ANC Parliamentary Caucus
Sports, Arts and Culture Budget Vote 37
Comrade R. Adams
09 May 2023
The agenda to drive the transformation of the arts and culture is crucial for our social and economic empowerment. We have been in a difficult situation as a country that has made this process to fall back, delaying the transformative implementation and development of cultural development for the benefit of social cohesion and the priority of building a better nation. It is now more than ever that we are on a stronger path to encourage and support our craft industry, including the art practitioners that are dedicated to the arts and culture.
Honourable Chairperson, we believe in impactful cultural diplomacy to empower and promote creative sector artists internationally. The departments cultural diplomacy programmes expose our artists to various country creative industry markets and in the instances our local artists are trained internationally.
We must support the African Union Charter for African Cultural Renaissance and African Union Agenda 2063, to move towards a united cultural diversity and African Renaissance through the Departments’ creative and cultural industries. We note the key deliverables by the Department to host cultural season with Egypt and Zambia and the implementation of several international agreements.
Honourable Chairperson the support for the creative and cultural industries’ development is necessary for enhancing the calibre of artists we have and the standard of an industry to produce the best artists.
The Department will be Supporting 15 local and international market access and 9 Provincial Community Arts Development Programmes.
We welcome the Departments plans to have communities engage open social issues. At least 20 community conversations and dialogues are targeted for social cohesion and nation building. The Provincial Departments of Sports, Arts and Culture have set an annual target of 65 for the implementation of the community dialogues.
We are pleased to see that the Department will have programmes, such as 22 Capacity building projects, and 4 financially supported Youth-focused Arts development programmes and Gender-based violence and femicide awareness projects
The Portfolio Committee noted that there are programmes run in support of a number of initiatives against gender-based violence and femicide. Some of the contributors towards Anti-GBVF Initiatives such as the Silapha Wellness programme which is dedicated to providingng psychosocial support.
We are in full support of the initiatives by the Gqlekane programme, to develop the necessary content and programmes that advocate against GBVF for all newly completed legacy projects by the Department. Secondly, the focus of the exhibition at the Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance must include the promotion and protection of the vulnerable and advocate against GBVF
Honourable Chairperson we appreciate the departments’ intervention and investment in the creative economy. The Mzansi Golden Economy Programme has been able to provide key economic deliverables of job creation and opportunities to 12 000 and 36 000 from the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme for Impact.
The Mzansi Golden Economy will support 340 artists to be placed in schools per year, this is important for the professional development of our artists and is therefore progressive in the transformation of the arts for our artists. We can note the Research and development from South African Cultural Observatory which is an important aspect. Researched work and statics get us to measure and know where we are and where we want to be, therefore it is crucial to always invest and budget for research-based interventions as they improve the departments planning and decision making.
The Department supports 30 films and documentaries telling stories of the history of liberation and heritage. We need artists and projects that aim at dealing with national agendas such as songs or film that deals with grief, and social cohesion transcending our social-national boundaries as well.
We are pleased as the committee with the rise of the number of projects supported in the creative industry through the Mzansi Golden Economy programme.
Honourable Chairperson the committee has been greatly concerned with delays of the Social Cohesion and Nation Building social compact even after numerous consultations had taken place. The social partners should be encouraged to sign the social compact in order to strengthen the transformative and developmental path of sports arts and culture. The Department has acknowledged that the Social Cohesion and Nation Building Compact is indeed crucial and that as the Department they were consolidating this as best as they could. This is appreciated by the Department and we hope the compact will be able to be signed and the Department to give feedback.
House Chairperson the department plays a critical role in promoting literary works through various library services and the promotion of indigenous languages. The promotion of a reading nation is critical if we are to empower our nations social and cultural capital. Understanding our history and promoting and preserving our national heritage will defines who we are as a nation. It is for this reason the ANC has prioritised the transformation of our heritage landscape and decolonisation programmes too developed a shared identity.
With the rapid development of technology, we ,use continue to advance digital transformation to promote our creatives through several digital platforms. Many creatives are influencers and make a living. Through digital platforms. The department should have a focused programme to support creatives in the digital economy. We are confident that the programme outlined by the Executive will contribute in creating a better life and nation building.