ATC171018: Report of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation on a joint oversight visit with the Select Committee on Social Services to the Mpumalanga Province, dated 18 October 2017

NCOP Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture

Report of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation on a joint oversight visit with the Select Committee on Social Services to the Mpumalanga Province, dated 18 October 2017

 

The Select Committee on Education and Recreation, having undertaken a joint oversight visit with the Select Committee on Social Services to the Mpumalanga Province from 27-31 March 2017, reports as follows:

 

1.         Background and introduction

 

The Select Committee on Education and Recreation (hereinafter, the Committee) conducted an oversight visit to the Mpumalanga Province from 27-31 March 2017. The oversight visit was in line with the Committee’s 2014-2019 Strategic Plan and the 2015/16 Annual Performance Plan.

 

This oversight was guided by the priorities as set in the major government plans such as the National Development Plan 2030 and the Medium Term Strategic Framework, 2014 – 2019.  The following are the key outcomes as stated in the NDP which guided and informed the Committee’s oversight work:

 

1. Quality basic education;
2. A skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path; and
3. A diverse, socially cohesive society with a common national identity.

 

Furthermore, Section 9(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No. 108 of 1996) guarantees the right not to be unfairly discriminated on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, ethnic or social origin and etc. Also, the United Nation’s instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women and others take cognisance of the importance of participation by all citizens regardless of their situations. It is worth to mention that South Africa democracy emerged from a system where the majority of its citizens were deliberately disadvantaged. There are still discrepancies in terms of availability and /or access to resources and facilities be it in education, sports and arts and culture hence, government made education a top priority.

 

In terms of the basic education sector, a greater focus of the visit was on the provision of Learner Teacher Support Materials (LTSM); post-provisioning norms; learner transport; school nutrition to qualifying learners and school infrastructure.

 

With regards to higher education and training the Committee focused primarily on the following:

• Access to higher education;
• Growth of the University of Mpumalanga in terms of enrolments; and
• New Programmes that the university has added to those that were offered when the university was new.

 

In as far as arts and culture is concerned, the Committee visited two the heritage sites in the province, namely: the Makhonjwa Mountains and the Samora Machel Monument.

 

In terms of sports and recreation, the Committee visited the Mbombela Stadium as it is a World Cup legacy project. The Committee wanted to find out whether the people in the area and in the province at large were benefiting by using Mbombela Stadium as it is a World Cup legacy project. 

 

This report, therefore, contains an account of the journey of the Committee to the above-mentioned Province. Furthermore, it provides a summary of the key issues that emerged from the interactions between the Committee and the MECs, HODs, Management and Officials of the different sites visited as well as the Committee’s deliberations, observations and recommendations.

 

2.         Delegation

 

The delegation comprised of the following:

 

Committee Members:

Hon LL Zwane (Chairperson), Hon P Samka (Eastern Cape), Hon ML Moshodi (Free State), Hon DB Ngwenya (Gauteng), Hon M Khawula (KwaZulu-Natal), Hon TK Mampuru (Limpopo), Hon LC Dlamini (Mpumalanga), Hon C Hattingh (North West) and Hon TG Mpambo-Sibhukwana (Western Cape).

 

Support staff:

Ms N Skaka (Committee Secretary), Mr L Komle (Committee Content Advisor), Ms L Stofile (Committee Researcher) and Ms Z France (Committee Assistant).

 

3.         Oversight and Monitoring Visit in the University of Mpumalanga

 

The oversight visit to the University of Mpumalanga took place on Tuesday, 28 March 2017. The visit began with a meeting with the Executive and Senior Management of the University where the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Thoko Mayekiso did a presentation, and the oversight visit ended with a site tour. Prof Mayekiso’s presentation was as follows:

 

The University of Mpumalanga (UMP) was established in 2013 and a Council was appointed in 2014, together with the first Vice Chancellor of the University. It was promulgated and launched on the 31st of October 2013 as a comprehensive university with specific focus on agriculture and biodiversity, linking into food security, natural resource management, nature conservation, plant and animal sciences, forestry and wood sciences, technology as well as wild life management. The inauguration of the first Vice-Chancellor, Prof Thoko Mayekiso took place on 30 May 2015 and was followed by the installation of the first Chancellor, the Deputy President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa on 02 April 2016.

 

The inaugural students were enrolled in February 2014 in the following programmes:

• Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase Teaching)
• Diploma in Hospitality Management
• Bachelor of Agriculture (Agricultural Extension and Rural Resource Development)

 

The Lowveld College of Agriculture was incorporated to UMP on 01 January 2015. UMP has two Campuses, the Mbombela which is the main campus and the Siyabuswa Campus.

 

Its vision is an African University leading in creating opportunities for sustainable development through innovation and its mission is to offer high quality educational and training opportunities that foster the holistic development of students through teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and engagement, in collaboration with strategic partners. UMP is made up of a Council which constitutes an Institutional Forum, Senate, Management Committee as well as Student and Campus Representative Councils.

 

UMP opened its doors in February 2014, with an initial enrolment of 169 students that grew to 828 in 2015, 1255 in 2016 and 1770 in 2017. The enrolment by major field of study was SET: 1122; Education: 404 and other Humanities: 177. The following qualifications are offered: Bachelor of Education, Diploma in Hospitality Management, Bachelor of Agriculture, Diploma in Agriculture in Plant Production, Diploma in Information Communication Technology Application Development, Bachelor of Development Studies, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Diploma in Nature Conservation and Advanced Diploma in Agriculture in Agricultural extension. The pass rate in 2014 was 94% and in 2015 it was 67%.

 

From October 2014 the first phase of the major new construction started. Three new multi-storey buildings were under construction, and were to be ready for occupation early in 2016. These new buildings were to enable an enrolment of 1 160 at UMP in the 2016 academic year. The facilities under construction at the Mbombela Campus included three buildings which were: students residence building to accommodate 240 students, including common amenities and study spaces; a multi-purpose building with large raked auditorium (250 seater), offices, seminar spaces and lecture venues; a science building with four state of the art science laboratories, multiple lecture venues (eight venues), auditorium (250 seater), offices, library, IT Centre and a student canteen. The new science building could accommodate in excess of 1300 students and would act as a mini-campus in its own right.  

 

On the Siyabuswa campus, the developments included extensive renovation undertaken in 2013 and 2014 of existing teaching facilities, six student residence buildings (accommodating 312 students), a student centre with gym, canteen and games room, and a sports field. Nearing completion was the construction of a new student residence comprising 100 beds, complete with common rooms and shared amenities, and 8 staff apartments. The next phase of infrastructure development was to enable enrolments at UMP to increase to 1 550 students (500 at Siyabuswa and 1050 at Mbombela) in the 2017 academic year.

 

At the Mbombela Campus, the second phase of new buildings included the: Executive Offices Building at the entrance to the main campus with meeting rooms and university council chamber; a library and student resource centre; IT laboratory building with 3 ICT teaching labs; and a multi-purpose building with student residences (150 beds), student centre, health and wellness facilities, and a 1000-seater multi-purpose hall. The construction of these four buildings was targeted for completion by December 2016. At the Siyabuswa Campus a further 100 bed student residence building was going into construction, also to be completed in time for the 2017 academic year.

 

UMP continues to recruit and appoint academic and support staff at all institutional levels. UMP is, committed to integrating these staff members as quickly as possible into the institution’s organizational ethos and fabric, and its emerging and unique institutional culture. The University appointed ex National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) staff following an internal recruitment process. NIHE staff members based at the Siyabuswa Campus were given two year contracts which were to end on 31 December 2016 and afterwards they were offered permanent employment with effect from 01 January 2017.

 

1. Challenges

 

• Funding has increased but it does not cover all students and as a new university they do not have many streams of funding;
• The University is unable to provide 100% accommodation;
• The pass rate has decreased from 94% in 2014 to 67% in 2015; and
• There was a protest because of a catering company that students did not want as they have a history of not getting good service (variety of the menu) from it. 

 

 

 

1. Observations

• The University has new building that have ramps for learners with physical disabilities.
• The Management Committee meets twice a month.
• The University has an institutional forum which advises the Council.
• The majority of the qualifications are in agriculture.
• There are ten qualifications that are still with Council on Higher Education.
• The top management is populated by men.
• Most of the students at the university come from Mpumalanga (87%).
• The pass rate has decreased from 94% in 2014 to 67% in 2015.
• The budget has increased 10 fold although student’s enrolment has increased far more.
  1. Recommendations
• The University needs to have more qualifications in other faculties as well for diversity.
• The University has to ensure that in its future employment at Executive Management level, it appoints women.
• The University has to guard against the decrease of the pass rate while the students are still manageable.
• The University has to get a marketing drive that will enable them to get students from other provinces as well in order to diversify its student populace.
• The Department has to see to it that the budget is commensurate with the number of students.
• The University needs to solve the problem of the catering company so that learning and teaching can take place meaningfully.

1. Oversight and Monitoring in the Mbombela Stadium

 

The visit to the Mbombela Stadium also took place on Tuesday, 28 March 2017. The delegation was welcomed and informed as follows:

 

The Mbombela Stadium is one of the ten venues for the 2010 FIFA World cup which is located on open land six kilometres west of Mbombela, the capital of the Mpumalanga Province. It was officially opened on 16 May 2010 with an international friendly match between South Africa and Thailand. It was again used by South Africa when they beat Niger 2–0 on 4 September 2010, in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. On the14th of November 2010, the stadium hosted its first Premier Soccer League match. The national Rugby team, Springboks also played with Scotland on 15 June 2013 in this stadium and followed with another match with Wales in 2014 on its tour.

 

The need for a multi -purpose sport stadium was identified 20 years earlier but the 2010 FIFA World Cup ensured that the facility could be constructed earlier than what the case would have been. There was a concern after the 2010 FIFA World Cup that the stadium would not be utilized after the event and that it could become a proverbial white elephant. This concern was unfounded seeing that Mbombela Stadium is one of the most utilised new stadia and already hosted 150 Football and Rugby matches at the stadium since 2010.  In addition to the 2010 FIFA World Cup Matches, 9 International Football matches and 4 International Matches have been hosted at the stadium. More than 1,7 million people have attended matches at the Stadium. The stadium has a capacity of 43 500 and the cost to construct the facility was the lowest of all the new stadia.

 

1. Challenges

 

• It is not easy to run the stadium such that the use of the venue by Supersport Football Club as it home venue for some matches has been helpful financially.

 

1. Observations

 

• The turf is well kept such that it was green when the Committee visited;
• The stadium is used also for other festivities such as music concerts;
• The stadium has a fitness centre.

 

1. Recommendations

 

• Local people and local clubs should be given an opportunity to use the venue at a minimal fee;
• The Mbombela Municipality should also be involved in assisting local clubs to have access to the stadium.

 

1. Oversight and Monitoring in the Makhonjwa Mountains

 

The visit to the Makhonjwa Mountains took place on Wednesday, 29 March 2017. There, the delegation was received by Mr Singh and Mr Ngwenyama who informed the Committee as follows:

 

Makhonjwa Mountain is located largely within the Barberton Mountain Land (BML), also known to geoscientists as the Barberton Greenstone Belt (BGB). This formation is composed of the varied and complex, folded rock-types of the Barberton Supergroup, that gives rise to the deeply incised mountainous terrain stretching from the Lochiel Plateau in the south-west to Malelane in the north-east. It extends laterally to Badplaas and Kaapsehoop in the west and into north-western Swaziland, between the border posts of Oshoek and Jeppe’s Reef in the east.  In the south, it extends well south of the Komati River and up to the de Kaap catchment in the north, including small parts of the Mahlambanyathi and Crocodile River catchments in the north east.

 

The Project is managed by the MTPA (Department of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism) who has in turn appointed the Barberton Tourism and Biodiversity Corridor to implement. The Geotrail was launched by the National Minister of Tourism on the 30th April 2014. Barberton Tourism and Biodiversity Corridor is the Implementing Agent of the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountainlands World Heritage Site (BMML WHS) Project on behalf of the Mpumalanga Provincial Government.

 

The BMML WHS Project is truly unique and of outstanding universal value for all humanity, containing the oldest and best preserved sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks on earth. They have provided an unparalleled source of scientific information on the ‘The Genesis of Life’ and the formation of the early earth from 3.6 billion years ago. Along with their exceptional geology, these ancient hills and valleys are rich in biodiversity and beautiful pristine wilderness. The BMML WHS Project achieved UNESCO Tentative listing in June 2008. The compilation of the nomination dossier to acquire the inscription as a world heritage site is underway and fully supported by the Mpumalanga Government. The focus of the BMML WHS Project is on the natural heritage, geology and the biodiversity of the Barberton area. The critical element missing in the BMML WHS Project is the intangible heritage, namely, history, arts and the cultural heritage of the people who lived and traversed these ancient hills and valleys.

 

The overall objective is to incorporate the intangible heritage (history, arts and culture, commonly referred to as indigenous knowledge) onto the BMML WHS Project. Five project outcomes are proposed and will be developed during the initial phase of the project. Fragmented studies regarding the Swazi Kingdom in general have been conducted in the past, but the said studies never resulted in a sustainable tourism/cultural value product for the South African Swazi people. Thus the following project outcomes are identified:

• Establishment of an Educational Discovery Centre: The following preliminary themes, which must take

the school syllabi into account, have been identified for the Educational Discovery centre:

• Early beginnings (Geology, life forms, humankind)
• Fauna and flora (Biosphere)
• The San
• The Iron Age
• The Swazi Kingdom (Genealogy)
• Descriptions given by the first European travelers, missionaries
• The role of mining
• Early life in Barberton – all cultures
• War and strife
• The struggle for freedom
• Forestry
• Agriculture
• The global importance of the area
• New initiatives (geo-tourism, etc.)

 

• Establishment of an interactive Cultural Heritage & Indigenous Knowledge System Centre (IKS): The Interactive Cultural Heritage & IKS Centre will afford tourists the opportunity to experience traditional cooking and architecture, participate in activities such as dances, and buy traditional crafts whilst a research centre equipped with internet and modern technology will accommodate the more serious researcher.

 

• Develop a Swazi Kingdom heritage route between the 3 Princedoms: Embhuleni (Badplaas); Emjindini (Barberton); Khamegemege (Komatipoort), with possible expansion trans-border into Swaziland. The development of a Swazi Kingdom heritage route will entail investigation of the existing tourism footprint in the region including:

• Roads/transport;
• Visitor attractions;
• Facilities such as overnight facilities, restaurants and other sources of food and auxiliary services;

 

• Complete Conservation Management plans for the precincts: It is important for each Southern African cultural group to be able to take responsibility for the protection, conservation and marketing of its heritage for future generations. The aim of this project is to empower the local community to be able to do just that through training and the continuous sharing of knowledge and experiences. The above will result in development of a Conservation Management Plans (CMP) which will enable the local communities to manage identified heritage resources effectively and in a sustainable manner;

 

• Produce a publication which showcases the significant, rich and diverse natural and cultural heritage of the region, a first of its kind: It is foreseen that this publication will be the final outcome of the Research Project. Each theme will also address the role of the indigenous knowledge systems of the region and its people, e.g. oral history, folklore, myths, traditions, traditional healing, religion and spiritual practices etc.

 

Broadly the BMML WHS is located within a triangular area, bounded in the north-west by the R38 from Badplaas to Low’s Creek and in the south along the Swaziland border to Oshoek and back to Badplaas via Lochiel. It encompasses land that is used mainly for conservation, timber production, livestock grazing and nodes of urban settlement and mining.

 

The BMML is currently a recognized international academic (geological) tourism destination. The UNESCO inscription will elevate the Mpumalanga Province and Barberton as Big 5 Plus ONE tourism investment destination which will benefit the greater community of region. The elevated status of the Province and Barberton in particular will increase the SMME opportunities in arts and cultural sectors thus spreading the tourism benefits wider.

 

The several large and small nature reserves provide the key elements needed for developing diverse and innovative tourism partnerships and businesses in special-interest geo-tourism; birding; adventure tourism; game viewing, historical and cultural tours, hiking and off-road trails. This will be a first World Heritage Site for Mpumalanga Province and, being close to Kruger National Park, will provide a very different and major global marketing boost for tourism in the region.

 

The BMML WHS Project is in many phases. The initial phase is to uncover and record the history, arts and cultural heritage of the people who lived and traversed the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountain lands. The second phase will be to develop a home to accommodate and preserve the indigenous knowledge and information produced in early Phases. Thus, professional services required include experts in the field of anthropology, archeology, and history as well as those in the build environment. Finally, it would be the involvement of contractors and facility management as well as branding and marketing.

The estimated total budget for the entire BMML WHS project is R300 million. The amount requested from the National Department of Arts and Culture is R7.5million, which will be spent on research work and production of indigenous knowledge publication and upgrading of the Geotrail sites and panels to incorporate the history, art and culture of the indigenous people who lived and traversed the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains.

 

1. Challenges

 

• There is a shortage of resources which will be for the research in the cultural aspect of the project.  This research includes the history of the people who stayed in the area way before none Africans came about.

• People are stealing the plate on the stones especially the braille ones.
• The sites where the displays about the geology are is not secured.

‘

1. Observations

 

• The Mountains are not well marketed such that most people who are not in the region of in the Province do not know much about them;
• The areas where there are sites where the history of the geology is displayed is not protected such that people also use these areas as their leisure spaces. This can lead to vandalism which may derail the progress that has been made thus far.

 

1. Recommendations

 

• The area need to be marketed in such a way that more people in the entire country can know about the mountains and their importance in the geology of the region, province and the country.
• The Department working with the entity should ensure that the sites are well secured to guard against vandalism.
• Marketing, conservation and protection of the site is critically important. Marketing will make more people to know about the site;
• The school curriculum should include the information that is found at the site;
• Research work done on site should be readily available and be accessible to all who have interest in the site.

 

1. Oversight and Monitoring in the Kwamhlushwa Primary School

 

The visit to the Kwamhlushwa Primary School took place on Thursday, 30 March 2017. The delegation was welcomed by the MEC for Education, HOD, Department Officials, District Officials, the School Management Team and the School Governing Body.

 

The delegation received the following presentation from Ms PH Themba, the School Principal:

 

The school is a quintile 1 school built in the deep rural area in Sidlamafa in the Nkomazi Municipality, in Mpumalanga Province which is the most disadvantageous area where 80 per cent of the learners receive grants and their parents are unemployed. Approximately 80 per cent of the learners are orphans. The school was established in March 2008 and later demarcated and moved to mobile classes in 2009.The new structure was built from 1st of November 2010 and officially handed over to the school on the 20th April 2011.

 

The school has one Principal, Ms PH Themba; 2 Deputy Principals; 39 PL1 educators; 2 general assistants; 1 administrator; 2 volunteers. The school enrolment is 1569 leaners spread from Grade R-7. The School Governing Body (SGB) is functional and is responsible for the following for making policies of the school, liaising between school and the parents, governing the finances of the school, managing the physical resources of the school and establishing committees related to SGB. Since its establishment, the SGB managed to do the following: set up school policies in line with national policies, negotiate for sponsorships, purchase important school items, brought unity in the school and maintain good financial management.

 

Academic performance for the past three years

GRADE	RESULTS IN 2014  ( PASS RECENTAGE)	RESULTS IN 2015 ( PASS RECENTAGE)	RESULTS IN 2016 (PASS RECENTAGE)
R	100%	100%	100%
1	68.97%	96%	100%
2	82.93%	93%	100%
3	78.83%	93%	100%
4	61.29%	97%	100%
5	75.45%	88%	98.5%
6	89.13%	95%	99.5%
7	89.39%	90%	100%

 

The district supports the school although it is not a Full Service School. During the 2016/17 financial year, the school was supported directly by a district official for disability matters who interacted with the Deputy Principal. There was one case of alleged abuse of a girl learner which was reported by a concerned citizen to the district. At present, the matter is under investigation and it is further probed by the Child Protection Unit. The District is planning to conduct an onsite support programme at the school in April 2017 to capacitate teachers on the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) policy as well as setting up a functional School Based Support Team (SBST). This will help teachers to identify learners at risk earlier and provide the necessary support through the SBST.

 

The school has 24 classrooms with an enrolment of 1569. This therefore implies that there is a shortage of 16 classrooms. The existing school infrastructure is still in good condition but 5 classes and the staff room needs renovation. The school does not have enough learners’ toilets due to the increase in learner enrolment.

 

 

1. Challenges

 

• There are learners who are orphans in the school;
• Although the school has a soccer playground, the field is not up the right size;
• In 2016, two girls got pregnant;
• Documentation for learners coming from neighboring countries like Mozambique and Swaziland is still a challenge;
• Retrieval of textbooks is a challenge as some learners do not return books at the end of the year;
• Although the school as a computer centre, there is no internet connectivity;
• Shortage of classrooms;
• Grade R has three small classrooms which are inadequate for the learners (infrastructure);
• Leaners have increased such that some are not catered for in school nutrition.

 

1. Observations

 

• The number of general workers allocated to the school are not proportionate to the size of the infrastructure;
• Although the school has a big library, the library still needs more books;
• The school has a computer centre but there is no Wi-Fi or internet connectivity;
• The school has three Grade R classes, however, these classes are overcrowded because they are small;
• There are not enough classes for the school, such that classrooms are overcrowded;
• The school is a quintile one school and it has school nutrition scheme (NSNP), however, the kitchen is small and also it has wrong fittings (i.e. small stoves);
• The Provincial Department has put a moratorium on the appointment of administrative staff and general workers at all schools in the province and this has also affected kwaMhlushwa Primary School;
• The school is well supported by the circuit office; such that it is a high performer and it has been a to performing primary in the circuit in 2015 and 2016;
• The Committee commends the support of the SGB to the school;
• The paint is starting to peel off the facial board, therefore maintenance should not be neglected;
• There are challenges of birth certificates, particularly for the children of people who come from foreign countries like Mozambique.

 

 

1. Recommendations

 

• The Department of Education in the Province should increase the number of general workers so that they can be commensurate to the size of the school;
• The Department should find means and ways of providing relevant books to the library so as to benefit the learners and the school;
• The Department working with the private sector should provide Wi-Fi connectivity to the school so as to assist the learners when they do their projects;
• The Department should provide an extra classroom for Grade R as well as for other grades in order for teachers to have manageable numbers in their classrooms as that helps for individual attention;
• It is commendable that the school has NSNP. However, the Department should assist the school with a bigger kitchen and bigger stoves;
• The Committee commends the school for its high performance in the District.
• The school should have budget for maintenance so that it does not leave it too late;
• The school should work with the Department of Home Affairs to solve the problem of learners who do not have birth certificates.

 

1. Oversight and Monitoring in the Samora Machel Monument

 

The oversight visit to the Samora Machel Monument also took place on Thursday, 30 March 2017. The delegation was received and given the following information:

 

The Samora Machel memorial was a project instituted by the National Department of Arts and Culture. It is a memorial site which depicts the tragic plane crash which killed President Samora Machel, his staff and prominent politicians on the 19th October 1986. The monument comprises 35 steel tubes, creating an Aeolian (wind) organ, symbolising the number of lives lost in the air crash. At least eight non-Mozambican nationals were killed there, including the four Soviet crew members, Machel's two Cuban doctors and the Zambian and Zairean ambassadors to Mozambique. It signifies strong bonds of solidarity between South Africa and Mozambican government. The memorial site was inaugurated in January 1999 by the former President Nelson Mandela and the then Samora Machel’s widow, Graca Machel.

 

Prior to the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of his tragic death on the 19th October 2006, the Mpumalanga Provincial Government embarked on the development and upgrading of the site as a contribution of the province to the legacy of the late former Mozambican President. This included the following amongst others:

• Amphitheatre
• Stage and cover
• Parking area and paving
• Ablution facilities
• Fencing of the Site
• Helipad

 

The Provincial Government carried the costs for the construction of the infrastructure which amounted to R20 million. Following this, the permanent exhibition depicting the history of the tragedy currently at the museum was curated. The site was declared a national heritage site in October 2016 (Government Gazette No. 40386, Vol.616). The plaque identifying the site as a National Heritage site was erected by the South African Heritage Resources Agency on the 24th February 2017. In addition, the Minister of Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Arts and Culture of Mazombique have started a process of declaring the Samora Machel Monument and the Mathola Raids Monument as a National Cultural Institution in terms of the National Cultural Institutions Act. This is however considered work in progress.

 

The Commemoration in honor of the tragedy is hosted annually by the Department of Culture, Sport & Recreation in partnership with the Nkomazi Local Municipality on the 19th October. This takes place at a local level and at a small scale. However, a decision was taken that every 5 years, a large scale event will take place involving the Presidents of both countries. The 30th Commemoration of the tragedy was held in October 2016. The event was graced by the attendance of the Hon. Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as the Acting President of the Republic of South Africa.

 

The site currently enjoys an average of between 800 to 1000 visitations per month from both local and international visitors. The Monument is marketed through pamphlets, Tourism Routes and at the Annual Tourism Indaba in Durban. The site is currently managed by Nkomazi Local Municipality which is currently responsible for the basic maintenance of the site and provides staff and security on site.

 

1. Challenges

 

• Implementation of phase 2 of the upgrading by the Department of Arts and Culture
• Fast-tracking of the Monument as a national cultural institution by the Department of Arts and Culture.

 

1. Observations

 

• An investigation that was (to be) conducted at the time when Mr Nqakula was a Minister of Police never saw the light of day;
• There are 35 poles that a symbolic of the 35 people who perished it the crash and when it is windy, the poles make a wailing noise to depict the pain of those who perished;
• The 35 poles have rusty lines which depict the tears of people who perished in the crash;
• There are three types of investigations that were conducted to establish the cause of the crash. These were done by the Mozambique government, Russia and South African government and all of these investigations are inconclusive;
• There is not enough space for people to follow and listen to the guide;
• Paint in the inside of the building and in the male toilet is peeling off;
• The Museum is marketed through pamphlets.

 

1. Recommendations

 

• The Committee should follow-up on the South African investigation that was (to be) conducted at the time Mr Nqakula was the Minister of Police;
• The entity with the Department of Arts and Culture should see to it that the spaces are widened for better interaction between the guides and the tourists;
• The Museum should ensure that it keeps its maintenance up to date.

 

8.         Appreciation

 

The delegation, led by Hon LL Zwane MP (Chairperson: Select Committee on Education and Recreation), would like to thank all Stakeholders for the support given during the oversight visit.

 

Having undertaken the oversight visit to the Mpumalanga Province as an accountability and oversight mechanism, the Select Committee recommends that the House endorse the oversight report of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation. 

 

 

Report to be considered.