Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker
Honourable Premier

Honourable Members of the Executive Council
Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature
Officials from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
Comrades and Friends
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

My maiden budget speech is presented to you in a spirit of gratitude and reflects the Final Budget for Sport, Arts and Culture for the Medium Strategic Framework of 2009 to 2014. I am extremely delighted to deliver my budget speech to you against the backdrop of commemorating the 38th anniversary of the Youth Uprising of 1976. The past month reminded us of the selfless sacrifices made by thousands of young people. It is through these sacrifices that we have a good story to tell. It also comes at a time when we celebrate a World Icon and Father of the Nation, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s Birthday- the first to be celebrated without him around to witness the Goodwill he bestowed upon this world.

I present this budget during the month of voluntarism or spirit of selflessness where we dedicate our 67 minutes to a great world icon by doing good. On the 18 July 2014, we urge Honourable members and guests to lead by example and join the volunteer corps in turning around the lives of our people. 

We commit ourselves to the vision of Tata Mandela in advancing the Freedom Charter by breathing meaningful action through accelerated service delivery in the next 20 years as detailed in our road map, the ANC Manifesto and the National Development Plan (NDP). The massive 64,4% support is a mandate to continue to provide a "Better Life for All” and to enhance the social cohesion agenda and also create a society that participates in healthier lifestyles.

Indeed the past 5 years represented a life changing experience epitomised by the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where as the province we played the role of hosting Uruguay. Other milestones include;

 

 

• the popular and fast growing skateboarding development programme, benefitting more than ten thousand young people across the province. This programme  has proved to be the most successful in promoting social cohesion,
• making significant strides in transforming the heritage landscape of the province,
• construction of the Upington 26 memorial,
• the repatriation of remains of fallen heroes and heroines,
• hosting two major national events, Heritage Day 2012 and Youth Day 2014,
• construction of world class FIFA synthetic soccer  pitches in 5 municipalities,
• hosting of a national Pool competition (Blackball),
• delivery of six high tech libraries.

I have already hit the ground running and have hurriedly picked up on the table that my predecessor has set. In the next hundred days of office, I will concentrate on the following;

• a roadshow to consult with stakeholders
• the formalisation of the public entities
• the appointment of district librarians and curators at museums
• the upgrading of Information Communication Technology at district level
• the hosting of the Centenary of World War 1 exhibition on 28 July 2014
• the hosting of the Social Cohesion Summit in September 2014 in preparation for the national summit in November 2014
• the appointment of a new construction contractor for the completion of the Northern Cape Theatre and the Churchill Library

In response to the President's call for sustainable job creation and skills development, the Department has:

• converted 153 contract posts into permanent posts
• appointed and capacitated 250 Expanded Public Works Programme employees
• created work opportunities for 12 Further Education and Training learners
• trained 12 heritage learners to further boost the heritage capacity in the province
• offered study assistance to 30 departmental employees and
• awarded eight bursaries for further study in the sector

In complying with the constitution, the Department embarked on transforming our Departmental Agencies into Public Entities. Public entities enable the regulation of our various sectors and extend the scope and footprint of the Department. The following Acts have thus been promulgated:

• Northern Cape Arts and Culture Council Act – 2013 which established the Northern Cape Arts and Culture Council
• Northern Cape Heritage Resources Authority Act – 2013 which established the Northern Cape Heritage Resources Authority
• Broad consultation is continuing with regards to the drafting of the Northern Cape Sport and Recreation Authority Bill. This Bill aims to regulate sport in the province and to accelerate transformation.

The following Acts have also been promulgated:

• The Northern Cape Archives Act -2013
• Northern Cape Use of Languages Act -2013

Programme 4: Sport and Recreation

Honourable Speaker

Allow us to congratulate the Griqualand West Rugby Union for winning the Vodacom Cup for a fifth time. We wish them all the luck in their endeavour to regain their rightful place in the Currie Cup this year. We hope that through our support to federations more provincial teams will excel in this fashion in future. 

The Department played an instrumental role in pitching the inaugural Wildeklawer Schools Competition as one of the premier school sport competitions in the country. Apart from the opportunities it presents to provincial school teams, it also presents valuable economic injection into our province.

We would also like to acknowledge the following sporting achievements:

• Stitch United Football Club for qualifying for the national first division playoffs,
• Chantel Stuurman, a disabled power lifting athlete, who has been chosen as part of Team South Africa  to represent us during the Commonwealth games in Scotland from 16 July to 29 July 2014,
• Tlhalefang Pharasi for receiving a ministerial bursary for best player (hockey under 13- national school championship)
• Aiden Brooker, Diego Rosier  and Gihan Cloete for being selected to the South African U/19 Cricket team,
• Reeza Hendricks for being selected to the South African Cricket A-team,
• Shaheed Alexander who is the National Scout for U/19 cricket,
• Mark Arthur who is the National Coach for the intellectually impaired cricket team,
• Susan Benade for being selected to the South African Cricket Senior Women team,
• Evagne Adams for being selected to the South African Martial Arts Development Team,
• Lauren - Lee Christians for being selected to the 2016 Universities World Cup team.

Our programmes will be focusing on the Sport and Recreation Plan in our efforts to build a case for sport. 

The Department will be rolling out the Provincial School Sport Programme throughout the Province in this financial year. Schools in the Province will benefit from the programme through the following:

• training of educators responsible for school sport programmes, an amount of R566 thousand has been allocated for this purpose.
• provision of equipment to all participating schools to the tune of R457  thousand and support towards provincial and national games (National  School Championship) to the tune of R8 million,

The Department is delivering Outdoor Sport multipurpose facilities in the following towns (districts):

• Jan Kempdorp – Frances Baard (100% complete)
• Cassel - John Taolo Gaetsewe (100% complete)
• Postmasburg - Z. F. Mgcawu (50% complete)
• Griekwastad – Pixley Ka Seme (50% complete)
• Port Nolloth - Namakwa (site established)

These facilities will bring communities together and enhance the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. An amount of R20 million has been allocated for this purpose.

The Department will host the biennial Provincial Albert Luthuli Games in September 2014, which is a celebration of the hard fought battles for equality and transformation of our society through sport. This will see the development of eight (8) sporting codes namely swimming, boxing, gymnastics, athletics, tennis, golf, gold ball (for disabled sport) and netball in the province. An amount of R1,2 million has been allocated for this programme. The Department will also be providing additional administrative support to the aforementioned eight priority codes. 

We are hosting an annual Social Cohesion Youth Camp which is an endeavour to harness the moral fibre and inculcate values as well as life skills. We will also host the second provincial Girl Child Camp focusing on the coaching in sport and life skills. R3 million has been allocated for this purpose.

Honourable Speaker

We will be intensifying our campaigns of broadening partnerships with our stakeholders in the advancement of sport and recreation through the following programmes:

• promoting sport and recreation amongst offenders through sport and recreation programmes in correctional facilities to promote rehabilitation of offenders
• Implementation of Aerobics programme for offenders.

We will be acknowledging and recognising excelling athletes in the Province for outstanding performance on the field of play on the national and International stages through a Sports Awards Ceremony.

Programme 3: Library and Archives Services

Honourable Speaker

The Department has sanctioned and supported infrastructure improvement at municipal libraries throughout the Province. Funds were allocated to municipalities in the previous financial year and the project adds on the major construction projects undertaken by the Province. 

In addition to this, the Department envisaged the expansion of current access to library services through an infrastructure programme. This will see the construction of 11 new libraries. This mandate is derived from the National Development plan that has identified infrastructure investment as a key deliverable. The projects that will commence in this financial year will be:

• Norvalspont
• Colesburg
• Noupoort
• Ritchie
• Olifantshoek
• Homevale
• Danielskuil
• Cassel
• Logaganeng
• Louisvaleweg and
• Warrenton.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have provided support to enhance Information Communication Technology capacity in three municipal areas (Sol Plaatje, Gamagara and Mier) in the Province. The pilot projects will be done over a period of two years and will assist with the roll out of the uncapped access to all 230 community library service points. This initiative will augment the current 137(one hundred and thirty seven libraries) that provides free public internet access. 

Honourable Speaker

The Department will implement the following programmes to encourage reading and literacy. These are:

1. World Book Day,
2. National Library Week,
3. International Literacy Day,
4. Creative Writing Workshops,
5. Run-to-Read district fun runs,
6. The Premier's Choice Reading Competition,
7. June and December holiday programmes and the
8. he Northern Cape Writers Festival

We will continue to build on the success of the Northern Cape Writers Festival as the only non-commercial literary festival in the country. The festival offers a platform to acknowledge and elevate local writers as well as to bring readers and writers together.

Honourable Speaker

Allow us to congratulate one of our own, Sabata Mpho Mokae, a local writer and scholar who was honoured with the MNET Literary Award this year. He is also invited to participate in an international writing programme of the Iowa State University in the USA later in this year. We also congratulate him on the launch of his latest novel “Dikeledi’, a story aimed at young people and their conduct with regard to alcohol and HIV/AIDS. 

Transfers to municipalities for the 2014/15 financial year totals R27 083 million. These funds will be utilized to increase capacity at libraries, current awareness and library development. The expansion of library services through the mobile book boxes and the container library service will also continue. The Department also intends to avail four bursaries to the value of two hundred thousand rand (R200 000) for formal training in the Library and Information Science field.

The Department is set to provide additional learner and literacy support material, as well as other reading materials to all libraries in the Province. We will purchase 60 000 library materials to the value of R 8,9 million for this purpose.

The Department has completed the first phase of construction of the Khotso Flatela Provincial Archives Repository in the previous financial year. We will now equip the Repository to receive repatriated records from other provinces. 

Programme 2: Arts and Culture

Honourable Speaker

The ruling Party in its Manifesto, committed to the following actions to ensure that we contribute towards social cohesion and nation building:

• Ensure government invests in the cultural and creative industries, particularly in film, music, arts and craft, books and publishing.
• Honour and celebrate our collective heritage by promoting our diverse cultural identities.
• Promote our new museums and monuments and preserve existing ones to depict and preserve the heritage of our people.
• Promote a Liberation Heritage Route that honours the heroes and heroines of the struggle.
• Work towards a community art centre and a library in every municipal ward.
• Promote the values of the Constitution as we approach the 20th anniversary of its adoption in 2016.

The National Development Plan also enjoins us to accelerate our efforts in pursuit of the above actions. Over the last five years, the Department has commenced with a comprehensive effort to transform our arts and culture landscape in the Province. At the centre of this transformation was the decision to promulgate the Northern Cape Arts and Culture Council Act, 8 of 2013, the activation of the Film and TV function through the funding of learners over the last four years, the activation of the Mayibuye Centre Training Academies, the introduction of the Northern Cape has Talent programme that has been able to reach each and every Municipality in our Province, securing funding for the completion of the Northern Cape Theatre  and the establishment and support of key Non-Profit Organisations in the Sector to give prominence to drama, television, choral music, dance and other art genres.

We indeed have a solid foundation to build on and continue to transform our society through social cohesion and nation building. We wish to take this opportunity to congratulate our local group Soul Music Sensation (SMS) for winning the SA Championships in Performing Arts in Rustenburg. They will be representing the Country and our Province at the "Beyond 2000 International Championships" in Los Angeles, USA. We also congratulate Dialogane tsa Tlhaping from the JTG District for winning the Setswana Category of the South African Traditional Music Awards during 2013. 

Turning our attention to planned programmes for the 2014/15 financial year Honourable Members, it gives me great pleasure to announce to this house that our team of Television students at the AFDA Film School are in their final year of studies and have already commenced with work towards the establishment of the Province’s first ever Community Television Station. This important development will ensure that our Province joins other Provinces in this trend to increase television access to all our communities. The establishment of the Community TV Station will also ensure that our young people in the arts and culture sector have a platform through which they could tell the good story of our Province and our Country. We will, over the next few months work closely with our students to ensure that they meet the deadlines set for the establishment of the station. As part of building the much needed capacity in the area of Film and Television, we have also committed to assisting two more students with bursaries to study towards qualifications in Film development. Through these efforts, we hope to build the necessary capacity to grow film development in this province over the next five years. The total allocation for this programme is R640 thousand.

During this financial year, we will also be consolidating the various Training Academies at the Mayibuye Centre. Over the last year, we have seen an increase in the number of drama groups, choirs, musicians and poets utilising the centre. We believe that the Centre is well on its way to becoming one of the best arts and culture hubs in the Country. 

Honourable Members

It is our wish and vision to see more learners and young people throughout the Province having access to community arts centres like the Mayibuye Centre, so that we can provide a space for them to practice the arts. We believe that it is only through these Centres that we can draw young people away from crime and drugs. The budget allocation for the Mayibuye Centre is R3,8 million.

In pursuit of the above, we will, during this financial year be assisting with the establishment of three community arts centres in the John Taole Gaetsewe, Pixley ka Seme and Namakwa Districts. We will be collaborating with the Kapa Bokone Community Arts Centres Forum in the establishment of the said Community Art Centres. An amount of R300 thousand has been allocated for this programme.

Honourable Members

We are very excited to announce that the biennial Northern Cape has Talent programme will continue this year. As previously, we will be visiting each and every municipality in the Province with the hope of unearthing and grooming talent in the music, dance, drama, poetry and visual arts genres. We are indeed excited to again be rolling out this programme as it not only provides hope to our up and coming artists, it also enables us to assess the state of the arts and culture sector and its facilities. We wish all participants well. 

Honourable Members

During this year we will also be working closely with stakeholders outside of government as we seek to extend our reach within the Province and the sector as a whole. To this end we have taken a conscious decision to work closely with Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) and other stakeholders in the sector. Through these collaborations, we hope to ensure that we strengthen these NPOs to such an extent that they too can contribute towards job creation for artists and that they can access other sources of funding on behalf of their genres.

It is for this reason that we have identified the following NPOs to work with during this financial year in collaboration with the Northern Cape Arts and Culture Council:

1. The Northern Cape Choral Music Union (NCCMU)
2. The Kapa Bokone Community Arts Centres Forum (KBCACF)
3. The Kimberley Community Television Station (KCTV)
4. The Galeshewe Theatre Organization (GATO)

Through these NPOs, we have already realised the following achievements:

• The NCCMU recently hosted the first Annual Northern Cape Choral  Music Eisteddfod at the Mayibuye Centre. The Eisteddfod was a huge  success despite the limited time they had to organise it,
• The KBCACF have already had several workshops and capacity  building session where they assist artists with applying for funding and  putting together Business Plans,
• The GATO is currently in Grahamstown where they are showcasing  three Productions, a first for our Province.

We hope to collaborate with more NPOs throughout the Province over the next few years so as to ensure that the efforts of the Department and the Northern Cape Arts and Culture Council are complemented in this critical sector. A total of R1,5 million is allocated for the above.

Honourable Speaker

As we turn our attention to one of our most important mandates, language development, we wish to start by encouraging Honourable Members of this house to take the lead and learn at least one indigenous language as outlined in the National Development Plan. The Department’s Language Laboratory provides opportunities, through its language proficiency training programme, for officials and especially politicians to learn the basics of a second language. We also offer a basic sign language course for frontline staff.

Honourable Members

The Northern Cape Use of Official Languages Act was passed by the previous legislature during 2013 in response to the provisions of Section 6 of our Constitution. The aim of this Act is to promote parity, esteem and equitable treatment of Provincial Official Languages. This Act will require that all Government Departments and Entities ensure that they communicate in all four official languages of the Province. The biggest challenge facing us is to ensure that we have sufficient capacity within Departments and in the Provincial Language Service to meet the demands of the new Act.

In compliance with Section 4 of the Act, we will be presenting the draft Policy regarding Provincial Government’s Use of Official Languages for Government Purposes to the Provincial EXCO over the next few months. This Policy will pave the way for the implementation of the Act and all its provisions by the Provincial Administration. We urge all Departments and Entities to familiarise themselves with the Provisions of the Act and the Policy as we set about making Government and its services more accessible to our communities.

The Language Policy also makes provision for the use and development of indigenous languages in the Province through establishing strategic collaborations with stakeholders within and outside of the Province. The total budget for language is R1,3 million.

Lastly, we will be intensifying our interactions with Municipalities so as to ensure that the process of name changes is intensified at all levels. The naming and renaming process at this level is dependent on Municipalities implementing this mandate. We would like to congratulate Khara Hais municipality for successfully implementing the Name Change process. We will also be engaging more regularly with the Provincial Geographic Names Committee to ensure that the process in all parts of the Province is accelerated. A total of R611 thousand is budgeted for this programme.

Programme 2: Heritage and Museums

We have established a study group with Sol Plaatjie University with the view of formalising relations on Heritage studies. The discussions are very fruitful and will escalate the importance of Heritage and Museum Studies, Archaeology and Paleontology as a key focus of the University.

Honourable Speaker

We are proud to announce that the McGregor Museum is now a listed provincial public entity. The listing of both the Northern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Authority and the Northern Cape Arts and Culture Council will be finalized during this financial year.

This House should be aware of the excellent work the Department has done with regard to the research and documentation of the history of the Liberation Struggle in the Northern Cape. It is at this point, Honourable Speaker, that we pay tribute to one of our own academics, Professor Ridwan Laher, who passed away recently. Professor Laher led the research team that worked on the history of the Liberation Struggle in the Northern Cape. Under his guidance and direction we managed to publish two books on the history of the Liberation Struggle and he also led the research team on the repatriation of remains of heroes and heroines. His passing has left a void which will be difficult to fill. May his soul rest in peace.

Honourable Speaker

Through its flagship programme, Honouring Heroes and Heroines of the Liberation Struggle, the department is ensuring that the sacrifices and contributions of the many unsung heroes and heroines of our freedom struggle are recognized and honoured. 

To this end, we have recently named our provincial archives repository after the late Comrade Khotso Flatela, who died in exile and is buried outside the country. We have also renamed the Ministry for Sport, Arts and Culture to Brian Hermanus House in honour of this outstanding sportsman and dedicated activist. Comrade Brian Hermanus was also the first MEC of this department with its establishment in 1999. 

Honourable Speaker

This department will continue its programme to honour those remarkable unsung men and women who contributed selflessly to the freedom you and I enjoy today. We have exhumed and reburied Comrade Funga Nkadimang  a gallant fighter of our revolution, in Batlharos, outside Kuruman, during June 2013. It has now come full circle and he is resting close to his family and loved ones. Another of our key projects in this regard is to return the remains of Comrade Itumuleng Tume who is buried in Soweto, back home into the province during this financial year. Research will also be conducted to search for remains of other fallen heroes that have not returned from exile. 

Consultation is in progress with the National Heritage Council around the National Liberation Heritage Route. This is a national programme aimed at the development of a Liberation Heritage Route which includes all nine provinces.  We are confident that this programme will further contribute towards the growth of our tourism industry in the province. 

Honourable Speaker

You will agree that our journey to get communities to respond to social cohesion programmes is not without challenges. The terrain present itself with lots of potholes, but we remain steadfast and focused on achieving a transformed and coherent society. 

Honourable Speaker, the Programme breakdown of the 2014/15 budget allocation for Vote 7 is as follows:

Programme	Equitable Share	Conditional Grant	Total	% of budget
P1. Administration	R  53 480 000 (39% of Equitable Share)	-	R  53 480 000	18%
P2. Cultural Affairs	R  48 689 000 (36% of Equitable Share)	-	R  48 689 000	17%
P3. Library and Archives Services	R  24 723 000 (18% of Equitable Share)	R120 498 000 (78% of Conditional Grant)	R145 221 000	50%
P4. Sport and Recreation	R    9 381 000 (7% of Equitable Share)	R  34 030 000 (22% of Conditional Grant)	R  43 411 000	15%
TOTAL 2014/15 BUDGET	R136 273 000 (47% of total budget)	R154 528 000 (53% of total budget)	R290 801 000	100%

Honourable Speaker

Allow me to thank the honourable Premier, my colleagues in the Executive Council and the members of the Sport, Arts and Culture Portfolio Committee for their leadership, support and guidance in the execution of this important mandate. 

I also extend my sincere appreciation to the Head of Department and each official of the Department for their continued commitment and loyalty.

I thank you