FESTAC Progress Report; National Research Foundation Board: consideration

Meeting report

ARTS, CULTURE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
21 May 2002
FESTAC PROGRESS REPORT; NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS: CONSIDERATION

Chairperson:

[email protected] for a more detailed listing)
Prof BD Reddy
Dr JL Job
Prof CC Mogale
Prof SS Abdool Karim
Dr T Mdaka
Prof SF Coetzee
Prof T Mdaka
Prof SF Coetzee
Prof PE Ngoepe
Prof CA Hamilton
Mrs B Radebe
Prof J van Zyl
Mr WW Cooper
Mr MM Nxumalo

Appendix 2
SUMMARY REPORT ON THE PROBLEMS FESTAC FXPERIENCED WITH THF
MINISTER AND DEPARTMENT OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PERIOD FEBRUARY 1998-FEBRUARY 2002

MK Malefane Entertainment (Pty)Ltd and I became began work to promote the hosting in South Africa in 2000 of a Pan African (and Diaspora) festival of the arts and culture earlv in 1998 at the time when there were several international cultural festival initiatives in the country and for the country, notably; FESPAC (whose international headquarters is in Dakar, Senegal and whose President, Professor Pathe Diagne had earlier been to South Africa and had presented the project to the Department of Arts, Culture Science and Technology, DACST without any success); UBUNTU 2000 (under the Chairmanship of John Kani and funded by the Ford Foundation with a broad international network of regional representatives particularly in Africa, Europe, the U.S. and South America).

Even though enjoying strong presidency and government support, it apparently experienced serious problems with Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology, and an international African cultural festival project initiated out of Durban enjoying the Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology Minister's endorsement.

Motivating for cooperation of the above initiatives and all other major stakeholders in the arts and culture in a joint approach to the hosting of the first 'African Renaissance' millennium cultural festival in the new democratic South Africa, T presented a proposal to Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology that it host a consultative workshop of the above festival initiatives and other stakeholders and I volunteered to coordinate both invitations to participants and the workshop. such participation. Both the consultative workshop and Festac proposals were presented to Professor Musa Xulu, then Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology Deputy Director General for Arts and Culture and also discussed with other key Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology officials who all expressed their excitement and support.

After several follow-up enquiries, I was later informed that the ultimate decision would be taken and communicated to me by the Deputy Minister, Brigitte Mabandla. I received a confusing call from her one evening shooting down the idea of a consultative workshop and Festac in which she said things that left me with the impression that she was not well.

Further enquiries with Prof Musa Xulu drew a blank and I was forced to abandon the consultative workshop proposal but I continued with FESTAC 2000.

By September 1999, my company and I were working on the Festac project full-time and after further representations to Professor Musa Xulu and the office of the Minister of Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology, Dr Ben Ngubane, FESTAC 2000 received an official letter of endorsement in which we were invited to prepare and submit the necessary documentation (festival proposal, business plan and stakeholder buy-in etc) for Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology to determine the role and extent of its support. The Premier of the Kwazulu-Natal, Mr Lionel Mtshali, also endorsed the event for activities that would be hosted in the province. Prof Musa Xulu gave us a commitment to provide seed funding for FESTAC 2000 and in particular, provide R60,000 for a media reception announcement in Durban in November 1999 on the occasion of the Commonwealth Heads of State Summit. This approved R60,000 initial Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology contribution (October '99) was to be presented to Dr Ben Ngubane for signature at an inter-provincial meeting of departments of arts and culture (MINMAK) in Cape Town. Besides co-sponsoring this event with R60,000, Dr Ngubane's office confirmed his participation.

We received cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for the Commonwealth Summit (who gave us date and delegates would be available for our reception plus agreed to facilitate invitations) and met with the Nigerian High Commissioner in Pretoria both about Nigeria's participation and the invitation to President Obasanjo (the host of the last Festac in 1977) to be guest of honor at the announcement reception in Durban. The Presidency was represented at this meeting by Ms Dolana Msimang.

The plan of the reception was for President Obasanjo and President Mbeki to be joined by particularly other African leaders in the announcement (and celebration of the African Renaissance) event to be hosted in South Africa in December 2000. A special tribute would be paid to President Obasanjo for hosting the last Festac and he would ceremoniously pass on the baton to President Mbeki. The protocols arrangements were that Dr Ben Ngubane (briefed by Prof Musa Xulu), would officially inform President Mbeki of the Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology co-sponsored and hosted reception and media announcement event in Durban and President Mbeki would officially invite President Obasanjo to join him.

After frantic follow-up communication and enquiries with Professor Xulu who ran us around in circles, unable particularly to confirm with the Nigerian High Commission final protocol details and invitation to President Obasanjo and having not received the R60,000 promised, we were forced to abandon the Festac 2000 media reception announcement. DACS'F sabotaged the Festac event.

We believe that Dr Ben Ngubane was not informed of these developments as his office in Pretoria called me in a day or two before the event was to take place to ask for venue, time and agenda details as the Minister would be flying to the Durban for the event from Cape Town where he was. After the Commonwealth Summit had passed, I had dinner with Prof Xulu at a restaurant later in November 2000 on the occasion of the launch of Ncome (Bloodriver) Monument. He asked me for a report on the Durban function and how it went. He then went on a tirade amongst other. on why Festac would never take place in South Africa unless I kept and discussed its affairs only with him and especially not with Deputy Minister Brigitte Mabandla. He also told me to move the event from Kwazulu-Natal to some other province as the prevalent provincial politics were not conducive to it being held there. He further wanted to know who stood to benefit financially from the monies generated by the event and hinted at what was in it for him. I took it that he believed as a result of my silence, I had agreed to low his line as he then invited me to be his guest of honor at the Ncome celebrations taking place in two days.

By early 2000, we had prepared a detailed draft business plan, received further important endorsement (i.e. Her Excellency Mrs Zanele Mbeki) and even had acceptance to serve on the board of FESTAC 2002, strategically placed candidates including: Dr Wally Serote (Chairperson: Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture), Ms Dolana Msimang (Deputy Director General: Office of the Deputy President) and Dr John Kani (Chairman: National Arts Council and President: Ubuntu 2000). We presented a detailed report to Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology. For several months, we asked for audience with Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology to no avail.

Having pushed the event to 2001, in April 2000 we hosted the first reception launch in
Pretoria of FESTAC 2002 attended by several hundred guests representing the
Presidency, Foreign Affairs, Satour, diplomatic community, business and NGO's where
seeds of the poverty reduction and job creation objectives of the event were sown.
Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology did not attend.

In May 2000, 1 travelled to Paris t'or consultations with UNESCO-IYCP (International Year for a Culture of Peace) on incorporating into the Festac program, IYCP special international cultural activities with children from around the world. UNESCO-I YCP embraced the FESTAC-IYCP partnership but required endorsement of this partnership first by the South African National Commission of UNESCO. Even though the FESTACIYCP partnership was welcomed by the Secretary General of the South African National commission (in consultation with UNESCO in Paris), the official National Commission Board Meeting, influenced by Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology (whose officials seat on the commission), declined to support the FESTAC-IYCP partnership. Consequently, South Africa did not stage any events for the International Year for a Culture of Peace.

Ultimately in September 2000 we made direct representation to President Mbeki for his intervention. During the same month of September, We received a letter from the office of the President informing us that Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology had been instructed to act on facilitating a cabinet brief on FESTAC 2001 and to meet with us. After repeated follow-up by us to Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology, the Deputy Minister of Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology, Ms Brigitte Mabandla ultimately confirmed that she would meet with us early in November 2000.

A few hours on the appointed day, I received message from her office that I was to come alone to the meeting and not with a full Festac delegation (which even included representation from overseas) as I had indicated. Baffled, I contacted the office of the President who assured me that they would immediately find out from Deputv Minister Mabandla why only I was expected to attend so crucial a meeting and not the whole Festac delegation. Even though I advised the rest of the members of the delegation to stay away, one, IVIr Eugene Jackson (U.S.) refused to stay away and entered Ms Mabandla's boardroom with me. Included in the Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology delegation were representatives from Foreign Aft'airs (with whom I had earlier interacted and who also bad experienced problems with Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology on Festac etc).

To summarize the meeting's proceedings besides being both angry at us for thinking that we could enlist the support of the President above her and also hearing that Dr Wally Serote and Dolana Msimang had agreed to serve on the Festac Committee without her sanction, Deputy Minister Mabandla was completely hostile and was either uninformed and or misrepresented the facts and even had to be corrected or filled in by her own staff'. The meeting was nevertheless concluded with the decision that she would make a submission to Cabinet soon after we (Festac) and Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology (led by now DDG, Mr Temba Wakashe) had met and drafted a memorandum and submitted it to her. After the meeting, Mr Wakashe promised to meet with us in the next couple of days. This never happened.

Earlier during 2000, 1 inadvertently stumbled onto documents in my house belonging to my Wife Kgwedi Malefane who at the time was DDG Prof Musa Xulu's Executive Assistant at Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology (who had been given extra duties and responsibilities due to staff shortages and had to carry and do work home). These documents reflected a misinformation campaign against Festac and myself and an attempt to hijack Festac b Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology. The same was communicated to a World Bank official and an associate of FESTAC later in January 200~, Dr Ike Achebe. I raised my concerns with Dr Ngubane's assistant, Ms Kimberly Worthington. The matter of the "leaking of confidential" document by Ms Kgwedi Malefane resulted in her censure and demotion.

In January 2001 in consultation with other members of the Festac International Organising Committee, having had no joy with Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology, again painfully took the decision to push the date for the event from December 2001 to December 2002.

We continued our lobby work internationally and amongst other, in January 2001, FESTAC 2002 established a broadly representative UK Organizing Committee and also received a major boost when the British government pledged significant national and financial support for UK's participation in the event including any other build-up or associate activities. FESTAC 2002 would be coming just at the right time and would be a partner with the United Kingdom when it celebrated the Queen's Golden Jubilee Commonwealth Games-Arts Festival return to the UK and the UK celebrate National Year for Cultural Diversity.

All that remained was for the British Government to receive official notification that the South African Government supported FESTAC 2002 and invited the UK to participate.

As part of the UK cultural community's commitment to preparations for FESTAC 2002, amongst other, a national philharmonic orchestral dedication to the African Renaissance and President Thabo Mbeki for FESTAC 2002 would be produced by distinguished young British-Malian (African) classical composer and performer, Tunde Jegede.

On my return to south Africa the same month, I delivered copies of his classical collection and inspirational letter on FESTAC 2002 to President Thabo and Mrs Zanele

Mbeki also requesting a report back meeting on the British Government's offer to both President Mbeki and Minister Ben Ngubane. The President's office wrote back advising that we refer the matter to Dr Ngubane as the appropriate line function Minister. The Minister's office wrote advising that the matter was receiving attention. Even though we followed up with numerous requests to see Dr Ngubane, we never received further response on the matter.

We did however, during our regular enquiries, were, in confidence, informed by of the Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology officials that on a number of occasions, Dr Ngubane had raised the question of FFSTAC 2002 and had instructed Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology to meet with us and seek clarity and further information from us in preparation for a meeting that he wanted arranged for us with him. This meeting with Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology never took place and the Minister was instead told by Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology that I had been written to (and Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology had even tried to contact me) but had received no response from me. This despite the fact that Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology had my contact numbers and my wife, Kgwedi Malefane worked with them in the same offices and we were resident in Pretoria at the time. I was advised by this official that Mr Victor Julius, Director for international Affairs at Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology had been tasked in writing this letter to me by the Minister.

I went to enquire about this letter at the office of Mr Victor Julius and waited whilst he wrote it. I was also confidentially informed by another official that Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology was trying to undermine the credibility of FESTAC 2002 by influencing the OAU and UNESCO against it. I immediately called the OAU Senior Cultural Advisor, Marcel Diouf who, to summarise, confirmed that he had received a request from Mr Victor Julius that the OAU respond and confirm in writing that it had no agreements with MK Malefane and FESTAC 2002 and therefore did not endorse the event (,just as Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology also did not). Mr Diouf nevertheless confirmed to me his and the OAU's support for our initiative to host FESTAC 2002 in South Africa and advised that we sorted out our problems with Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology.

I immediately wrote a complaint letter to Dr Ngubane about this matter of the OAU and took a copy of the letter just written to me by Mr Julius as prove that he had been lied to about the letter having been written at an earlier date as instructed by him. We never received his response and believe he was never shown the letters.

In April 2001, together with members of the FESTAC International Organizing Committee from Nigeria, Senegal, UK, US and Brazil, we hosted a follow-up reception launch of FESTAC 2002 attended by Home Affairs Minister, Dr M Buthelezi, Transport Minister, Mr AM Omar and other members of cabinet and also members of the diplomatic community, international organisations, cultural and business leaders. Again Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology was noticeable (particular with cabinet members) for their absence. Two days later, Dr Buthelezi facilitated a meeting for the Festac Committee with Dr Ngubane. At this meeting, Dr Ngubane explained that he relied on Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology to advice him on matters of arts and culture after which Mr Victor Julius took over to present Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology position on

Festac which did not satisfy members of the Festac international committee. The Minister however instructed that a detailed report be presented to him within a month so that he can make a determination as to Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology's support and submission to Cabinet of a memorandum to endorse and support FESTAC 2002. After the month lapsed, as usual, follow-up enquiries on our part bore no fruit.

In June 2001, we presented a progress report on FESTAC 2002 and in particular, problems continually being encountered with Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Arts, Culture, Science and Technology' where FESTAC 2002. Besides welcoming FESTAC 2002, the then Chairperson, Dr Wally Serote was tasked with The immediate responsibility of communicating with Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology and ensuring that an appropriate response to the issue of government is made and to report back to the Portfolio Committee. Festac would also again be re-invited for a report back. The following week we were invited by Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology to a meeting where Mr Victor Julius informed us of the instruction to prepare a submission to cabinet on FESTAC 2002.

We were also requested by Mr Julius to prepare and submit an interim (R200,000) development budget for funding my Department of Arts, Culture, Science & TechnologyS which would be made available to us within a month. A month later, we were informed that such interim funding would no longer be forthcoming.

During the World Racism Conference in August-September 2001, we had a brief meeting with Minister B Ngubane and Minister M. Buthelezi where Minister Ngubane confirmed that Festac had his support but were only awaiting response from the Nigerian government as to confirmation of the rights to the FESTAC 2002.1 delivered such confirmation from the Nigerian government to his office immediately after the Racism Conference and never heard from his office again.

On the 6th September 2001, members of the International Organizing Committee of FESTAC 2002 hosted a reception for Africa and UNESCO delegates to the World Racism conference. Premier Lionel Mtshali attended with a Kwazulu Natal delegation. Dr Wally Serote also attended. Not only did the Leader of the Nigerian Delegation on behalf of Africa commit the continent's participation in FESTAC 2002 ("to complete what the Racism Conference failed to accomplish and more"), the UNESCO delegation pledged financial and technical support for FESTAC 2002.

The UNESCO delegates advised that we request Dr Kader Asmal, Minister of Education and Head of the South African National Commission for UNESCO and/or Dr Ngubane to write the Secretary General of UNESCO in Paris and ask him to include FESTAC 2002 in projects to be supported and funded by UNESCO by resolution of the Annual Conference scheduled to take place the following month of October 2001.

Dr Wally Serote assured Premier Lionel Mtshali and us that he would immediately take the matter up with Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology Deputy Minister Brigitte Mabandla and in the meantime, we

made direct representations to the Education Minister. We never received response back nor whether Festac was included in the projects from South Africa to be funded by UNESCO at this conference. We however received a letter of support from UNESCO dated 31 October advising that we first seek the endorsement of the South African National Commission of UNESCO as is protocol.

During the same Racism Conference in September, we also had a meeting with the Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr Jeff Radebe who offered to champion the case of FESTAC 2002 at Cabinet when no response seemed forthcoming from Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology. The minister requested a detailed report on FESTAC 2002 and Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology's response but never got a response.

In November 2001, an international culture workshop hosted in Kimberly by the Provincial Government and jointly funded by the World Bank was facilitated by FESTAC 2002 following interaction and close cooperation between FESTAC 2002 and the bank since early 2001(1 was also invited to join an advisors committee of the World Bank at an international workshop at the bank in Washington on culture and development, July 2001). This workshop brought together specialists from over 10 countries in Africa and nearly got to be cancelled as a result of Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology and its attempt to drive a wedge between the bank and FESTAC 2002. Dr M Buthelezi even had to bring President Mbeki to intervene in order to bring the World Bank Workshop on track.

After follow-up meetings with the new administration at the South African National
Commission of UNESCO, the National Commission met on the 11 December 2001 and resolved to officially endorse Festac 2002. This, in-spite of the objection of Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology.

In the same month of December 2001, FESTAC 2002 twice hosted official delegations of the OAU and representatives from all over Africa (reciprocated by a trip to Addis Ababa in early February 2002), when the OAU officially endorsed FESTAC 2002 and welcomed closer cooperation with FESTAC 2002 on the launch and promotion of the African Union. Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology did not attend.

In March 2002, we met with Mr Lupwishi Mbuyamba, UNESCO Regional Director for Africa in Maputo who revealed to us that officials from Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology in the South African delegation (and in earlier communication) effectively sabotaged chances of FESTAC 2002 being factored into funding by UNESCO. UNESCO however continued to be supportive of FESTAC 2002. He advised that we request either Minister Kader Asmal or Dr Ben Ngubane to write a brief letter to the Secretary General of UNESCO in Paris requesting UNESCO to give whatever support to FESTAC 2002 and it will be his (Mr Mbuyamba) responsibility to mobilize resources within UNESCO and outside for
FESTAC 2002.

We are awaiting response via the South African National Commission for UNESCO even though we know that the issue of non support by Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology will prove to be a stumbling block for any UNESCO participation.

In February 2002, Dr M Buthelezi continued to followed-up making representations on our behalf and also discussed the issues with Deputy President Jacob Zuma who advised that we arrange to meet with him and with his technical team on the matter of Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology and Cabinet resolution on FESTAC 2002. We met with the Deputy President's Technical Team who advised that the correct step to be taken is to go directly to D Ngubane as the line function minister and get him to make a submission to cabinet and if he fails to do so still, we can return and present the matter to the President. We again wrote to Dr Ngubane and in the meantime, Dr Buthelezi again spoke to Dr Ngubane who finally telephoned me about 2 weeks ago and confirmed that he would meet with us (originally, we were scheduled to meet with him at the launch of the Moral Regeneration Summit at Waterkloof Airbase in Pretoria).

We also received a letter from Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology dated 2nd May 2002 requesting information from us on the government endorsement being requested in preparation for the meeting with Dr Ngubane. We hope that the meeting with Dr Ngubane will finally take place before the end of this month and a submission can finally be made to Cabinet for the official endorsement of FESTAC 2002 (and perhaps 2003) as this endorsement is needed to unlock all the provincial government, and foreign government plus local and foreign corporate pledges and commitments to FESTAC 2002.

In the interim, we have suffered dearly and lost considerable amounts of money as a result of the delays and frustrations caused by Department of Arts, Culture, Science & Technology. I have personally dedicated full time attention to FESTAC 2002 since 1998 and have even had to go without a salary with great hardship to myself and my family.

MK Malefane
Chairman
FESTAC 2002 International Organizing Committee