Welcome to the Mpumalanga Provincial Government

Policy and Budget Speech 2009/10 presented by MEC for Culture, Sport and Recreation, Vusi Shongwe, Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, Nelspruit

6 August 2009

The Speaker, Honourable JM Mthembu
Deputy Madam Speaker, Honourable VS Siwela
Premier of our Province, Honourable DD Mabuza
Members of the Executive Council
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Head of the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, Ms Sindi Mjwara and other Heads of Departments
CEO of Mpumalanga Sport Academy, Mr BH Skhosana
Leaders of Cultural Groups
Language experts
Leaders of various Religious Formations
Leaders of various Sporting Organizations
Traditional LeadersTraditional HealersComrades and friends
Members of the media
Invited guests
Ladies and gentlemen

Honourable Speaker, today I am standing before this august house proud of the achievements that the ANC-led government has recorded over the last fifteen years and we are committing ourselves to continue working with our people to do more. We are conscious of the mandate that our people have given to us and we have moved in earnest to ensure that we implement what we promised our people and as President Jacob Zuma has already said, we shall not rest, and we dare not falter, in our drive to eradicate poverty as we want an efficient, caring and effective administration, which will be accessible and responsive to the needs of our people. These words by President Zuma are an inspiration for all of us to go about our duties with renewed vigour to serve our people with dignity as we work on bringing about change in society.
I must admit that I was deeply moved and taken aback by a poem from SB Mthombeni entitled;

Dwala Lodumo

Dwala eladilika ngodumo
Lehlela lapha kwelawamhlaba
Laqhekek’ uhlangoth’ eGolgotha
Lavela umfant’ owaphophoza
Umthombo wamanzi okuphila
Saphuza kuwo sonke sadela
Imiphefumul’ ayaphinde yoma
Ngoba isiqhume iziphethu
Zangcwele, okuphila amanzi,
Yabel’ eminy’ imiphefumulo
Kulawa, osindiso amanzi,
Kwasala namunye womile
Yonke isihlal’ ijabulile
Ngob’ isiphuzil’ isiphilile

 

As a relatively new incumbent in this portfolio, I have been impressed by the solid foundation laid by my predecessors since the dawn of democracy amidst the small budget baseline. These men and women made immense contributions in bettering the lives of our people in line with our policies. I assure them that I will continue where they left off and also play my role in making a difference in the province. I am upbeat that working together with the officials in the department and communities in our province, we can deliver on the promise of a better life for all the people of Mpumalanga.
We should not subject ourselves to narrow confines where we would ask what is in it for us but we should subject ourselves to broader confines where we would indeed ask how we could make a difference in the communities we stay in and come out with strategies that could make a meaningful contribution in the lives of our people.
Vana va munu va tsemelana nhloko yantjiya.

We should leave behind a legacy that will make those who come after us proud of what we have done to make our province a better place to live in and as a country, we are faced with strong gales that come in the form of an economic recession but we dare not fail our people as our cause to create better lives is so worthwhile that not even hardships that come our way can make us falter and surrender.

We shall not dishonour the path that was crafted by great leaders such as Inkosi Albert Luthulli, OR Tambo, Nelson Mandela, Gert Sibande, Lillian Ngoyi, Albertina Sisulu and others who were united by a noble cause of ensuring that no South African lives in an environment that will not be conducive towards his or her development. We are forever inspired by the heroic and heroine deeds of our leaders who solemnly resolved that no matter how the apartheid system brutally undermined their rights and put their lives in constant danger, they will never shun away from fighting for a free and a just South Africa where every citizen will be treated fairly and be guaranteed basic human rights.

Njengezwe, sizobe sijabulela usuku lomame ezinsukwini ezintathu ezizayo sizobe sikhumbula ubuqhawe obenziwa omama bethu abamasha baya e-Union Building bephikisa umthetho wokuphatha amapasi neminye imithetho eyayinesihluku ngezikhathi zobandlululo . Omama bebehlezi behamba phambili ekwakhiweni kwe Ningizimu neAfrika futhi siyababonga ngokuzinikela kwabo  futhi uhulumeni usunyakaze ngokushesha ekufukulweni abantu besimame njengoba bebalulekile entuthukweni yezwe.

Umthetho wamapasi kwakuyithuluzi elalisetshenziselwa ukucindezela abantu bakithi yilabo ababephethe ngalesosikhathi, Inkosi Albert Luthuli wayeqinisile mayethi ngokubambisana neningi  labantu bami, siyayisola lendlela yamapasi njengesiqalo sobunya nokucindezelwa phakathi kwethu. Sithi lokhu yithuluzi lokwehlisa isithunzi sethu njengabantu, yibheji lobugqila, isikhali esisetshenziswa abaphethe ukusigcina esikhundleni sokungatholi lwazi.

Honourable Speaker, our department joins Cabinet in condemning the public violence and vandalism of public buildings that accompanied the recent community strikes for service delivery. This goes against the spirit of creating a caring society that Dr Nelson Mandela and all of us are passionate about.

Our people should be aware that they can still be heard without them burning and destroying public and private infrastructure thus reversing the gains of our democracy.
I therefore call for all people of our province to be patient and considerate, embrace and uphold the fundamental principles of democracy and freedom for the restoration of peace and harmony in our communities.

Our people’s loud cry was heard and our government will do all possible to address challenges faced by various communities. As for hooligans, who used the recent strikes and violence eruptions as an opportunity to embark on their routine of devious and unscrupulous behaviour, they will undoubtedly face the wrath of the law.
The unfortunate targeting of foreign nationals in our country also shames all of us as we cannot allow a situation where people who are legally in our country are subjected to discrimination by their fellow Africans and we need to live harmoniously with our African sisters and brothers and not subject them to a life of constant fear and harassment. We need to foster tolerance and encourage a spirit of peaceful co-existence between South Africans and all those who live in our country. Somulomo we Phalamende kwenzakaleni kulesisho esithi umuntu ngumuntu ngabanye abantu emiphakathini yethu.

In keeping with the tone set by the President of the Republic of South Africa, Honourable Jacob Zuma, Honourable Speaker, I have hit the ground running in my new portfolio to guarantee that as a department, we do not stall on service delivery nor fail the majority who once again showed their faith in the ANC by voting for our 97-year-old movement in the last general elections.
Honourable Speaker, our beautiful province’s payoff line is not “A Pioneering Spirit” for nothing. These are both exciting and apprehensive times for our young democracy particularly in Mpumalanga. The advent of the 2010 FIFA World Cup fills our hearts with joy with the prospects of playing hosts to international football stars during the month-long football spectacle and the benefits of hosting an event of this scale bringing about hope to all of us and we are sure this world event will bring positive changes into the lives of our people. We are optimistic that the tournament will help us to weather the economic clouds that have been gathering for quite some time.

The current economic recession will have an impact on our mandate of providing new and upgrading existing sports infrastructure in the province. The department will, however, use the little resources on its disposal to deliver on that mandate.

Honourable Speaker, even though we have had some challenges in the province, our achievements supersedes them as we have been riding the crest of the wave in the sporting and arts fronts that had all of us swooning with pride and excitement.

Not so long ago, the capital city of the province, Nelspruit, rolled out the welcoming mat to thousands of purists of the arts for the sixth installment of Innibos,  which is one of the biggest and best arts festivals in the country. In line with our mandate of promoting cultural diversity, cultural heritage and promoting unity by affirming, conserving and celebrating people’s way of life, the department pulled its weight behind the annual Innibos festival and we shall continue to do so.

As a department, we are fully committed to promote and preserve culture and this was showed by the launch and subsequent opening of Lion of the East musical.  As part of the pioneering spirit, we have revived theatre in the province and as I stand here before you, we have our local children trained in performing arts through the Lion of the East Musical which will be touring South Africa and internationally, thus carrying Mpumalanga flag all the way. This is a theatrical play that tells the story of what can be achieved if we work as a collective. Together we can make our province and country a better place for all as the Lion of the East musical depicts.

Honourable Speaker, we are still in a celebratory mood in the province after Mpumalanga Black Aces ensured that never again shall Mpumalanga be ridiculed for lacking a representation in the elite football league in the country, the Premier Soccer League. The feat of the club was an inspiration to all of us and we are hopeful that it would propel them to make the PSL their permanent residence, rather than a sojourn.

We are equally proud with Batau FC for emerging in the nadir of the beautiful game to secure a spot in the National First Division and in this division; they will not be short of company and neighbourly guidance, as this will be provided by Witbank Spurs who displayed stoicism when faced by the proverbial chop. If our football sides maintain this trend, our representation in the PSL will double in upcoming seasons.

Honourable Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity to call upon the private sector to come on board and assist the above mentioned teams. We also want to plead with the private sector not to only concentrate on Professional teams but on sport at grass roots level in particular our rural areas. The Selati Super cup that is staged annually in Nkomazi is a clear indication of how private public partnership can enhance sports development in the most rural areas of our Province. I want to appeal to the private sector in other regions and the various municipalities to duplicate this project in their areas.

The Selati Super Cup Iyanongotela ngempela Honourable Speaker.

Ladies and gentlemen, staying with the beautiful game, one of our greatest football exports, Lucas Thwala was the toast of the 2008/09 PSL and Orlando Pirates season-end awards when he walked away with the PSL’s Player of the Season and Pirates’ Top Goalscorer, Players’ Player and Player of the Season awards. His achievements were further evidence of the sporting talent abound in the province with a Pioneering Spirit. Sinethemba ukuthi lokuphumelela kuka Thwala nabanye abadlali abafana no Surprise Moriri, Katlego Mashego, Mandla Masango nabanye abaningi  kuzakugqugquzela yonke intstha yase Mpumalanga.

Our province, Honourable Speaker, is home to the 2009 SA Schools player, Sizo Maseko from Gert Sibande in Ermelo, who played well for the Pumas in the Coca Cola u/18 Craven Week championships. Our rugby boys represented us with pride and honour in the prestigious tournament and we have no doubt that the winners’ medal will be ours in the next competition.
It is our ambition that Mpumalanga is well represented in all sporting codes at national competitions. We hope Black Aces’ counterparts in rugby, cricket, hockey and athletics can emulate them by achieving even greater success at national level and with remarkable individuals such as Malekutu-based, Vusi Mathebula, a doyen of black cricket in the township, it will not be long before the province can hold its own in all sporting fronts.

Honourable Speaker, the department will continue to offer technical support to all provincial teams so that they can excel at national level competitions. Programmes such as the Siyadlala Mass Participation and School Sport are key in identifying, nurturing future players as well as the development of sports infrastructure.

Our local Marimba Group, Mutariko from KaNyamazane made the province proud when they were adjudged the best marimba band in the open mix and ensemble category in the 2009 National Marimba festival, held in Gauteng, Boksburg last month.

We equally congratulate our local lass, Pretty Yende from the Gert Sibande Region in Thandukukhanya who scooped all major honours at the International Opera Singing Contest known as Hans Gabor Belvedere International Singing Competition that was held in Vienna, Austria recently.

Pretty was chosen as the best in three categories, Opera and Operetta, the Audience Prize as well as the Prize of International Media. This was the first time in the history of the competition that one singer won all first prizes and we are proud of Pretty’s achievements as she has put our province on the map.

Africa’s truest son of the soil, Tata Mandela, who in his honour we celebrated Mandela Day on his birthday on 18 July where we dedicated 67 minutes of our time for good causes that greatly helped the less fortunate in our communities, famously told us that there is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.

These wise words by Tata need to be taken to heart as the road to creating a South Africa and Mpumalanga that will be desired by all will not be an easy one and even though things have changed thanks to the likes of Mandela and others where we no longer have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires, it is only hard work, dedication, unity and honesty that will ensure that we transform our province into a place where citizens will reap the rewards of service delivery regularly.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may we be reminded that in line with the government mandate to create access to government services, to develop and improve lives of the youth, children and women, to provide arts and sports infrastructure and to build capacity in related fields to mention but a few, the department has ensured that in all its programmes and projects, we incorporate these mandates. May I present to you our plans for all four areas of our competency;

Administration

We want to create an administration that will be able to respond to the needs of our people as we are a caring, inclusive, listening and responsive government. We are a government that fully understands what else needs to be done to reserve our apartheid past, building on the success of the past 15 years.

In this regard, we have 33 funded permanent posts and 19 posts funded by a conditional grant and all these posts have been advertised on 2 August 2009 and will be filled within two months and this will enhance service delivery. We want to assure the public that most of the appointments herein will be female including in our senior management level.

We are proud that the department’s administration is growing from strength to strength each year and so is the efficiency of our systems to provide maximum support to mainstream programmes and to the general stakeholders including the public.

Honourable Speaker, we commit ourselves to the government principle of paying for services procured, especially from SMMEs, within 30 days as Honourable Premier DD Mabuza emphasized during the State of the Province Address and we will also ensure that outstanding payments owed to small businesses by our department for services rendered are settled before the end of August 2009.

Special Events and Projects

The Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, inter alia, has a constitutional mandate to promote and enhance social cohesion, patriotism, nation building as well as reconciliation through the hosting of national commemorative days which are Freedom Day (27 April), Africa Day (25 May) Youth Day (16 June); Women’s Day (9 August); Heritage Day (24 September); National Day of Reconciliation (16 December) and Human Rights Day (21 March). Undoubtedly, we are more than convinced that our country with its rich and diverse cultural heritage presents a great opportunity for the department to engender a sense of belonging and national pride among our people. To this end, an amount of R10, 5 million has been budgeted for the commemorative events and programmes for the 2009/10 Financial Year.

As a nation, we have a responsibility to create an environment that would nurture positive attitudes towards our democratic socio-economic and political order and we will use our National Days to promote this spirit among all our people and most importantly, we want to foster the spirit of oneness, common identity and a sense of belonging among South Africans without necessarily impacting negatively on our diverse political, cultural, ethnic, racial and religious background.

Een van die baie opsies wat ons oorweeg om hierdie strewe na te kom, is om die groot meerderheid van ons mense bymekaar te bring vir ‘n tentoonstelling van ons diverse en ryk kulturele erfenis by wyse van liedere, dans, poësie, drama, kuns, handwerk uitstallings en sport aktiwiteite wat oor alle grense sal heen beweeg, hetsy rasse grense of andersins.

All of the above constitute an important vehicle in enabling people to come together and celebrate their humanity and we encourage all people in the province to commemorate these important days in the calendar of our country.

Cultural Affairs
Arts and Culture

Kusithabisa khulu ukubika bonyana abahleli baboNongorwana bePumelelo (i-Achievement Awards e –United States)e United States of America bakhethe isifunda sekhethu bona kube yindawo yokubamba umnyanya wesi-18 wabonongorwana emnyakeni ka-2010 kanti begodu lokhu kukhombisa ikghono esinalo lokubamba iminyanya yeqophelo eliphezulu lithenjwa babantu abanengi kanti-ke,silindele ukubamba umnyanya lo.

Kanti-be, begodu sikhethwe ukuthi sibambe umnyanya wokuvalwa kuliNyanga yokuVuselela isiMilo inarha yoke begodu lokhu kunikela isifunda sekhethu ithuba ukutjala umoya wokuvuselela isimilo emiphakathini yethu.

The end of the Moral Regeneration Month should not be noted by communities and civil society as the ceasing of good morals in our societies, but we should continue to reflect positive values in all areas of society that we are involved in every day of our lives. We should not wait for next year July to resuscitate the moral regeneration crusade, it must continuously inform everything we do as government and members of civil society.

We will continue to host the annual MRM end of the year festivals in all the regions and use them to promote positive values, humanness, a caring society and social cohesion.

The Film and Video project

Mpumalanga prides itself with the abundance of flora and fauna, wild life and cultural diversity. The department has set aside an amount of R1, 3 million for the development of permits guidelines and film directory book in the current financial year. This will improve controls with regards to the services and infrastructure the province can offer to local, national and international film expos and also inform and attract film makers to Mpumalanga.

The department has also set a target of training 30 artists and crafters who have been identified from poverty stricken municipalities that have poverty war rooms to undergo skills development and we envisage completing the project in the second quarter of the current financial year. The training will focus in product development and diversification and R520 000 has been set aside for this purpose.

The Tjhagalani Kusephuka Tidzindzi Arts and Culture Festival

We will continue to host the Tjhagalani Kusephuka Tidzindzi Arts and Culture Festival in the province which is aimed at talent identification, development and showcasing. The project has further set a very clear exit strategy which will enable music recording and marketing of performing groups in the province that have reached a high standard of development to enable them to enter the music industry.

This is part of our efforts to contribute to socio-economic development. We have set aside an amount of R500 000 for the recording and marketing of six provincial artists who were identified from the last year festival as we want to develop local talent in the province.

Arts and Culture Forums

Mengwageng ye mebedi ya go feta, kgoro e be e le gare e sepetša mekgwa le dibopego tša go hloma le go thekga Diforamo tša Bokgabo le Setšo. Of the 18 local arts and culture forums in the 18 municipalities in the province, 17 were established and funded and these structures are meant to promote participatory democracy. The department is in the process of capacitating them in order to ensure equitable distribution of resources, development and promotion of arts and culture, ensure sustainable arts capacity building programme and contribute to efforts to enhance cultural tourism in Mpumalanga. We have set aside R600 000 for this purpose.

Language Policy in the Province

We envisage to have completed The Language Policy in the province in the current financial year and the policy will promote the equitable use of all languages identified as official in the province in order to realize social, cultural and linguistic justice.

We are reminded of words by Tata Mandela when he said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.

The policy will also help to support, develop and sustain multilingualism within provincial and local government departments and in their communication and interaction with the public and effect redress for the historically marginalised official languages in the province. R108 000 has been set aside for Language Policy in the province.

Museum and Heritage Services

We have embarked on a series of momentous activities in a bid to transform our heritage landscape, building of a new nation and encouraging reconciliation and social cohesion.

The department recognised that for heritage preservation to be meaningful, it must contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of our people. To this end, we have invested massively in the preservation and development of our heritage and its associated infrastructure. Some of the ground breaking projects included the multimillion upgrading of the Samora Machel Heritage Site, which included the establishment of an interactive Museum which focuses centrally on the socio-political life and history of Samora Machel in the continent. The new Museum will be officially launched targeting media and tour operators in the foreseeable future. I am delighted to declare that the already increasing domestic and international visitor numbers are but an indication of an investment that is beginning to bear fruition to the province.

By the same token, the department has also invested in a multifaceted Gert Sibande Legacy Project, which includes, among other things, the upgrading of the Nomoya Masilela Museum (formerly known as Bethal Museum - founded on the exclusivist apartheid policies), the establishment of the Gert Sibande Cultural Precinct – including a giant statue of Oom Gert as phase one, and the now to be incorporated will be the statue of Nokuthula Simelane  as phase two - whose whereabouts remains a mystery about which her family cannot find closure. The Department hopes to unveil the Nokuthula Simelane statue and the Museum project in the third quarter of this financial year.

We will be celebrating Heritage Month this year under the theme: “Celebrating South African Craft, Our Heritage”. In the past years, the heritage celebrations have been over shadowed by musical performance and speeches. This year the celebration will be content based with a clear community involvement in the run up to 24 September main event. Mpumalanga has much to offer in terms of arts industries, and we are yet to tap into and exploit the economic potential of this industry to the benefit of our communities. The event will take place at the Kghodwana Cultural Village, Thembisile Hani Local Municipality, in the Nkangala District.

To ensure proper management, protection and conservation of the Heritage resources of the province, the Barberton-Makhonjwa Mountainlands area was placed on South Africa’s World Heritage Tentative List by UNESCO in June 2008. In our attempt to achieve Full World Heritage Site Status, a professional team and a project steering committee including the Mpumalanga Parks and Tourism Agency, the Albert Luthuli Municipality and the Umjindi Municipality are working flat out in developing the nomination dossier. A World Heritage Site in Mpumalanga will provide a global marketing boost for tourism that can reach even beyond that of our established National Parks.

One of our key challenges is the identification of new heritage sites and the maintenance and management of our current heritage sites. The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) will also soon no longer be having offices in provinces. This poses an additional challenge in the management of our heritage resources. To this end, I will be counting on the newly appointed Mpumalanga Provincial Authority Council to give me guidance and to lead us in the preservation and protection of our rapidly declining and invaluable cultural heritage sites.

Honourable Speaker, as we plan ahead I will lead a delegation together with  the South African Gold Panning Association (SAGPA) to Biella, Italy from 13 – 22 August 2009. Besides our team participating in the World Gold Panning Championships, we will be presenting a bid to host the 2012 World Gold Panning Championships in Pilgrims Rest, South Africa once again. Based on the resounding success of the  2005 World Championships at our  World renowned gold mining heritage site at Pilgrims Rest, we are confident that our bid will be accepted and that we will once more bring a world event in our country and our province.

Mpumalanga Geographic Names Committee

Our department continues to facilitate historic transformation of the geographic landscape of the province through a myriad of programmes including the all important process of standardising geographic names. As reported over the previous corresponding periods, we continue to lead the rest of the country with the quality and volume of changes we undertake in advancing this very important aspect of building national unity and social cohesion.

Over the last reporting period, 2008/09, we have had the National Minister of Arts and Culture promulgate on the Government Gazette, 42 national competency changes, a number that was second to none across all nine provinces of our country. This Honourable Speaker, represents a sustained effort by the network of structures set up across the province, led by our department, in ensuring that the province’s geographic, heritage, cultural and social landscape gradually take up a resemblance of its original form in that the indigenous communities receive due recognition of existence as a people on whose land this rainbow nation was founded and continue to evolve.

Somulomo sitimisele kakhulu  kutsi emabito etindzawo tetfu a khombise simo nebantfu bendzawo, angatsi umuntfu uma a se taxi rank eve lamabito etindzawo tetfu abitwa aqabange kutsi use London.

To this effect, the Mpumalanga Provincial Geographical Names Committee (MPGNC) has made several other submissions to the South African National Geographical Names Committee (SAGNC) on other significant changes including the possible renaming of some of our major towns that constitute the face of the province including, (i) Nelspruit to Mbombela, (ii) Belfast to Emakhazeni, (iii) Balfour to Siyathemba, (iv) Piet Retief to eMkhondo amongst others. On these features mentioned above, we are currently awaiting the Minister of Arts and Culture to pronounce on them since the SAGNC has already endorsed our recommendation for them to be transformed.

Central to our impressive record in this area of our responsibility, is a conscious effort on our part to build maximum co-operation and co-ordination amongst our key stakeholders through continuous education and engagement activities as a way of strengthening our partnership. As part of our drive to improve the operational environment for all our stakeholders, we are currently in the process of concluding the first phase of consultations on a draft policy for the management of objections arising out of submissions for the possible renaming of geographic features in our province. 

Efforts to build cohesion around our common destiny will continue to preoccupy us as we seek to fulfill our constitutional and legal mandate of contributing in building sustainable communities.

Archieves, Library and Information Services

As the province and the country, we are faced with a challenge of encouraging people to read and it is a well-known fact that books are a valuable source of information and we will continue with our efforts of providing quality and latest titles in our libraries so that our communities could tap into the knowledge that we provide. Libraries are not only for young people as they are also valuable to adults as they offer information that could help to build stronger communities. The popular author, JA Langford says, “The only true equalisers in the world are books; the only treasure-house open to all comers is a library; the only wealth which will not decay is knowledge; the only jewel which you can carry beyond the grave is wisdom”.

If we follow this wise advise by Langford we will all be wiser and use the wisdom that we would have gained from libraries to build a better and literate country and contribute towards social upliftment of our communities.

Sifanele kutsi siyiqedze lentfo yekutsi bantfwana betfu batakubona I Library umabafika emagumbini ekufundzela ifundvo lephakeme kuphela.

In the last Financial Year, we lived up to our promise as we ensured that more people became closer to well equipped libraries when we built new libraries in Mkhuhlu and Morgenzon and we also upgraded and maintained six libraries in the province. 

In the 2009/10 financial year, we will build three new libraries in the province in Msogwaba, Tweefontein and Siyabuswa and also complete phase one of a library in Silindile as well as renovate and upgrade Nelspruit and KwaMhlanga Regional libraries, eMzinoni and Wesselton public libraries and R16,6 million has been set aside for this purpose.

We will also be transferring R4,3 Million to 16 municipalities in the province for their Information Communication Technology projects and in the Gert Sibande Region, the municipalities are: Albert Luthuli, Msukaligwa, Mkhondo, Pixley Ka Seme, Lekwa, Dipaleseng and Govan Mbeki; in the Nkangala Region, the municipalities are: eMalahleni, Steve Tshwete, Emakhazeni, Thembisile Hani and

Dr JS Moroka and in the Ehlanzeni Region, the municipalities are: Thaba Chweu, Mbombela, Umjindi and Nkomazi.

We will use R10,1 million to equip our libraries with books and periodicals and important materials, and we have also allocated      R4 million to promote libraries throughout the province through the Fundza for Fun campaign which has indeed helped us to increase the number of people who visit our libraries and we have set aside R8.6 million for staffing, training, bursaries and management of our libraries.

We know that we are faced with a huge backlog in terms of libraries in the province and we will work hard to ensure that our people get closer to libraries so that our communities could benefit from these libraries and we appeal to all our people to jealously guard our libraries and ensure that they are not vandalised so that future generations can also utilise them.

Honourable Speaker, we promised in the last financial year that construction for the Archives Building will commence this financial year and the first phase of the building has been completed. However, the second phase was suspended for a while. The Executive Council has lifted the suspension and we remain confident that construction will now continue unhindered. The appointment of a commission of enquiry by the Premier of the Province into the alleged irregularities will assist government to uncover irregularities if there are any. We want to ensure that government resources are utilised properly and not be abused and the commission of enquiry will assist and we appeal to all people to wait for the outcome of the commission and co-operate with it when the need arise.
We have trained 180 records managers, registry clerks and messengers in basic archiving and records management in the province and this will assist them to be able to create and control government’s records properly.

Having records that are created properly will go a long way in assisting government to have records of archival value that can be used as references for decades to come. We are calling all government departments, municipalities and parastatals to draw and adopt records management policies and registry procedure manuals because our audits have found that many of them are not moving in formulating such in spite of various reminders. We will host a conference on archives and records management to conscientise our communities about the importance of creating and preserving our records properly.

Sport and Recreation

Honourable Speaker, sport has always been a unifying tool that brought South Africans together and who will forget that magical moment in the country in 1995 when Tata Mandela proudly donned Francois Pienaar’s jersey Number Six and rubbed off Madiba’s magic to the Springboks and lifted the Web Ellis trophy after the Boks were crowned world champions. That moment in a packed Ellis Park Stadium - now called Coca Cola Park - helped to build social cohesion in the country and created a spirit of togetherness where South Africans irrespective of the colour of their skin came together, cheered and supported the national team with pride.

FIFA 2010 World Cup

Again as South Africans, sport has given us a life-long achievement where we will for the first time host the FIFA World Cup in the continent and this will leave a lasting legacy in our country and Africa as a whole. Work and preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup are at an advanced stage and those who doubted our abilities to organise the best world cup ever have scored an own goal as we have proved that indeed the 2010 extravaganza will be as successful as ever.

As we speak, construction at the Mbombela Stadium is continuing at a satisfying pace and the contractual practical completion of the stadium will be at the end of September 2009 and all logistics will be ready well before the world cup and to those who still doubt our ability to host, we say to them that they will witness the best FIFA World Cup ever come 2010.

As part of creating employment in the province and transferring skills to our people, the construction of the stadium has ensured that 1 570 people are employed with 250 people trained as bricklayers, painters, plasters, shutter-hands and steel fixers. Local people were also given opportunities to sub-contract on paving stadium roads, parking areas and walkways. R48 million was further spent in the province when a precast yard was set up to produce precast seating beams and this was in addition of a further R25 million worth of work that was given to emerging contractors for secondary steel work which include balustrades, bridges and handrails. This goes to show how the province is committed not only in making the 2010 soccer spectacular a success, but also for our people to benefit immensely from this project.

I want to take this opportunity and appeal to young people in the province to take advantage of the world cup by registering as volunteers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup as the volunteer programme is open to applicants who will be 18 years of age on or before 1 March 2010 and older. Volunteers will be selected from various age groups which will include professionals from different fields, students, unemployed youth and retired residents. Application forms are available online on the FIFA website, www.Fifa.com and all selected volunteers will go through different training programmes that will include tournament specific training and induction in order to understand their responsibilities. Application forms will be available until 31 August 2009. Ke Nako, lets apply and be ready for 2010.

As a province, we used the Confederations Cup 2009 to mobilise people in the province to support Bafana Bafana and the 2010 World Cup by successfully organising three public viewing sites in all the three regions and a large number of people turned up at the sites and we are sure that the world cup will be well supported in the province. We will also be using the public viewing sites next year during the world cup and people who will not be able to go to the stadium will not miss out on the action by world’s best players.

As a department, we are ensuring that soccer legends continue to be capacitated to become sport ambassadors and coaches for the Vodacom League are also capacitated on FIFA accredited football training. A budget of R4,7 million has been allocated to the department for 2010 related projects in the current financial year.

Mpumalanga Sport Academy

The association with Mpumalanga Academy of Sport is of key significance hence the logical extension of this programme is to ensure its sustainability and effectiveness. A budget of R825 000.00 has been allocated to the Academy to restructure high performance  programme in sport to ensure talent identification and development programmes and world-class coach-education programmes  amongst others.

Siyadlala Mass Participation Programme (Conditional Grant)

In intensifying the fight against crime and to address other social ills in communities, the Department will continue to implement the Siyadlala Mass Participation Programme in all the 18 Municipalities (Hubs) in the province where we will put more emphasis on the following sporting codes: street football, netball, volleyball, football, fun runs and the introduction and preservation of indigenous games.

The programme will ensure that 260 Volunteers are employed temporarily and earn stipends and this will contribute towards alleviating poverty in the province.

An amount of R21 million has been set aside to deliver on Siyadlala and legacy programmes in the 2009/10 financial year.

School Sport Mass Participation Programme (Conditional Grant)

We will ensure that social cohesion is driven through school sport and in the current financial year, 210 schools will benefit from the School Sport Mass Participation Programme in six codes namely, netball, soccer, volleyball, athletics, rugby, cricket as well as goal-ball and chess for the Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) and this programme is intended to bring back the culture of participation in sport at school level. This number of 210 schools shows an increment from the previous year where we had only 157 schools participating on this programme.

The department will temporarily appoint 234 Volunteers to deliver the programme and in partnership with the German Province, North Rhine Westphalia, we will also be capacitating educators and volunteers in FIFA accredited football coaching courses.

In strengthening skills and human resource base through sport, 460 volunteers and educators in both Siyadlala and School Sport Mass Participation Programmes will be trained on Event Management, Life Skills, First Aid, Sports Leadership as well as coach specific.

500 volunteers will be recruited and trained as stewards for 2010 FIFA World Cup; this will be implemented in partnership with the 2010 Local Organising Committee.

An amount of R7,9 million has been allocated for School Sports Mass Participation Programme.

Honourable Speaker, we will also revive sport councils as a way of creating an enabling environment and co-ordination in relation to Sport and this is aimed at increasing sustainable co-ordination and co-operation among various sport role players from all sectors of society and ensure that the development of a policy and legislative environment that promotes sporting development is adhered to.

Honourable Speaker, allow me to present the 2009/10 budget allocation for the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, Vote 12.
The total budget proposed for approval for this department is R278, 696,000 (two hundred and seventy eight million, six hundred and ninety six thousands rands).

The summary of our budget thereof is as follows:
Programme 1 Administration R 91 184 million
Programme 2 Cultural Affairs R 48 745 million
Programme 3 Library and Archives Services R90 608 million
Programme 4 Sport and Recreation R48 159 million
Total R278 696 000 million
 
May I express my sincere gratitude to the professional and welcoming support I received from the Portfolio Committee, Members of the Executive Council, the Head of Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, Ms Sindi Mjwara, the staff in my office and officials in the department, the Mpumalanga stakeholders in culture, sport and recreation, and lastly but definitely not least to my family for always being there for me.
I want to assure people in the province that we are indeed committed to a service delivery culture that will put every elected official and public servant to work for our people, and ensure accountability to our people. We will continue to develop social partnerships and work with every citizen. We will manage our economy in a manner that ensures that South Africa continues to grow, that all our people benefit from that growth and that we create decent work for the unemployed, for workers, for young persons, for women, disabled and for the rural poor.

Together we will make Mpumalanga an exciting Province.
I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Culture, Sports and Recreation


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