Report on Annual Reports of Department Entities; Committee Annual Report and 2007 Programme

arts and culture Portfolio committee
13 february 2007
report on annual reports of DEPARTMENT entities; committee annual report and 2007 programme

Chairperson: Mr L Jacobus (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Committee Report on Hearings on 2006/7 Annual Reports of Public Entities
Committee Annual Report 2006
Draft Committee Programme

Audio Recording of the meeting: Part1 and Part2

Summary
Before adopting its Report on the hearings on the Annual Reports of public entities that fell under the Department of Arts and Culture and its 2006 Annual Report, the Committee identified and corrected certain technical errors. The Committee noted the urgent need for a researcher or qualified secretary to sort out technical errors in reports. There was no time to discuss the Draft Committee Programme for the first term, and it was thus not adopted. It would be dealt with in the following meeting.

Minutes
Committee Report on Public Entities Falling under the Department
The Report assessed the performance of the entities against the targets set for them in the previous financial year. The Committee invited the National Archives Advisory Council (NAAC) and the Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB) to participate in the hearings were:

Ms D Ramodibe (ANC) suggested that Members highlight only the problem areas as the Report had been handed out the previous day. There was thus no need to go through it in too much detail

The Committee agreed that that was the best approach.

Ms D Van de Walt (DA) wished to raise a point that was not directly related to the points raised in the Report. In view of the current review of the Chapter 9 institutions, she believed that PANSALB was not doing as much as it should. She reminded the Committee that PANSALB was under the direct supervision of the Committee. She suggested that the Committee receive the report on PANSALB form the Ad Hoc Committee on the Review of Chapter 9 and Related Institutions, so that it could reflect on those findings. 

Ms C Cawe, Committee Secretary, responded that the Committee had in fact received a letter form Professor K Asmal (ANC), Chairperson of that Ad Hoc Committee, which requested a submission on PANSALB.

Ms Van de Walt replied that as it was now too late to make a submission to that Committee, the committee would still however be able to get feedback from the Ad Hoc Committee, which it would then review.

Ms Cawe noted that since the term of the Ad Hoc Committee was extended until May 2007, the Portfolio Committee was still able to make a submission

Ms Van de Walt sought clarity as to what the Committee would be responding to. She asked whether it would be responding to its own observations on PANSALB, or to the presentation made by PANSALB to that Ad Hoc Committee.

The Chair recommended that the letter must be looked at and the role of the Committee must be clarified.

The Report was adopted, with corrective amendments.

Committee 2006 Annual Report
Members discussed the contents of the 2006 Annual Report, and effected certain amendments.
 
Ms Van de Walt noted that the vision of the Committee, as explained in the Annual Report, did not coincide with that of the Department of Arts and Culture.

Mr M Sonto (ANC) disagreed that the vision should be the same as the Department since the role of the Committee’s was different. The function of the Committee was to oversee and monitor the performance of the Department.

Mr G Lekgetho (ANC) agreed that the vision should emphasize the diversity of our African nation.

Ms Van de Walt also raised an issue with the use of the word ‘African’ in the Report, and sought clarity on its meaning.

Mr Sonto argued that ‘African’ did not mean ‘black’ but rather “person who lives in the continent Africa”. The notion of diversity should always be infused into every aspect of our cultural heritage.

Furthermore, he questioned the number of bodies overseen by the Committee, as reflected in the Report.

Ms Van de Walt noted that there were definitely some bodies that were not mentioned in the Report

Mr Sonto suggested that all bodies that still fell under the oversight powers of the committee be identified and listed in the Report.

Ms N Mbombo (ANC) questioned the inclusion of libraries as an entity under the oversight of the Committee. The fact was that only a few libraries were monitored by the Committee, while most fell under the provincial functionaries.

After the tea break the Committee made further amendments to the grammar of the report, clarifying the meaning of some unclear sentences.

Mr J Maake (ANC) noted that the instances in the Report dealing with the trips that were paid for by the Committee must be accompanied by a written report, and those funds must be fully accounted for. The Report should in future also reflect actual expenditure and not estimates

Mr Sonto suggested that the Report include an attachment on the finances of the Committee.

Mr Maake informed the Committee that there were currently funds available to the Committee, which should be used before the end of March.

The Chair called for an urgent meeting to decide what the money would be spent on.

The Committee adopted its 2006 Annual Report, subject to certain amendments, and with the proviso that its finances needed to be looked at in more detail. 

Draft Committee Programme
The Chair stated that the Draft Programme would be dealt with at the following meeting.

The meeting was adjourned.