National Library and Information Services Council nominations; Heritage Programme: discussion

Meeting report

ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
17 September 2002
NATIONAL LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES COUNCIL NOMINATION; HERITAGE PROGRAMME: DISCUSSION

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Appendix 2
HERITAGE DAY 2002 CELEBRATONS
BRIEFING DOCUMENT FOR THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL: ARTS AND CULTURE
Submitted Wednesday September 04,2002
INTRODUCTION

This briefing will confine itself to activities planned for Heritage Day 24 September 2002 and will not look at the programme for the month as a whole. Planning for the 2002 Heritage Day Celebrations is informed by the theme adopted at Technical Committee on 27 August 2002, "Celebrating our National Symbols and National Institutions". The identified institutions are the Presidency; Constitutional Court and Parliament. In realising the theme, planning was thus aimed at the creation of platforms that can provide exposure and give tangible expression and symbolism to the adopted theme. Hence the extensive consultation with the above mentioned institutions and their involvement in Heritage Day celebration. In our consultations, it became apparent that the President plans to award the inaugural National Awards on Tuesday, 24 September 2002, at 3:00 at the Presidential Guest House. In light of the monumental significance of the Orders, discussions began to incorporate the ceremony in the Heritage Day programme. The details of the discussions are covered in this document.

This briefing document will serve to inform on Heritage Day planning that incorporates the National Orders ceremony as the highlight of the even}. Secondly, it aims to inform on the planned activities prior to 24 September and on the day of the celebrations. Lastly, it will inform on the proposal by the Gauteng Province Arts and Culture to relocate the event to Mary Fitzgerald Square. Assistance is further required in facilitating a process whereby a decision is reached on the location and programming for Heritage Day.

Structurally, the document will be as follows:
1. Objectives of Heritage Day 2002

2. Heritage Day Stakeholders

3. Incorporation of National Orders into the Heritage Day programme

4. Popular family activities at the Union Building lawns

5. Gauteng Province proposal for 24 September 2002

1. OBJECTIVES OF HERITAGE DAY 2002
1.1 The broad mobilization of the public and various sectors around the theme through popular activities and sustainable educational awareness campaigns

1.2 Organise popular family activities on 24 September 2002 that begins to infuse a different approach to the celebration of this momentous National Day; and

1.3 Introduce the inaugural National Orders awards within the context of this National Day as they are uniquely of South; African heritage and culture

2. HERITAGE DAY STAKEHOLDERS
Planning of the event involves various important partners, organised under the auspices of the Heritage Day Steering Committee and all assigned with specific roles aligned to contribute to this National occasion. The stakeholders are organised as follows:

STAKEHOLDER RESPONSIBILITY
DACST Overall planning; co-ordination & event planning
SANDF SANDF Church Square parades; National Guard of
Honor and aircraft air display.
PRESIDENCY National Orders programme and protocol
STATE HERALDRY National Orders programme
GCiS Media campaign & production of promotion,
material
DPT OF EDUCATION Organising school children to attend the event
ATKV Mobilising the white community to attend the evenT
FAK Mobilising the broader Afrikaner community
DPT OF SPORT Popularising the theme at BP Top 8 & COSAFA Gon~e
CONST. COURT Media campaign & organizing Consi. Hill tours
PARLIAMENT Organising tours of Parliament
SABC EDUCATION Educational radio outside broadcasts

3. INCORPORATION OF NATIONAL ORDERS IN HERITAGE DAY PROGRAMME
3.1 Reasons behind the inclusion of the National Orders
A need to synergize Heritage Day planning with the Presidency became apparent upon realization of the plans to have ihe National Orders Award ceremony on 24 September 2002 at the Presidential Guest House. At a meeting attended by GCIS (represented by Ms Patty Macdonald); Presidential Protocol (represented by Mr Mandla Feni and later Mr John Reinders); DACST (represented by Mr Irwin Langeveld and Mr Brian Xabo); State Heraldry (represented by Mr Themba Mabaso) and later SANIDF Ceremonial (represented by Colonel Bezuidenhout); it was discussed and proposed that the National Orders ceremony is incorporated to the Heritage Day event.

The rationale behind such a proposal was that:
· Both the National Orders event and Heritage Day occur on the same date and times and as precedence informs, the Minister an_ the President play a key role in both events.

· In its National Orders programme planning, Presidential Protocor' included the President; DACSJ Minister and the Chancellor of the National Orders as main role players in the ceremony.

· SABC had been approached by both DACST and GCIS to cover both events as newsworthy material - meaning live coverage on the day. The public broadcaster would have been challenged in making a decision on which event receives coverage.

· In reflecting the Presidency as part of the theme, it was thought ( best that the Union Building can serve as the best medium to profile the overall theme. The amphitheatre is structurally suitable to create an aesthetically pleasing ambiance profiling the symbols.

· The belief was that to platform the National Orders at a national public event will be in line with sustaining public access a identification with momentous achievement in our new democracy.

Without proper synergy between the two events, it was probable the a public misconception of competing interests would have been created, which potentially could limit the impact of this monumental day.

The synergy or integration of both events was however viewed within context of specific realities, and those being:

The National Orders Awards is a Presidential function and prerogative and hence the fact that the Presidency plays a leading role in the ceremony and the invitation of guests to the event. The guest list of both Presidency and DACST will be consolidated with the invite drafted as the President as host.

DACST portfolio will be leveraged in:
The branding of the Heritage Day event;
The participation of the Minister in the actual National Orders;ceremony; Heritage Day promotional material; and, The Imbizo style participation in the education and information stands and edutainment activities or the Union Building lawns.

By implication, the proposal means that:
-The National Orders ceremony, as incorporated in the Heritage Day programme takes place in the Union Buildings amphitheatre instead of the Presidential Guest House.
Another component of the event will happen on the Union Building lawns and a video screen which will show footage of proceedings at the Union Buildings amphitheater, will be set up.
The reception/lunch for the VIP guests will be held in the Union'; Building Courtyard and hosted by the President.
The President will invite guests and DAC will provide its guest list to be incorporated into the list of the Presidency.
The ceremony is planned for 11:00 - 13:00 and will include the SANDF Ceremonial Guard of Honour; Singing of the National Anthem

A short programme, arranged on the lawns stage area for the Minister and the President to greet the masses within context of Imbizo government strategy, will take place.
!_ A short address by Minister Ngubane and the keynote address by the President and the awarding ceremony.

POPULAR FAMILY ACTIVITIES ON THE UNON BUILDING LAWNS
Interactive and lively edutainment and popular Family Activities planned for the Union Building lawns will make for interesting viewing for the broader South African public and lively and popular for the attending public.

The activities on the lawns will be from 09:00 - 14:30 and will include the following:
· A live radio competition programme on the Heritage Day theme;
· Prize giving, which possibly will include packages like T-shirts; bags and a two day cultural tour trip to Cape Town to include Parliament and Robben Island;
· Face painting and jumping castles for the children;
· Cultural groups basking on the lawns playing music and dance;
· A funambulist (tight rope walker) and fire display artist;
· Exhibition tents, to provide space for organisations like, Proudly South Africa; lnternational Marketing Council; Coin World; History Online; Independent Electoral Commission and other government departments

· Short programme involving the President and Minister on the lawns within context of government's imbizo strategy.

The popular programme will break for the National Orders ceremonial event between 11:00-13:00.

Appendix 3
HERITAGE MONTH PROGRAMME

Multifaceted and Phased
Phase One: Focus Weeks:
National Anthem and National Flag Week Ol - 07 September 2002
· National Institutions Week 08 - 14 September 2002
· National Coat of Arms Week 15 - 21 September 2002

PhaseTwo
Heritage Day itself on 24 September 2001

PHASE ONE: FOCUS WEEKS 01-21 SEPTEMBER 2002
SABC Education Outside Broadcasts
· Partnership with SABC Educational Radio
Three outside radio broadcasts, one per focus week, highlighting the focus area for that week.
SAB C radio stations taking their mobile broadcasting units to where the public is - such as community centres, a shopping complex or a stadium - and broadcasting live from there, Providing both education and entertainment (Edutainment) around a specific theme.
Q_Provinces
· Last year: Mpumalanga, North West and Gauteng Province;
· This year: Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng Province.
· Negotiations are underway with radio stations and provinces.

At these events DACST officials, provincial officials and representatives of the institutions will speak on the theme and the event of 24th September will be publicised

Added Value
· SABC radio also dedicates two evening current affairs programmes on nine radio stations to discussions, phone-in sessions and interviews dealing with the theme.
It also publishes full center spread on the theme in the monthly educational publication "Teacher"


SANDF National Symbols Parade
· SANDF (Ceremonial Guard) parades will take place in Pretoria, from Tshwane City Hall, down Paul Kruger street to Church Square,
· Every morning on 11^th and 9^th September 2002.
At Church Square, the national anthem will be sung and the national flag hoisted.
· The Minister, Deputy Minister and senior DAC officials will address the public and representatives from other departments on the significance of the theme

Department of Education "Our Roots Are Speaking" Competition
· Educators and learners from all schools where invited to participate in this competition as an educational celebration of Values, Heritage and Creativity during Heritage Month
· Learners produce and submit, at school level, entries of individual writing, visual art or group performance.
· Educators submit portfolios and evidence of excellent History teaching practice
· A gala dinner will be hosted on heritage day where prizes for best entries will be awarded to 250 learners and educators from across the country
· The learners and educators will be taken on tours of the Union Buildings and the Constitutional Court

Sports and Recreation South Africa Soccer Matches
· BP Top Eight Final on 14 September 2002: Minister Ngubane and Minister Balfour address spectators on the Heritage Month theme
· COSAFA Cup First Leg Match on 21 September 2002 (If played in South Africa): Minister Ngubane and Minister Balfour address spectators on the Heritage Month theme
I_· Both matches will be flooded with small South African flags and copies of the entire national anthem distributed The national team will be led into the stadium by a procession headed by a large national flag

The Heritage Sector/Associated Institutions
· It is proposed that national and provincial museums remain open on heritage day and run programmes that would contribute to an integrated educational programme on national institutions and symbols
· Entrance fees could also be waved on this day
· The current national symbols exhibition will be expanded to include national institutions, relaunched and taken around the country or duplicated for provinces and South African missions (for branding purposes).

PHASE TWO: HERITAGE DAY EVENT -24 SEPTEMBER 2002
South Africans who will attend the celebrations a the Union Building on 24 September 2002 will be urged to celebrate the theme in the following ways:
· A static parade at the Union Building where President Mbeki will receive the salute from the National Ceremonial
Guard
· National Orders Ceremony Awarding by the Presidency (Amphitheatre, Union Buildings)
· Heritage Day Programme (Union Building Lawns)
- Heritage Education and information stands
- Government Imbizo
- Family fun activities
- Musical and cultural celebrations
- Will include the national performance troupe and numerous community performing groups
- Displays of support for the institutions and symbols by for example, national sports codes and cultural groups representing the full spectrum of South African Society

LONG TERM STRATEGY
· There is a need to address the development and implementation of an ongoing integrated strategy of education on the symbols and institutions and the monitoring of efforts embarked on.
· The results of a survey commissioned by the Department prior to Heritage Day 2001 has revealed a low level of public awareness and understanding of the meaning and significance of our national symbols.
The Heritage day programme will reinforce awareness but what is required is a longer-term process of education.
· The interdepartmental preliminary discussions between the Departments of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology; Sport and Recreation; Education and Environmental Affairs and Tourism, as well as discussions with private sector and civil society partners, form a basis for the development of an integrated plan around the National Symbols and institutions.
· These partners can now, jointly formulate mechanisms or form a body that can monitor within and outside government and formulate terms of reference and strategy on how to ensure that National Symbols and institutions play a pivotal role in nation building.

CONCLUSION
Utilising the 2002 Heritage Month celebrations to intensify public education on national institutions and symbols, represent an important strategic thrust towards eradicating the legacy of racism, colonialism and apartheid and replacing it with a new moral and national consciousness