Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, the EFF rejects the Budget Vote as proposed. [Interjections.]
Arts and culture can and must be used to create social cohesion and to create jobs, but this is difficult when the department has been without a chief financial officer since 2012. This compromises financial compliance in the department and its entities. It is not surprising then that there is haphazard spending.
The National Archives, as an intellectual hub of knowledge in the country, has been without a National Archivist for over two years. Our view is that this is simply owing to a lack of leadership.
IsiXhosa: Iculture yethu ayivezwa. [Our culture is not showcased.]
About 80% of television programming is not South African, and SABC1 seems to have a pact with violence. If it's not about violence ...
... soze uyibone. [... you will not see it.]
In the interests of promoting our vibrant cultures and local artists, legislation must be passed and enforced to guarantee a minimum of 75% locally produced content to be aired on all radio and television stations.
The department must introduce local theatres and arts facilities, so as to promote our local creative industry, especially in previously disadvantaged communities. The department must institute a living wage and professionalise the industry to make sure that artists can live off the profits of their sales.
The EFF believes that provision must be made for a minimum allowance for certified artists for that portion of the year when they do not get any income from their artistic endeavours.
Stricter laws and penalties must be imposed against all forms of piracy. Furthermore, the department's entities cannot continue to rely on the department for funding; they must create mechanisms to raise funds themselves.
Arts and Culture's footprint in the rural areas is minimal, almost nonexistent, yet that is where it is needed in order to alleviate unemployment and poverty.
The EFF believes South Africa should review all monuments and memorials in our country and reflect on whether they all belong to the collective consciousness of building a new democratic, nonracial society. Monuments that represent and celebrate white supremacy must be removed. We must start with the removal of the statue of Louis Botha outside this Parliament, and move on to those of all the colonialist criminals like Cecil John Rhodes, Jan Smuts and Queen Victoria.
The arts must transform to include more local black artists, especially African artists. Owing to people's socioeconomic situation, the people who can afford to go there are mostly whites.
Money is allocated to libraries but it is misappropriated because the libraries remain closed. The view of the EFF is that all communities must have a library with books and access to the Internet. Black film makers like Zola Maseko, Sizwe Mkhalipi, Teboho Mahlatsi and many others don't get funding from the Industrial Development Corporation. In fact, over the past 10 years, film production in South Africa has benefited white film makers who are mostly not South African.
Instead of subsidising international arts festivals, the department must develop our own local creative industries and support local artists.
The promotion of all African languages must be equitable. African languages are still not equal to English and Afrikaans. Even within the African languages group, Ndebele, Tshivenda, Xitsonga and SiSwati are discriminated against. They are not given prime-time slots on television.
The EFF believes that the department must play a central role in the development of the Khoi and San languages, with the aim of making them official languages. Unless these issues are taken into consideration, the EFF votes no to this budget. I thank you. [Interjections.]