Question NW583 to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
19 April 2023 - NW583
Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
(1) With reference to his reply to question 4444 on 13 December 2022, wherein he stated that it was well known that the practice largely benefited the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, on what statistics are the conclusions based that particularly the white minority benefited. (2) (a) who were and/or are the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the specified orchestras and (b) what was the racial ratio of each orchestra over the past five years. (3) if he found that, as the CEO of two of the three orchestras, Mr Bongani Tembe was unable to bring about change and/or transformation, what are the reasons that he was handpicked to be the CEO of the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra. (4) what (a) total number of cadets (i) received training and/or (ii) were taken up in music programmes in each specified orchestra over the past five years and (b) was the racial ratio in each orchestra in each specified year; (5). what programmes has each orchestra undertaken to develop musicians and/or to uplift disadvantaged talented musicians over the past five years? NW654E
Reply:
According to the information at my disposal at the moment:
(1). It is a well-known fact that arts funding in South Africa, before 1994, largely benefitted the white minority. It is also a fact that prior to the formation of Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, orchestral funding benefitted the 3 established orchestra in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg. And the following sample of allocation over the past 15 years testifies to that:
|
Name of Orchestra |
2008/09 |
2009/10 |
|
2015/16 |
2016/17 |
2017/18 |
2018/19 |
|
KZN Philharmonic |
4 472 000 |
4 740 000 |
9 772 000 |
10 300 000 |
10 815 000 |
6 180 000 |
|
|
Cape Philharmonic |
4 472 000 |
4 740 000 |
6 660 000 |
7 020 000 |
7 371 000 |
4 422 000 |
|
|
Cape Town Jazz Orchestra |
4 472 000 |
4 740 000 |
3 535 000 |
3 726 000 |
3 912 000 |
2 347 000 |
|
|
Jhb Philharmonic Orchestra |
3 000 000 |
||||||
|
GRAND TOTAL |
13 416 000 |
14 220 000 |
19 967 000 |
21 046 000 |
22 098 000 |
|
(2) The Department is committed to transformation of the orchestral sector. It is also a known fact that black musicians and black managers are underrepresented in orchestras. However, the Department is not about to embark on a study or research of the racial ratio of the orchestras in South Africa over the past 5 years.
(3) Mr Bongani Tembe was initially appointed to project manage the formation stages of the national philharmonic orchestra based on his qualifications and unique experience: Mr Bongani Tembe has a Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Music from the prestigious Julliard School in New York; he has led the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra since the dawn of democracy in 1994 (for 29 years); and has been a highly effective CEO of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra since 2016. As Commissioner-General, he also led the SA-UK Seasons 2014 and 2015 and the SA-French Seasons 2012 and 2013 presenting more than 3000 South African artists in France, for which he was awarded a high honour by the French Government. (Mr Bongani Tembe’s qualifications and track record are beyond reproach).
Subsequently (in December 2019), DSAC appointed a board of highly distinguished South Africans who in turn after applying their wisdom and vast experience, appointed Mr Tembe as the Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra.
(4). According to the 2022 Annual Report of Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, which was submitted by DSAC to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Sport, Arts and Culture, the national orchestra, through its partnership with regional orchestras, has eight (8) cadets and three (3) fellows.
(5) The programmes of Mzansi Philharmonic, which includes developmental programmes, are highlighted in their 2022 annual report which has been distributed to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Sport, Arts and Culture.