Minister Anroux Marais' 2022/23 financial year budget speech

Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais

2022/23 DCAS budget appropriation speech

28 March 2022

Honourable Speaker

Premier

Cabinet Colleagues and Members of the Provincial Parliament

Head of Department and Managers of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport

Our partners in the sport and cultural sectors

Members of the media

Residents of the Western Cape

Introduction

Speaker, today I present the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport’s (DCAS) appropriation budget for the 2022/23 financial year, acknowledging that the 2022 MTEF budget is premised on prioritising the recovery of our sectors by aligning it to the Western Cape Recovery Plan in the areas of Jobs, Safety, and Wellbeing.

At the DCAS, we take our mandate of creating a socially inclusive, active, connected Western Cape serious and have made great strides in our commitment to keep hope alive during difficult times. In the coming financial year, we will build on our successes, learn from our experiences and together with our partners focus on our priorities which include:

Creating a shared future and sense of belonging through collaborative efforts to forge social inclusivity and cohesion

Offering youth a sense of purpose and pathways to become productive citizens and creating opportunities to address wellbeing by foregrounding Youth and Metal Wellbeing and

Ensuring new operating models within the context of the New Way of Work and Culture of the Western Cape Government as we proactively respond to the needs and demands of those we serve through cultural affairs and sport.

Speaker, the DCAS budget for the 2022/23 financial year increased by approximately R37,8 million, from an adjusted budget of just over R900,1 million in the 2021/22 financial year to R937,9 million in 2022/23.  As the Department did not receive additional funding for the impact of the 2021 wage agreement, the Department absorbed the impact of the wage agreement at a total cost of R4.279m.

Youth development at the heart of the DCAS strategic objectives

With Youth Development at the heart of the Department’s plans, we received an additional R15 million to mitigate the risk of youth disillusionment in the Western Cape, mainly brought about by Covid-19 and its consequential impacts. With the additional funding, the DCAS, through its YearBeyond Programme, plans to address youth unemployment by providing more than 3 000 young people with first work opportunities while they build their work readiness skills so to transition into studies or work. Linked to this allocation is an additional R2 million, to conduct a review of current youth programmes relevant to skills and employment programmes in the Western Cape Government and this will inform our priorities within the youth strategy going forward. 

Speaker, the Department also received an additional R15 million for the implementation of Holiday Programmes in vulnerable communities to keep children engaged in productive activities during school closures. The aim of the holiday programme is to provide fun, engaging activities for children over the festive holiday break as a way of addressing the various risks facing children and youth, focusing on psychological, physical and educational aspects, while at the same time creating first work experiences for youth aged between 18 and 25. 

Prioritizing the cultural economy for greater opportunities

Dit is vir my aangenaam om aan te kondig dat ’n bykomende toewysing van R1,5 miljoen ontvang is om ’n uitvoerbaarheidstudie vir die toekomstige bestuur van die Kangogrotte te onderneem ten einde inkomste te genereer om toekomstige volhoubaarheid te verseker. Hierdie toewysing sal ook die geleentheid bied om ’n kosteberekeningstudie uit te voer om die hoeveelheid befondsing te bepaal wat benodig word vir die kort-, medium- en langtermyn instandhouding van die Kangogrotte en omliggende infrastruktuur.

’n Bykomende R1,5 miljoen is vir die kultuurfasiliteite in ons sorg ontvang om ’n haalbaarheidstudie vir ’n potensiële openbare-private-vennootskap by Melkbos Oppiesee Kultuurfasiliteit en Schoemanspoort Kultuurfasiliteit te doen. In die proses word die moontlikheid van ’n dubbelgebruiksmodel ondersoek wat beide die openbare en private gebruik van hierdie fasiliteite gaan inkorporeer. Die model sluit tans slegs openbare gebruik in en die potensiaal daarvan om groter hoogtes te bereik word beperk.

Speaker, bykans R16,5 miljoen is vir die Wes-Kaapse Provinsiale Argief toegewysom sy aanlyn en digitale dienste-projek te implementeer om toegang en ’n kultuur van  bewaring te bevorder, en hierdie mylpaalprestasie te bereik. Die befondsing sluit die verkryging van masjinerie en toerusting in om provinsiale argiewe te digitaliseer om aanlyn-toere moontlik te maak, wat voorsiening maak vir ’n wyer spektrum van toegangspunte, nie net in die Wes-Kaap of Suid-Afrika nie, maar ook na die wêreldgemeenskap. Speaker, ek kan met sekerheid sê dat die DKES die internasionale terrein gaan betree.

Ons gaan die totale toewysing van ongeveer R376,5 miljoen vir die 2022/23-boekjaar gebruik om voort te gaan om ons status as die voorste biblioteekdiens in Suid-Afrika te verbeter. Ons het beslis die mees deernisvolle staatsamptenare wat die krag van die Wes-Kaapse biblioteekdienste aandryf.

Die Agbare Marais sal bly wees om te hoor dat daar tydens die proses waarin ons streef na taaldemokrasie bykans R5,8 miljoen aan Taaldienste toegeken is om al drie die provinsiale amptelike tale, Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal en die Nama-, Khoi- en San-tale in die Wes-Kaap te bevorder om almal wat die Wes-Kaap as hul tuiste beskou, welkom te laat voel.

Highlighting major events as economic catalyst for the Western Cape

An amount of R5 million as also been allocated for major events to unlock economic and social opportunities on a local and regional level. This appropriation will be informed by the Western Cape Events Forum (WCEF) following the Cape of Great Events Conference held earlier this month to explore events as an economic catalyst for the Western Cape.

One of the major social benefits of events is their ability to bring people of various cultures together, thereby building social capital which is important for social cohesion. This social capital is built over time after many years of consistent investment and being in tune with the needs of host communities. So the events we support need to see themselves more than just events but rather part of a journey to build trust, cooperation and innovation.

To share some insight, delegates explored strategies around creating a more streamlined event ecosystem and going beyond raising the profile of Destination Western Cape. During the conference it was noted that from 2011, the Integrated Events Strategy has paved the way in providing a guide to decision-making for supporting events in the Western Cape. However, key outcomes of the conference included and is not limited to the need for the strategy to be refreshed and that the roles of the public sector and that of the private sector need to be clear and focused to strike an optimal balance.

Together with academia and representatives of the private sector within the events and business events landscape, the conference indeed provided the platform to review and engage on strategies to maximise opportunities for recovery and growth, in recognition of events as catalysts for economic growth and social cohesion.

Highlighting the Whole of Society and Whole of Government Approach needed to increase opportunities for all those we serve, the WCEF is an interdepartmental committee comprising of the Department of the Premier, Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), Western Cape Department of Economic Development & Tourism (DEDAT) as well as Wesgro: the Tourism, Trade, Investment and Film & Media Promotion Agency for the Western Cape. The provincial entities serve as the custodians of the Integrated Events Strategy (IES) for the Western Cape and provides a shared vision and shared ownership in delivering events in the province. The Cape of Great Events strategy aims to provide a single point of entry for event organisers to engage the Western Cape Government (WCG), build partnerships with the broader event ecosystem and increase the impact of events in the province, while seeking innovative ways of promoting events tourism.

Speaker, partnerships within the broader events eco-system to increase the impact of events within the Western Cape must be explored. A refreshed look at the Integrated Events Strategy will be necessary to consider better alignment of the role of the public sector as well as internal alignment between the various entities involved within the events space in the Western Cape.  The benefits of sport and event tourism for the Western Cape’s visitor economy is evident in the amount of support provided by all the entities involved. The DCAS provides annual funding allocations to over 146 sports federations across all six districts of the Western Cape. In 2020/21, the activities of these federations contributed to an economic impact of over R8.8 billion per annum which translates to 2.2% of the Western Cape gross domestic product since 2012. In addition, it was established that the sport sector supports 60 000 jobs in the province. The Department also annually funds art and culture organisations and practitioners, as well as professional non-governmental organisations such as the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and flagship events like the Suidoosterfees, to name only a few. Speaker, this was pre-COVID-19 and goes a long way to show in real terms that the DCAS alignment to the recovery plan will contribute to increasing its economic impact.

Another successful conference, hosted by the Department earlier this month, to note Speaker was the 2022 Women in Sport Conference. A culmination of over two years of conceptualizing, including initial discussions with each District and different federations at the trilateral engagements, a series of webinars, changing our ways of thinking and doing, the Conference indeed made great strides to progress the agenda of women in sport in the Western Cape. The conference, the valuable inputs from all those who attended, the discussions, actions and resolutions taken to develop the first of its kind provincial Policy to safeguard women in sport in South Africa is the personification of this progress and for this we are eternally grateful.

One pivotal outcome of this conference was the unanimous acknowledgement that for far too long we have been engaging on equality as if women are on the same footing as men, when in fact systematic and institutional patriarchy is still perpetuated in our society today. As the DCAS we are bound as public servants to act for not only equality in sport, but equity. Following the Gen-xx presentation on menstrual cups to introduce the uncomfortable conversations and redressing that needs to take place, I concur that a period should end a sentence not a woman or girl child’s potential. I am then also proud to announce that through our Club Development Programme’s equipment budget, funds will be allocated to menstrual cups and other necessities our women and girl children require to perform at the optimal best. I then also challenge all cabinet colleagues, particularly the Premier and Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, to advocate for cultural affairs and sport, particularly for women, farmworker inclusivity and those living with disabilities on every agenda, on every budget decision, at each engagement with municipalities to appropriate the necessary funds, resources and facilities needed because sadly men are more likely to listen to men.

Conclusion

Speaker, evidently, in a dismal national fiscal environment, adopting a Whole of Society and Whole of Government Approach inculcating collaborative efforts through sustainable partnerships is much needed to achieve our mutual goals to enable safer and cohesive communities through cultural affairs and sport. As the trusted partner of our sport and cultural stakeholders, those affecting dynamic change in behavioural trends at grassroots level are our most valued partners and we remain committed to empowering them and the various structures through innovative assistance and interventions as the need and demand transpires. Under the visionary leadership of Premier Alan Winde, the Western Cape Government firmly believes that innovation is always on the agenda and I look forward to collaboratively embracing new ideas and always doing the right thing with competent integrity, always mindful of the people we serve through Cultural Affairs and Sport. 

I thank you.