Question NW4616 to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture

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13 December 2022 - NW4616

Profile picture: Van Dyk, Ms V

Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture

(1) What are the reasons that public announcements regarding the progress in establishing the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra (MNPO) were not made until July 2022, although the Memorandum of Understanding establishing the MNPO was already signed in September 2021; (2) whether the MNPO was in front of all council members at the National Arts Council of South Africa; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether he will furnish Mrs V van Dyk with a list of (a) individual musicians, (b) ensembles, (c) orchestras and (d) other entities in the classical and other music fields in the Republic that were consulted about the establishment of the MNPO; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply:

  1. The need for establishment of the national orchestra is embedded in the Revised White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage. This policy document was approved by cabinet in August 2018 and endorsed by Parliament in February 2020 and thus automatically making it a public document. Like many other recommendations of the Revised White Paper, the establishment of the MNPO was effected and implemented by the Department. In terms of project management, it is a normal practice for a project to be launched once specific goals of the project are accomplished, and there is nothing untoward about lauching the MNPO in July 2022, several months after the signing of the agreement. This only tells us that certain deliverables had to concluded before the actual launch was done.
  2. There was no need for the MNPO to be brought in front of all council members at the National Arts Council of South Africa. In this instance, the role of the National Arts Council (NAC) is to fund the MNPO, just like other institutions that are being funded. In line with the Act that establishes the NAC, the Council has appointed the Chief Executive Officer for the Council to deal with all matters relating to funding and other administrative matters. The CEO is responsible for the management of the affairs of the Council and reports those affairs to the Council as often as possible, and therefore the matter regarding the MNPO was also also reported as such.
  3. As mentioned before, the need for establishment of the national orchestra is embedded in the Revised White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage. This policy document was approved by cabinet in August 2018 and endorsed by parliament in February 2020. Likewise, it is a requirement for all policy document to undergo public consultation before approval is granted. In as far as the implementations of the Revised White Paper is concerned, such mandate is constitutionally with the Ministry of Sports, Arts & Culture and/or the Department Sports, Arts & Culture. It was for that reason that a panel of experts was appointed by my office to kick-start the implementation of the recommendation. A list of the the members of the panel was provided before to this house by way of answering previously raised questions relating to the matter.

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