows members of the public access to archival buildings in order to witness and experience archival functions and services.

Speaker, our Department, the Provincial Archives and Records Service will continue the Records Management programme which assists governmental bodies, including municipalities, to manage records to improve accountability and good governance.

Creating a better future for our youth

By the time a learner reaches high school the gap between those from a resourced background and those from an under-resourced background is between four and six years of educational input. Closing this gap is our collective responsibility.

Our Department has a myriad of programmes focused on creating opportunities for under-resourced learners including the MOD, Neighbourhood School, YearBeyond and Grade 4 programmes. In addition to the specific programmes mentioned, our Department has also spearheaded the coordination of the province-wide transversal and whole of society after school movement towards closing this opportunity gap.

The After School Office has focused on creating a culture of extended education in the Western Cape. As a result, we have over 200 000 learners participating in programmes and just over 80 000 coming twice a week throughout the year. The benefit of the programme for these learners is huge.

As one of our principals, who is present here today, Mr Terence Adams explains:One of my learners who was a troubled youngster was separated from his siblings and sent to Grosvenor PS. Effectively his family had written him off as hopeless. He was quite the menace at school. I asked him to try handball as a means to refocusing his energy. Thanks to our ASP and handball, he is the first in his family to travel out of Atlantis, the first to go on a coach liner, the first to make a provincial team. He has gone from being the outcast to the family star and at our recent family evening his whole family came to celebrate him. This is what it’s all about. Every learner deserves this same chance to choose a new life path”.

With all the pressures on the education system we need everyone to play their part if we want to create similar opportunities for every learner. For this reason, we have established and continue to build a movement to support our youth.

This work was also celebrated when the team won the Premier’s Service Excellence Award for Public Sector Innovation.

The award recognised the excellent work the team was doing around partnerships. This government, and I, believe that we cannot ensure every child receives equal access to opportunities alone, it requires a whole of society approach.  We have mapped over 270 NGO providers and collectively with these partners we have an after school footprint in half the no and low fee schools in the province. We also partner with our sister departments, schools, donors, local government and universities.

With our partners we have introduced scouting to our schools, built the first school based skateboard parks, expanded academic support to include a grade 4 catch-up programme.

In the words of one of our NGO partners, Project Playground, whose coach won the Arts Coach Excellence Award recently; “It is so motivating and inspiring to work with a government partner who is so passionate and progressive.”

In addition to mobilising the whole of society, the team has also focused on creating an enabling environment for extended education by building the leadership in our schools to support after school programmes and trouble-shooting around issues like safety. We have introduced awards to celebrate leadership excellence by Principals, Sport Coaches, Arts Coaches and NGOs.

To further deepen skills development around leadership, we have also partnered with the Graduate School of Business to offer an annual course, Leading Innovative Partnerships in Extended Education. As one of our current participants reflected:

“I am so grateful for this time spent personally reflecting on myself and my work. As a leader we often feel the weight of how little time we spend focusing on, and nourishing our own well-being” - DCAS Manager

We are leading the development of a new field of work, called extended education, and a basket of training that recognises and celebrates all our practitioners, both those in the department and those working in non-governmental organizations. In time this will result in a series of qualifications.

To improve quality, we have conducted audits and developed a quality framework. This has resulted in better programme delivery.

In the coming year we will ensure even more learners are able to close the opportunity gap as we:

• Strengthen the culture of after school programmes
• Train 1 000 practitioners to ensure quality programmes are offered.
• Host an After School Conference to celebrate and showcase the work
• Provide work opportunities to over 300 matriculants who are willing to give back and become role models to our learners.
• Present awards for arts and sport coaching excellence, leadership excellence and NGO best practice.
• Build the evidence base of the sector

Speaker, it is not just an after school programme it is an after school advantage.

SPORT AND RECREATION:

With R210, 6 million allocated to the sport and recreation directorate, the Club Development Programme envisages to create an enabling environment for sport clubs within the Club Development Programme, through the provisioning of basic equipment and attire, local leagues, capacity building courses for coaches, managers, athletes, administrators and technical officials across the 6 districts, all represented by their respective chairpersons here today. Linked to the Club Development is support to the Rural Sport Development Programme, which caters for clubs from farming and rural communities.

Academies

The Western Cape Sports Academy System will continue to develop excellence in sport through the coordination and facilitation of services for participants at local, district and provincial level. These services will be rendered through the province via established provincial and district academies in all 6 districts. These services include:

• Sport Science and Medical support
• Talent identification
• Talent development
• Life skills programmes
• Coaching
• Education and Training
• Preparation of Teams

Major Events

The financial support of R5,2 million towards major events in the Western Cape plays an influential role in establishing the Western Cape as the preferred events destination in South Africa and the World. Enabling federations to host a multitude of major events not only adds to the economic input for the province but also assists in moulding the social fabric of our diverse population.

The allocated funding is spread across the entire province ensuring that each district is benefitted, from the Cape Town Metropole to our rural areas of the Central Karoo.

Within the major events, is the Better Together Games Programme, which takes place in the third quarter of each year. The dates for the Better Together Games are as follows:

• 13 September 2019 - Overberg
• 20 September 2019 - Cape Winelands
• 27 September 2019 - Eden
• 04 October 2019 - Central Karoo
• 11 October 2019 - West Coast
• 25 October 2019 - Metro

The major events budget will cover all district, provincial, national and international events, applied for and approved within the barriers of our budgetary constraints. The following includes some of the high-profile events we will be funding in the 2019/20 financial year:

• Knysna Oyster Festival
• Oudtshoorn Sport and Recreational Festival
• Mossel Bay Sport Festival
• Patat Fees Festival
• Cape Town Cycle Tour
• George Wheelchair Race
• Laingsburg Marathon
• Nelson Mandela Freedom Race
• Two Oceans Marathon
• Cape Town Marathon
• ABSA Cape Epic

The Sport Awards programme will continue within the six districts culminating in our Provincial Sport Awards Ceremony on 14 September 2019.

Facilities

With the total budget for sport facilities at R1 605 000, our facilities component is facilitating infrastructural development with various municipalities in the province. The following municipalities will benefit from the programme:
 

• As part of the WOSA programme, R250 000 is allocated to Saldanha Bay municipality for the upgrading of identified facilities.                                                                                                                                      
• Bergrivier will receive R250 000 to upgrade a cricket pitch.                 
• Mossel Bay in the Eden district will receive R400 000 to build new netball courts.
• Swellendam will receive R165 000 to upgrade the Railton Powel Sports Grounds.        
• The Swartland municipality will received R320 000 to upgrade three sports fields.
• Theewaterskloof will receive R220 000 for the construction of mountain bike trails.

Client Support

For the 2019-20 financial year, all sport federations in the Western Cape, will be supported with their administrative, developmental, transformation and capacity building programmes.

The total transfer payments to sport federations is an earmarked R9,2 million of which, R1 million will be set aside for ad-hoc funding supporting the Western Cape athletes traveling abroad. The Ad Hoc funding is a funding system designed to support sport participants from the Western Cape selected to represent South Africa competitively at an international level. The cost incurred by participants once selected for the South African team places the participants under enormous stress and pressure. In order to assist participants to focus purely on performance and enjoyment, the Department will continue to alleviate costs by making a contribution where possible.

The earmarked allocation is in preparation for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics where we anticipate many of our Western Cape athletes to travel to Tokyo to represent Team SA. I am indeed proud of the increased participation at the National Championship for the Physically Disabled and Visually Impaired held in Stellenbosch last week. The annual multi-code event afforded both our juniors and seniors the opportunity to qualify to represent South Africa at international sporting events, the most prestigious being the 2020 Paralympic Games.

The financial assistance supports structures by enabling them to fulfil their mandate by promoting and developing their various sporting codes in the Western Cape. The R7,2 million funding of the federations promotes greater participation in sport social integration and contributes to healthier lifestyles among the people of the Western Cape. Instead of imposing quota systems in sport, we need to do the hard yards at grassroots level – providing as much funding, support and opportunities as possible. This is the only sustainable way to achieve transformation in sport. We will not reach our mutual goals through quick fixes and imposed quota systems. The budget allocation, the provisioning of equipment and facilities and affiliation support to sport federations, school sport, transformational projects and major events have and will continue to increase the pool of local talent and make sporting excellence accessible to all.

Through their respective development, administrative, transformation and capacity building projects, sport federations will nurture and develop athletes with potential from grassroots at elite levels. These athletes, coaches and administrators participate at national and International spheres and serve as role models, which contribute to the overall empowerment of our communities; particularly those in under-resourced areas.

SPORT DEVELOPMENT: RECREATION

Die Rekreasieprogram plaas groot klem op die Ontspanningsentrums. Hierdie sentrums bevorder rekreasiegebaseerde aktiwiteite, insluitend inheemse speletjies. Daar was ook 'n Provinsiale Inheemse Speletjies Fees wat op 21 Julie 2018 by die Wes-Kaapse Sportskool plaasgevind het. Hierna is 'n provinsiale span gekies wat die Wes-Kaap by die Nasionale Inheemse Speletjies Fees verteenwoordig. Hierdie fees is vir die 11de opeenvolgende jaar in Polokwane, Limpopo, aangebied. Die Wes-Kaap het aan al nege kodes deelgeneem en die spanne het die provinsie met trots en waardigheid verteenwoordig en ons erfenis lewendig gehou deur deelname aan speletjies wat inheems is aan die mense van die Wes-Kaap.

In die skoolsportprogram het ons groepe in elk van die onderwysdistrikte regoor die provinsie gevestig. Daarna het Talentidentifisering (TID) in die distriksgroepe plaasgevind en dit het aanleiding gegee tot kompetisies en aktiwiteite tussen die groepe. Daar is ook gefokus op die vestiging en/of versterking van die verhouding tussen provinsiale federasies en provinsiale skoolsportkodes. Daarbenewens is skoolsport, kuns- en kultuuraktiwiteite vir leerders voorsien, deur geleenthede om aan volgende-vlak-aktiwiteite deel te neem. Hierdie volgende-vlak-deelname het gefokus op leerders se toegang tot kode- en genrespesifieke aktiwiteite, deur die Skoolsport Buurskole-program, wat weer aanleiding gegee het tot kode- en genre-spesialiseringsgeleenthede vir die betrokke skoolgaande jeug.

During the coming financial year, there will be a strong focus on “Neighbourhood Development” through an integrated approach by the relevant Recreation Centres, MOD Centres and neighbouring schools, along with our shared-facilities initiative. Here, the focus will be on specific neighbourhoods, where there will be the establishment of a pipeline that will provide the school-going youth with access to various opportunities, as well as to promote real, relevant, safe, adequate and appropriate spaces for physical activities, recreation, modified activities, mass participation, as well as relevant next-level, mastery-based and career-based activities across the Western Cape. In this way we actively are creating a pathway for school-going youth to participate at recreational levels, as well as to compete at advanced levels.

Moreover, these initiatives and approaches were and are structured, introduced, maintained, sustained and supported, to strengthen the Western Cape’s contribution towards achieving improved academic and educational outcomes and better preparedness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Within a context that speaks to lifelong learning and activity, the building of self-esteem and self-confidence, the creation of a sense of belonging and identity and a values-based, socially inclusive society, participants, learners and athletes are exposed to coaching methodologies executed by the practitioners employed in the relevant programmes, such as the Recreation Programme, the MOD Programme and the Neighbouring School Programme.

Conclusion:

This department, the dedicated staff and our constructive programmes have the ability to change lives in the Western Cape for the better. Speaker, our people are quite literally dying for the opportunities needed from government and tax payers’ money to live lives they can value. We have made great strides in establishing meaningful sustainable partnerships that has set the innovative scene that makes the Western Cape the leading sport and cultural destination of South Africa.  As we strive for lifelong maximum citizen impact, I take this opportunity to thank our valued partners here today and look forward to strengthening our collaboration to the benefit off all who calls the Western Cape home.

I thank you.