Hon Speaker, Minister Mthethwa, chairperson of the portfolio committee Mme Tom, hon members of the portfolio committee and chief executives of public entities, we are lucky today because we have Ambassador Barbara Masekela, our esteemed social cohesion advocate, as our guest. [Applause.] Kurt Darren is also present. He refused to succumb to bigotry when some people questioned his participation in the cultural programme of the presidential inauguration - he argued, "This is my country." We need patriots like him to help to build this country. [Applause.]
An African proverb says, "Until lions have their own historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter." The Department of Arts and Culture is focused on enabling our people to tell the South African story and to disseminate this knowledge to our people.
Research indicates that public libraries can contribute to the quality of social relations in local communities. Membership of a library can encourage a sense of belonging, foster civic pride and transform the lives of young people who are inspired by what they read to attain greater heights.
As part of our community library programme, which strives towards opening the doors of learning, reading and writing, we will invest more than R3 billion in the 2014 to 2017 Medium- Term Expenditure Framework period. These funds will be used to build 54 new libraries and to upgrade 150 existing libraries.
We will ensure that these libraries have books, are connected to computers and also have access to the Internet. New libraries will be located where they are most needed, namely in underserviced areas and in close proximity to our schools.
The new libraries will be built in Tsolo in the Eastern Cape, Wepener in the Free State, Wedela Township in Carltonville, Merafong in Gauteng, Vulamehlo in KwaZulu-Natal, Phokwane in Limpopo, Emjindini 43 in Mpumalanga, Tlokweng Township in the North West and Prince Alfred Hamlet in the Witzenberg Local Municipality, Western Cape, amongst other places. [Applause.]
Through the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and a special fund called the Global Libraries initiative, which focuses on providing and expanding technology access in public libraries countrywide, the National Library of SA will pilot this project in all nine provinces to expand access to digital resources. An amount of R32 million has been allocated for this project, which will run for two years. Twenty-seven libraries will be built in the nine provinces; three per province. Each library will receive 20 computers, which will be available for the public, the visually impaired, children and officials use, as well as 10 e-readers and 10 tablets. There will be free Wi-Fi and ongoing training in computer use, social media communication and finance management.
Our interventions, together with our international counterparts in refurbishing libraries, are complemented by our initiatives in schools that are part of the Mzanzi Golden Economy initiative.
In this financial year, a pilot project will be implemented with the SA Library for the Blind to employ speech technology to make written documents accessible in four languages for people who cannot read, or are blind.
The implementation of the Use of Official Languages Act requires that all government departments and public entities adopt the language policy and create language units by November 2014.
Ri khou ?o thoma fulo ?a u ?i?ongisa nga nyambo dza ?amuni, na u ?u?uwedza u amba nga ndimi dzo fhambanaho, ri tshi itela uri nyambo dzashu dzo?he dzi kone u ambiwa na u dovha hafhu u ?honifhiwa nga vhathu.
U pembelelwa ha ?uvha ?a dzitshakha ?a u ?ologa nga ?a 30 Khubvumedzi 2014, zwi ?o bvisela phan?a tshumelo dza muvhuso dzine lushaka lu nga dzi swikelela malugana na dzinyambo dzine vhathu vha dzi pfesesa. (Translation of Tshiven?a paragraphs follow.)
[We will start a campaign through which we will be proud of our mother tongues, and will be encouraged to speak in different languages, we will be doing so in order to promote all our languages so that they are spoken and are also respected by people.
The celebration of the National Translation Day on 30 September 2014, will enhance government services which will be accessible to the nation in the languages that people understand.]
In this way, we are deepening accessibility to, and understanding of, all official documents to enhance communication among all our people, thus building a more socially cohesive society. We are building a more inclusive society.
This will be achieved by establishing a SA Language Practitioner's Council, which will serve to regulate language practitioners against a set of national norms and standards. The department will provide more than 280 bursaries to aspiring language practitioners to ensure that we grow capacity in promoting and developing official languages. In the next three- year cycle, the study of sign language will be included to bolster education and training efforts in this area.
The Artists in Schools initiative is placing arts facilitators and educators at schools around the country as part of integrating arts and culture into the school curriculum. Through this project, we should stimulate interest in the arts and also build cultural and social values that increase creativity and inclusivity.
Through arts education we shall also make an intervention in rewriting history so that new generations know the truth of our realities. Through the National Archives, we will continue to support the development of the Oral History Project through our support of an annual Oral History Conference together with academics, writers and other community stakeholders.
The department, in partnership with the New Partnership for Africa's Development Secretariat, will host a Southern African Development Community regional conference in October 2014 to formulate a framework to harmonise arts education and training policies in Africa as a strategic intervention and contributor in the regional integration, social cohesion and sustainable development on the continent.
As part of building social cohesion and encouraging active citizenry, we will be hosting community conversations throughout the country. We are grateful to our social cohesion advocates, who are present here with us today, for their enthusiasm and commitment in being central to this effort of mobilising society around common values.
The results of this community engagement will feed into a National Social Cohesion report-back summit to reflect and assess work done since the first historic Social Cohesion Summit which was held in 2012.
We are going to have a programme in every school called "Flags in Every School". In addressing the need to popularise our national identity, we are intensifying our campaign to install flags in every school by the end of 2014. We will install 22 193 flags in 22 193 schools across the country. [Applause.] Various publications on national symbols are being distributed to schools, including books on national symbols and a national anthem tool kit to popularise the anthem. As part of the National Youth Service Programme, we have developed a Trendsetter Initiative, which involves youth between the ages of 18 and 35, who are recruited and trained in the arts, culture and heritage sector.
We have partnered with the Field Band Foundation in terms of regional and national championships. This project primarily seeks to address the policy area of Youth Enrichment and Development by encouraging and supporting the development of a variety of brass bands from different communities, ranging from churches, football clubs to existing youth bands.
Through the arts access programme, we will promote arts, culture and heritage participation in correctional facilities, to empower the offenders in the arts which have the potential of self-sustainability post- incarceration and rehabilitation while under correctional supervision, in particular the youth, women and people with disabilities.
As we promote South African arts and culture to the world, we are making use of the cultural seasons, which are cultural exchange platforms to expose our rich arts and heritage.
Work on current cultural seasons with the United Kingdom is well advanced, and the South African season in the UK will launch on 18 July 2014 at a cultural concert to be held in Glasgow in memory of our late President Tata Nelson Mandela. The Commonwealth Games that will be held in Glasgow in 2014 will also feature a significant cultural programme involving local artists.
In celebration of the strong ties between India and South Africa and 20 years of freedom and diplomatic relations, cultural seasons with India also commence on 25 July 2014 in Johannesburg with Indian artists showcasing their talents in South Africa.
Significantly, this year also coincides with the centenary commemoration of global icon Mahatma Gandhi's return to India from South Africa, where he had spent 20 formative years of his life, on 18 July 1914. We have already embarked upon a year-long cultural season with China to strengthen diplomatic and cultural ties between South Africa and China and open new markets for South African cultural products. We will be announcing shortly a cultural season with Russia in 2014 to 2015.
Last year, South Africa became the 8th country to ratify the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance. Cultural seasons with Nigeria, Ghana and Angola will commence in the forthcoming period.
The contractor is now on site to start with the construction of the long- awaited Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance in the Kouga Local Municipality, Eastern Cape. This site holds great significance for the Khoi and San communities and the community of Hankey, and is part of our South African history.
Work on the Nqguza Hill Museum, in the Eastern Cape, has already started. The Matola Raid Memorial and interpretive centre in Mozambique commemorate the 1981 Matola Raid. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]