Question NW582 to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
29 March 2023 - NW582
Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
Whether, with reference to his reply to question 4461 on 13 December 2022, in which he failed to provide a response to subdivisions (a) and (b) of the specified question which was not about the Chief Executive Officer of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, but requests to obtain information on, (a) the dates and (b) venues where the other formal meetings and/or consultations with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra took place as referred to by the CEO of the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, Mr Bongani Tembe, he will respond to subdivisions (a) and (b); if not, why not, in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
Reply:
According to the information at my disposal at the moment: During the 2017-2018 financial year, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture met with the CEOs of the 3 established South African orchestras in his Parliamentary office in Cape Town.
(1) The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra was represented by its CEO, Louis Heyneman.
(2) The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra was represented by its board member, the former Judge President, Mr Vuka Tshabalala.
(3) and Mr Tembe the CEO who also represented the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
At this meeting, the Minister thanked the 3 orchestras for their work but underscored that the National Government is committed to broadening the orchestral music experience throughout the country, not just limiting it to the main urban centres of Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. He proceeded to say that government will stop directly funding the regional orchestras and will channel ring-fenced orchestral funds which are housed at the National Arts Council of SA to the national philharmonic orchestra which was at the time still to be formed.
The national orchestra which is called Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra has indeed been formed, and its mission, in a nutshell, is:
To play a significant role in the cultural life of South Africa’s vibrant and diverse communities, and to transform lives through the power of music, by:
(i) Creating world class orchestral music experiences and touring events, nationally and internationally, thus strengthening cultural diplomacy and branding South Africa favourably.
(ii) Creating job opportunities in the orchestral music sector and identifying highly talented young musicians and nurturing their skills; and
(iii) Transforming the orchestral music sector in South Africa and contributing to a socially cohesive society with a common national identity.
Based on the orchestra’s activities and programmes highlighted in the 2022 annual report, Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra is fulfilling its mission. For example, it has allocated R20 million to regional orchestras, education and community initiatives in 7 provinces (before this process, orchestral funding ringfenced at the NAC was only limited to 3 provinces – so this is indeed growth in the sector).