ATC210825: Report of the Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sport, Arts and Culture on Budget Vote 37: Sport, Arts and Culture (2021/22), Dated 25 August 2021

NCOP Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture

REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY, SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE ON BUDGET VOTE 37: SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE (2021/22), DATED 25 AUGUST 2021

The Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sport, Arts and Culture (hereafter, the Committee), having considered Budget Vote 37: Sport, Arts and Culture and the 2021/2022 Annual Performance Plan (APP) of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (the Department), reports as follows: 

 

1. Introduction

1.1.       Purpose of the Budget Vote 37 Report

After the Minister of Finance has presented the Budget, the Committee should call the Department to present its Annual Performance Plan (APP). The Committee shall scrutinisethe Department’s plans to achieve its planned targets against the allocated budget. The Committee can also check whether the Department has followed through on its undertakings made for the previous year and whether it has appropriately spent taxpayers’ money. This is in line with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and the Rules of Parliament that mandates the Committee to oversee the activities and performance of the Department. After Members of each House of Parliament (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces) have approved Budget Vote 37, the Minister will then proceed to spend the money as budgeted. Therefore, it is vital for the Committee to approve this Budget Vote.

The purpose of this report is, therefore, to account for work done by the Committee in considering the revised 2020 - 2025 Strategic Plan and 2021/22 Annual Performance Plan (APP) and budget of the Department in accordance with Section 27(1) of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act. No 29 of 1999), and as referred by the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to the Committee in terms of Rule 338 for consideration and reporting.

 

1.2.       Method

The 2020 - 25 Strategic Plan, 2021/22 APP as well as budget of the Department was considered against the background of key government policy documents, including, amongst others, the National Development Plan (NDP), the 2019 – 2024 Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF), and the 2020 State of the Nation Address (SONA). The Committee had a briefing session to consider the Strategic Plan and the APP of the Department on 02 June 2021.

This report, therefore, gives a brief summary of the presentations made by the Department to the Committee, focusing mainly on the Department’s 2021/22 Annual Performance Plan, the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) allocations, and the overview of allocations per programme. The report also provides the Committee’s key deliberations and recommendations relating to the Budget Vote.

 

 

 

1.3.       Mandate of Committee and the Department

The mandate of Parliament is based on the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, establishing Parliament and setting out the functions it performs. Parliament’s role and outcomes are to represent the people and ensure government by the people under the Constitution, as well as to represent the provinces and local government in the national sphere of government. The main functions of Parliament as outlined in the Constitution are:

• To pass legislation,
• To oversee executive action, 
• Facilitation of public involvement,
• Co-operative government and
• International engagement. 

 

The mandate and/or function of the Department is derived from the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996 hereafter referred to as the Constitution, including the Preamble and Founding Provisions, and in particular sections:

16(1) Freedom of expression

30. Language and culture - Everyone has the right to use the language and to participate in the cultural life of their choice, but no one exercising these rights may do so in a manner inconsistent with any provision of the Bill of Rights. and;

32. Access to information

Further, the Constitution affirms the democratic values of human dignity and equality. In line with these Constitutional imperatives, the national Department has been assigned the powers and functions to develop and implement national policies and programmes relating to sport, arts, culture, heritage and recreation in the country.

The Department is,thus, mandated to:

• Provide leadership to the sport, arts and culture sector to accelerate its transformation;
• Oversee the development and management of sport, arts and culture in South Africa;
• Legislate on sports participation, sports infrastructure and safety;
• Improve South Africa’s international ranking in selected sports through a partnershipwith the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee;
• Preserve, develop, protect and promote the cultural, heritage, linguistic diversity andlegacy of South Africa;
• Lead nation-building and social cohesion through socialtransformation;
• Enhance archives and records management structures and systems;and
• Promote access to information.

 

 

 

1. Overview and assessment of the Department’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan

The 2019-2024 MTSF forms the third five-year implementation phase of the NDP. The framework aims to ensure policy coherence, alignment and coordination across Government plans as well as alignment with the budgeting process. For the Sixth Administration, in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in June 2019, the President His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa identified seven Government priorities. The seven Government priorities, as contained in the 2019-2024 MTSF, are listed below and the ones to which the Department will contribute are highlighted:

 

• Priority 1: Building a capable, ethical and developmental state
• Priority 2: Economic Transformation and Job Creation
• Priority 3: Education, Skills and Health
• Priority 4: Consolidating the Social Wage through Reliable and Quality Basic Services
• Priority 5: Spatial Integration, Human Settlements and Local Government
• Priority 6: Social Cohesion and Safe Communities
• Priority 7: A Better Africa and World

 

Five strategic outcomes have been identified for the period 2019-2024. The following tablehighlights the strategies for the Department for the MTSF:

Table 1: Strategic outcomes have been identified for the period 2019-2024

Government Priority	Strategic Outcome	Interventions
Priority 2: Economic transformation and job creation	Priority outcome Outcome 1: Increased market share of and job opportunities created in sport, cultural and creative industries.	Enabling framework/well researched, regulated and funded SAC sector; Support a range of cultural and creative sector initiatives to promote the diverse creative industries; Expansion in new and traditional creative industry markets; and Increased economic participation by historically disadvantaged groups.
Priority 6: Socialcohesion and safecommunities	Priority outcome Outcome 2: A diverse, socially cohesivesociety with a common identity	Increase awareness of Charterof Positive Values and nationalsymbols; Equalising opportunities, Inclusion and redress; and Increase interaction acrossspace, race and class (byfacilitating opportunities forpeople to share space andexperience)
Priority 3: Education,skills, and health	Enabling outcome Outcome 3: Transformed, capable and professional sport, arts and culture sector	Increase awareness of Sport Arts and Culture (SAC) offerings and opportunities; Capacity building in SAC sector; SAC practitioners achieve success at international events; and Capacitate, organise and professionalise the SAC sector.
Priority 5: Spatialintegration, humansettlements, and localgovernment	Enabling outcome Outcome 4: Integrated and accessible SAC infrastructure and information	Access to information; SAC infrastructure programme; and Multipurpose SAC hubs and/or precincts.
Priority 1: A capable, ethical, and developmental state	Enabling outcome Outcome 5: Compliant and responsive Governance/Administration	Performance and financial oversight; Capacitated human resources; Integrated stakeholder management; Strengthen public entity oversight mechanisms; and Service delivery.

Source: DSAC Strategic Plan 2020-2025

The Department, in its Strategic Plan, details the high-impact projects that respond to the enabling outcomes as follows:

• Organisation of Arts and Culture Sector into councils affiliated under the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA);
• Support to practitioners through the SAC academies, centres of excellence and incubators;
• Accreditation of SAC Sector practitioners;
• Transformation within the SAC Sector;
• Support high-performance athletes to achieve success at international events (National Training and Olympic Preparatory Centre);
• Provision of Government support to anti-doping agencies;
• Acknowledgement of achievements in SAC (excellence awards programme);
• Establishment of multipurpose SAC hubs and/or precincts);
• Upgraded National Archives;
• Establishment of publishing house;
• Development and management of provincial Resistance & Liberation Heritage Routes ( RLHR) sites;
• Establishment of Resistance and Liberation Movements Museum;
• Support for National State Theatre;
• Improved Audit outcomes;
• Application of consequence management;
• Improvement of turnaround time for payment of invoices;
• Amalgamation of entities; and
• Declaration of the Port Elizabeth Opera House.

 

Stemming from the outcomes for the MTSF, the Department has developed ten focus areas that are categorised as follows:

• Create job opportunities and support entrepreneurs;
• Increase market share of sport, cultural and creative industries;
• Capacitate and professionalise the sport, arts and culture sector;
• Increase access to infrastructure and information;
• Establish a common national identity;
• Engender compliant and responsive governance;
• Strengthen sport and cultural diplomacy;
• Accelerate social cohesion;
• Promote official languages; and
• Implement the emergency response plan on gender-based violence and femicide.

 

2.1.       White Paper and other pending policy/legislative priorities

Further to the endorsement of the White Paper on Arts and Culture, the Department has since completed a feasibilitystudy on the amalgamation of its various entities, to identify options to strengthen servicedelivery capacity, ensure efficiency, effective and prudent utilisation of financial resources.Consequently, the Department will be identifying and prioritizing legislation to be repealed,amended or drafted anew.

The following policies and framework documents are in the process of being developed and/or

reviewed:

• Athletes Support Policy;
• The Prioritization of Sport and Recreation Bodies Policy;
• The Women in Sport Policy;
• Infrastructure Policy;
• Implementation Framework of the South African Language Practitioners’ Council Act;
• National Strategy for the development and promotion of a South African literary culture;
• Visual Arts Strategy;
• ACPD Funding Policy;
• Craft Strategy;
• Cultural and Creative Industries Masterplan;
• International Relations;
• Repatriation and restitution of human remains and heritage objects policy; and
• National Policy Framework on the Digitisation of Heritage Resources.

 

1. 2021/22 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) Budget: Vote 37

The 2021/22 financial year is characterised by minimising the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy. The overarching focus for this financial year is to renew the economy and restore public finances, thus medium-term fiscal policy focuses on:

• Extending temporary support in response to COVID-19;
• Narrowing the budget deficit and stabilising debt; and
• Exercising continued restraint in non-interest expenditure growth, while improving the composition of expenditure.

In his 2021 Budget Speech, the Minister of Finance drew attention to the following, amongst other key points:

• South African economy is expected to rebound by 3.3 per cent this year, following a 7.2 per cent contraction in 2020, and average 1.9 per cent in the outer two years;
• Total consolidated spending amounts to R2 trillion each year over the medium term;
• The bulk of the spending is allocated to learning and culture (R402.9 billion), social development (R335.2 billion) and health (R248.8 billion) in 2021/22;
• Government has committed to a R791.2 billion infrastructure investment drive, which will see the repair or replacement of roads, dams, bridges and railway lines;
• Public employment programmes have been augmented by R11 billion for the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, taking the total funding for employment creation to nearly R100 billion since the 2020 Special Adjustments Budget. This is in response to the job creation targets for young people outlined by the President.

 

For the Department, the following points are worth noting:

• Total expenditure is expected to increase at an average annual rate of 3.6 per cent, from R5.3 billion in 2020/21 to R5.9 billion in 2023/24.
• Spending on transfers and subsidies accounting for 80.2 per cent (R13.9 billion) of the Department’s budget over the MTEF period.
• Cabinet has approved reductions to the Department’s budget of R341.6 million in 2021/22, R441.3 million in 2022/23 and R494.4 million in 2023/24, mainly on transfers and subsidies to public entities, Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE)work streams, heritage and legacy infrastructure projects, the Mass Sport Participation and Development Grant, the Community Library Services Grant, Compensation of employees, and Goods and services. To mitigate the effects of these reductions on Transfers and subsidies, affected public entities will be required to implement cost‐saving measures and raise their own revenue, where possible.
• The Department plans to spend less on travel and subsistence in the 2021/22 financial year than it did in the 2019/20 financial year (pre-COVID). The Department is planning to spend R83.2 million in 2021/22 compared to the R101.2 million in 2019/20. 

 

 

As a result of the reductions, the Department anticipates delays in:

• The completion of infrastructure projects in the 2023/24 financial year, when the reductions are effected on allocations to heritage and legacy infrastructure projects and Community Library Services Grant;
• The procurement of fewer library materials over the medium term; and
• Fewer mass sport participation and development programmes over the same period.

 

For the 2021/22 financial year, the total budget allocation is R5.7 billion. This is projected to increase to R5.8 billion in 2022/23 and to R5.9 billion in 2023/24. Transfers and subsidies amount to R4.5 billion, or 79.3 per cent, of the budget allocation for 2021/22.

Table 2 below reflects the budget summary indicating allocations across the MTEF.

Table 2: Vote 37 – Budget Summary

R million					2022/23	2023/24
	Total	Current payments	Transfers and subsidies	Payments for capital assets	Total	Total
MTEF allocation
1: Administration	440,1	427,8	0,1	12,2	446,9	448,7
2: Recreation Development and Sport Promotion	1 441,8	170,0	1 074,0	197,9	1 463,5	1 487,8
3: Arts and Culture Promotion and Development .	1 284,8	256,5	1 028,3	-	1 311,4	1 321,3
4: Heritage Promotion and Preservation	2 527,2	111,6	2 415,6	-	2 606,5	2 628,6
Total expenditure estimates	5 693.9	966,0	4 517,9	210,0	5 828,3	5 886,5

Source: National Treasury (2021b), adapted.

 

3.1.       The 2021/221 Budget allocation per Programme

The work of the Department is divided across four budget programmes and these are:

• Programme 1: Administration
• Programme 2: Recreational Development and Sport Promotion
• Programme 3: Arts and Culture Promotion and Development
• Programme 4: Heritage Promotion and Preservation

 

The Department would report on 45 targets under the four programmes for 2021/22. These programmes are tabulated below including funding allocation to deliver on the targets as set under each programme.

 

Table 3: Targets and budget summary for 2021/22

PROGRAMME	Budget 2021/22	% Total programme Budget	APP Targets 2021/22
R million
1. Administration	440,1	7,7%	5
2. Recreational Development and Sport Promotion	1 441,8	25,3%	11
3. Arts and Culture Promotion and Development	1 284,8	22,6%	18
4. Heritage Promotion and Preservation	2 527,2	44,4%	11
Total	5 693,9	100,0%	45

Source: DSAC Annual Performance Plan 2021/22

 

Programme 4 receives the bulk of the total budget allocation for the Department, i.e. R2.5 billion or 44.4 per cent and has planned to achieve 11 targets. This is followed by Programme 2 that receives R1.4 billion or 25.3 per cent to achieve 11 targets. Programme 3 receives R1.3 billion or 22.6 per cent with 18 targets. The smallest proportion of the budget is allocated to Programme 1, i.e. R440.1 million or 7.7 per cent, with which it plans to achieve five targets.

 

1. Programme 1: Administration

The purpose of this programme is to provide strategic leadership, management and support services to the Department.

This programme has five targets. The outputs delivered in Programme 1 contribute predominately to DSAC Outcome 3: Transformed, capable and professional sport, arts and culture sector and Outcome 5: Compliant and responsive governance.

According to the APP, this programme will ensure that:

• Interns are enrolled against funded posts to reduce youth unemployment, develop skills and mentor potential future public servants;
• Services are modernised to facilitate alternative modes of service delivery such as virtual meetings and enabling employees to work remotely;
• The work of the Department is profiled through sector awareness campaigns by means of virtual and digital platforms;
• Invoices are paid within 30 days thereby adhering to regulations and improving the viability of Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprises (SMMEs); and
• Councils/Boards of Public Entities are fully constituted to uphold good governance.

For the 2021/22 financial year, the budget allocation for this programme is R440.1 million. Compared to the previous financial year, this represents a nominal increase of R7.4 million, or 1.7 per cent. When considering the inflation rate of 4.2 per cent into account, the allocation has decreased by R10.3 million or 2.4 per cent.

 

Table 4 below indicates budget allocations for all sub-programmes:

Table 4: Programme 1: Administration

Sub-programme	Budget 2021/22	Percentage of total programme budget
R million
1: Ministry	5,7	1,3%
2: Management	82,6	18,8%
3: Strategic Management and Planning	23,3	5,3%
4: Corporate Services	147,8	33,6%
5: Office of the Chief Financial Officer	60,3	13,7%
6: Office Accommodation	120,3	27,3%
TOTAL	440,1	100%

 

1. Programme 2: Recreational Development and Sport Promotion (RDSP)

The purpose of this programme is to support the provision of mass participation opportunities, the development of elite athletes, and the regulation and maintenance of facilities.

Programme 2 has 11 planned targets with a total budget allocation of R1.4 billion. The outputs delivered in Programme 2 contribute predominately to the Department Outcome 2: A diverse, socially cohesive society with a common national identity; Outcome 3: Transformed, capable and professional sport, arts and culture sector; and Outcome 4: Integrated and accessible Sports, Arts and Culture infrastructure and information.

 

 

This programme would, inter alia, ensure that:

• Athletes are supported through a range of interventions including the scientific support programme, the sports academies and the ministerial sports bursary programme;
• People participate in in organised sport and active recreation events;
• The Department embarks on sport and recreation promotion campaigns and events;
• Schools, hubs and clubs provided with equipment and/or attire;
• School sport is supported at district and national level;
• National Federations meet 50 per cent or more of all prescribed Charter transformation targets; and
• The Department supports and facilitates the implementation of sport and heritage infrastructure projects.

 

For the 2021/22 financial year, the budget allocation for this programme is R1.4 billion, or 25.3 per cent of the total budget allocation. When compared to the 2020/21 financial year this programme’s budget allocation has increased by R270.7 million or 23.1 per cent in nominal terms.

Table 5 shows the budget allocation per sub-programme under programme 2. Active Nation received the highest portion of the budget of R714.6 million (or 49.6 per cent), with Winning Nation receiving the least budget of R86.7 million (or 6 per cent).

Table 5: Programme 2: Recreation Development and Sport Promotion

Sub-programme	Budget 2021/22	Percentage of total programme budget
R million
1: Wining Nation	86,7	6,0%
2: Active Nation	714,6	49,6%
3: Sport Support	171,2	11,9%
4: Infrastructure Support	469,3	32,6%
TOTAL	1 441,8	100%

 

National Treasury’s Estimates for National Expenditure (ENE) for 2021 has highlighted the selected performance indicators as outlined in Table 6 below.

 

 

Table 6: Selected performance indicators for Programme 2 and related priority

Indicator	MTSF priority	Current	Projections
		2020/2021	2021/2022	2022/23	2023/24
Number of people actively participating in sport and recreation promotion campaigns and events per year	Priority 6: Social cohesion and safe communities	7 400	330 000	315 000	295 000
Number of learners in the national school sport championships per year		5 000	5 000	5 000	5 000
Number of schools, hubs and clubs provided with equipment and/or attire as per the established norms and standards per year		2 500	2 500	2 000	2 000
Number of athletes supported by sports academies per year		1 850	3 700	3 700	3 700
Number of athletes supported through the scientific support programme per year		40	80	80	80

Source: National Treasury (2021), p.736.

 

1. Programme 3: Arts and Culture Promotion and Development (ACPD)

The purpose of the programme is to promote and develop arts, culture and languages, and implement the national social cohesion strategy.

Programme 3 has 18 planned targets with a total budget allocation of R1.3 billion. The outputs delivered in Programme 3 contribute to all five departmental outcomes.

 

Some of the key outputs of this programme will ensure:

• the promotion and development of official languages, and the support to efforts to increase qualified language practitioners through language bursaries;
• the development of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) through supporting practitioners and their enterprises in various cultural and creative sectors to gain access to both local and international markets;
• capacity building projects are financially supported to enhance the ability of practitioners and enterprises to participate effectively in various stages of the value chain of their sector;
• provincial community arts development programmes are implemented that position and organise, community arts development to align with the overarching Government objectives of access and participation in the arts by South Africans;
• the coordination of international engagements on the continent and globally;
• the promotion and support of programmes and partnership that foster nation building and social cohesion, including Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and anti-femicide programmes; and
• the increase in support to the creative industry, including placement of artists in schools to promote and support arts education through the MGE Strategy.

 

For the 2021/22 financial year, the budget allocation for this programme is R1.3 billion, or 22.6 per cent of the total budget allocation. When compared to the 2020/21 financial year this programme’s budget allocation has decreased by R252.7 million, or 16.4 per cent in nominal terms.

 

The budget allocation for this programme is divided amongst its sub-programmes as follows:

Table 7: Programme 3: Change to allocations per sub-programme for 2021/22

Sub-programme	Budget 2020/21	Percentage of total programme budget	Budget 2021/22	Percentage of total programme budget	Change in per cent allocation
R million
1: National Language Services	53,8	3,5%	56,2	4,4%	0,9%
2: Pan South African Language Board	110,8	7,2%	120,9	9,4%	2,2%
3: Cultural and Creative Industries Development	67,9	4,4%	91,2	7,1%	2,7%
4: International Cooperation	31,4	2,0%	42,9	3,3%	1,3%
5: Social Cohesion and Nation Building	58,4	3,8%	93,2	7,3%	3,5%
6: Mzansi Golden Economy	149,4	9,7%	323,0	25,1%	15,4%
7: Performing Arts Institutions	306,9	20,0%	291,3	22,7%	2,7%
8: National Film and Video Foundation	325,3	21,2%	145,9	11,4%	-9,8%
9: National Arts Council	433,6	28,2%	120,1	9,4%	-18,8%
TOTAL	1 537,5	100,0%	1 284,8	100,0%	0,0%

The allocations of sub-programmes 7, 8 and 9 are reduced in 2021/22. These reductions amount to R15.6 m, R179.4 m and R313.5 million, respectively.

 

Table 8: Change to allocations in current transfers to performing arts institutions

Performing arts institution	Budget		Nominal per cent change in 2021/22	Real per cent change in 2021/22
R million	2020/21	2021/22
Artscape (Cape Town)	65,3	65,8	0,9%	-3,2%
The Market Theatre Foundation (Johannesburg)	48,2	51,2	6,3%	2,0%
Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (Bloemfontein)	46,9	48,8	4,1%	-0,1%
The Playhouse Company (Durban)	49,8	53,9	8,2%	3,8%
The South African State Theatre (Pretoria)	59,8	61,2	2,4%	-1,7%
TOTAL	269,9	281,0	4,1%	0,1%

 

As per Table 8, there is a slight increase in the nominal change in current transfers from the last financial year to 2021/22. However, when inflation is taken into account, all but two institutions, namely the Market Theatre Foundation and the Playhouse Company, will receive a real increase in their transfers. This is concerning since the ability of performing arts institutions to generate revenue has been severely compromised because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

National Treasury has highlighted the following selected indicators:

Table 9: Selected performance indicators for Programme 3 and related priority

Indicator	MTSF priority	Current	Projections
		2020/2021	2021/2022	2022/23	2023/24
Number of community conversations/dialogues held to foster social interaction per year	Priority 6: Social cohesion and safe communities	10	20	20	20
Number of artists placed in schools per year		100	300	300	300
Number of bursaries awarded for the development of qualified language practitioners per year		300	250	250	250

Source: National Treasury (2021), p.736.

 

1. Programme 4: Heritage Promotion and Preservation (HPP)

The purpose of this programme is to preserve and promote South African heritage, including archival and heraldic heritage. Oversee and transfer funds to libraries.

Programme 4 has 11 planned targets with a total budget allocation of R2.5 billion. The outputs delivered in Programme 4 contribute predominately to DSAC Outcome 2: A diverse, socially cohesive society with a common national identity; Outcome 3: Transformed, capable and professional sport, arts and culture sector; and Outcome 4: Integrated and accessible SAC infrastructure and information.

 

Through its sub-programmes, this programme will ensure:

• the support and implementation of a range of projects including awarding heritage bursaries; books documenting Living Human Treasures; development of heritage policies, as well as the promotion of national identity utilising the flag at national days, major cultural and sporting events in schools, the Monument Flag Project and “I am the Flag Campaign”;
• the upgrade national archives infrastructure to address infrastructure challenges in relation to space, technology and processes;
• the financial support of newly built and/or modular libraries; and
• the transformation and standardisation of geographical names.

 

Programme 4 receives the bulk of the total departmental budget, just over R2.6 billion or 44.4 per cent. When compared to the 2020/21 financial year this programme’s budget allocation has increased by R403.4 million, or 18.6 per cent in nominal terms.

 

Of this allocation for 2021/22, R2.4 billion, or 95.6 per cent, is classified as Transfers and subsidies. Through this programme, the Department funds a significant number of entities including, but not limited to, national museums, the National Heritage Council (NHC), the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), and public library services. The latter (sub-programme 5 in the budget structure), transfers funds to Provincial Departments for conditional allocations to community library services for constructing and upgrading libraries, hiring personnel and purchasing library materials, i.e. the Community Library Services Grant (CLSG).

 

The main aim of the CLSG is to transform urban and rural library infrastructure and services through targeting previously disadvantaged communities. This Grant primarily contributes to Government Priority 6: Social cohesion and safe communities. The allocation for 2021/22 is R1.5 billion, or 59.3 per cent, of the total budget allocation for this programme. More details on this allocation follow later in this section.

Table 10 below provides an overview of the budget allocation per sub-programme, as well as, how these allocations have changed between financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Table 10: Programme 4: Change to allocations per sub-programme for 2021/22

Sub-programme	Budget 2020/21	Percentage of total programme budget	Budget 2021/22	Percentage of total programme budget	Change in per cent allocation
R million
1: Heritage Promotion	50,5	2,3%	59,4	2,3%	-0,0%
2: National Archive Services	52,3	2,4%	58,8	2,3%	-0,1%
3: Heritage Institutions	547,7	25,2%	605,7	23,5%	-1,7%
4: National Library Services	195,5	9,0%	143,1	5,6%	-3,4%
5: Public Library Services	1 179,9	54,4%	1 524,6	59,3%	4,9%
6: South African Heritage Resources Agency	73,3	3,4%	58,2	2,3%	-1,1%
7: South African Geographical Names Council	2,7	0,1%	5,2	0,2%	0,1%
8: National Heritage Council	67,0	3,1%	72,2	2,8%	-0,3%
TOTAL	2 168,8	100,0%	2572,2	100,0%	0,0%

 

National Treasury has highlighted the following selected indicators:

Table 11: Selected performance indicators for Programme 4 and related priority

Indicator	MTSF priority	Current	Projections
		2020/2021	2021/2022	2022/23	2023/24
Number of newly built and/or modular libraries supported financially per year	Priority 6: Social cohesion and safe communities	33	26	29	32
Number of students awarded with heritage bursaries per year		74	65	65	65

Source: National Treasury (2021), p.736.

 

1. Committee Deliberations

4.1.       The Committee, having considered and deliberated on the Strategic Plans 2020 - 2025 and Annual Performance Plans 2021/22, made the following key observations and findings:

• Members noted with concern issues related to the policy project on repatriation and restitution of human remains. They indicated that the country celebrated when the remains of Sarah Baartman were returned but they were still waiting on other human remains.
• Members enquired what the Minister’s transformation agenda was and what was informing the transformation that the Department was talking about, including that of ensuring that the department and the industry itself gets transformed.
• Members took note that in Programme 1, the objectives included ensuring good governance among public entities. In one of the oversight visits that the Committee undertook to the Free state and Gauteng Provinces, there were complaints among staff, labour unions and artists on the recycling of board or council members who had a record of poor performance as well as council members serving in multiple entities within the same sector. Members wanted to know what the Department had to say about these allegations, and how would they ensure good governance.
• Members asked what stepsthe Department will be taking to ensure proper screening of councils appointed in the entities going forward.
• Members wanted to know whether all the critical vacant positions in the Department had been filled, and if not, why the delay.
• Members enquired about the R20 million that the Department has set aside for the national monumental project in the 2021/22 budget. This, in light of the fact that artists have been losing large amounts of money as well as job opportunities and there has been an outcry in the media about the amount of unemployed artists and those who have lost income and livelihoods. The question, therefore, was whether the Department would have not rather redirected that R20 million to assist the artists, especially in light of the fact that the country is facing the 3rd wave of Covid-19 which could be potentially worse and result in more loss of income for these artists.
• On the GBV programs for 2021/22, Members asked where emphasis would be directed and how theseprograms willbe rolled out. This, because, in spite of the amount of money that government has been spending on GBV, there hasn’t been a reduction in these cases. Members were concerned that various departments were rolling out GBV programs but they never got to know what these programs were, where they were aimed at, to who they were aimed at, andto which communities. Another question raised was how these programs would be rolled out in the Department and how would awareness be spread.
• Members also raised questions related to the 300 artists that will be placed in schools.They wanted to know what would they be paid to be placed in schools, which communities would be catered for, where will they be rolled out and what were the aims and objectives of this project.
• Members raised concern regarding the problematic nature of race relations in the country and requested that the Department put more focus on the issue. They wanted to find out where and how programmes relating to race relations would be run. They commended the Department for running a program on race relations as time indicated that the country needed it more than ever before. The question raised furtherwas, where these programs would be run and what the ultimate aim of the Department was in their roll out.
• Members wondered whether the Department had any plans for the third wave. If so, whether they could elaborate on the plan.
• Members also enquired about the number of municipalities provided with technical and management support during construction.

 

1. Responses by the Department

The Department gave the following responses:

• The GBV awareness programs undertaken by the Department are the programs aimed towards campaigning against the scourge of GBV. A number of programs have been integrated so that they make more of an impact in as far as this campaign is concerned and these are as follows:

• The Department has, since last year, been running a programme called “Qhawelabafazi” which means “women heroes”. This program is aimed at raising awareness, particularly targeting women and youth girls, in terms of warning them against challenges pertaining to this particular scourge, and telling the stories of experiences of those women who are victims. The basis are the testimonials, the untold stories of GBV through raw footage of survivors, particularly, focusing on the 30 hotspots, as defined by SAPS, throughout the country. The program started in the 2020/21 financial year and is continuing into the 2021/22 financial year, escalating and spreading even wider.
• The second programme was launched by the Minister in September 2020, and referred to as the “Rhulukane” which means “it’s enough, sekwanele”. This is a 365-day campaign which endorses a call to action by men. It is driven by men to end GBV; through behavioral dialogues, panel discussions, grassroots anti-GBV activations, that are specifically focusing on the father and the son. Through camps and other such interventions. It is also going on and is part of the integrated approach with the orientation towards men, the first one being orientated towards women.
• The third programme is the “Silapha” awareness program which means “we are here for you, artist and sport practitioners” but can also be interpreted as “we are healing you artists and sport practitioners”. This programme is an open engagement that addresses the wellness challenges in both the arts and culture, and the sport industries. It includes addressing issues of depression, legal matters,financial management, and issues of abuse. Practitioners in creative arts and sportswho are experiencingproblems, be it in the form of being victims, or as attributors of this, will be able to get access to counselling and other services provided through Silapha. This is the integrated plan the Department was talking about.

• The department alluded that there is an action plan and the programmeshave started. For the next six months starting in June2021, programmes have been identified to start in theKwaZulu-Natal Province and Northern Cape in July. The Department is finalizing the provinces that they will be going to in August, September, October, and November.
• The Department will place 300 artists in schools. The objective of this program is two-pronged. The first target is creating jobs and the second targeted objective is ensuring that they influence the focus of creative as a career on a grassroots level. By working together with the Department of Basic Education and with the schools; the department of Sport Arts and Culture have brought on board the Community Art Centers that are tasked with the responsibility of implementing this program at grassroots level. The aim is two-pronged, creating jobs for the artists but also looking at ensuring that the talented young individuals who are pursuing a career on creatives are getting the practical information and exposure to what the creative industry is about and what it entails. The artists are paid and the total budget the Department has set aside for the 2021/22 financial year is R18.9 million, with R2.1 million allocated towards each of the provinces. In the Northern Cape, the areas; Frances Baard, John Taolo Gaetsewe, Pixley Ka Seme, ZF Mgcawu are examples of the specific targeted areas.
• Regarding the issue of policy on the repatriation of human remains, the Department had, in 2002, repatriated the remains of Sara Baartman, who had been paraded in Europe as show attraction during the 19th Century. They had to repatriate those human remains as part of bringing back dignity to Sara Baartman and it was done without a policy in place. Similarly, in 2012, the Department had to repatriate the remains of a couple. This is the couple that was dug out of their graves by an Austrian anthropologist Rudolph Bach in 1909, done in the name of science. He was working under the auspices of the Austrian academy of science which had Mesozoic skeletal linguistic and cultural material or scientific analyst. The bodies were being dehumanized in being dug up, and taken to the Austrian museums. The former president of the Republic of South Africa; Kgalema Motlanthe was very pivotal in having these remains repatriated to SA and having them buried in a dignified manner, similarly those who left thecountry to fight for the freedom of South Africa whoseremains were returned in 2015. These too happened without policy, so the Department had to work very hard to ensure that whenever this was being done it was done within the parameters of policy. The policy was finally approved in 24 March 2021. The Department while implementing this policy is consolidating the development of policy with clear criteria and also clarifying how the quest for repatriation and restitution will be dealt with. The Department will be looking at the resources, and working with the institution of South African Health and Resources Entity to ensure that work is being done.
• As part of transformation of the heritage landscape, the Department has already done the audit of cultural resources, statues and monuments. Those that have been audited amount to 1789. They also looked at statues that are not in line with the Constitution, to be allocated to regional cultural nation-building parks. This is part of the transformation of heritage landscape, and makes the statement that “we cannot continue to glorify atrocities”.
• Regarding infrastructure and how many municipalities have been given support, looking at the support from 2017, the Department has given support to 157 municipalities and at times, it happened that one municipality getssupport more than once. Projects are multi-year projects. Since 2017 there have been 165 municipalities who have been given support and included in the 165, is 29 new projects that are starting on the 1st of July 2021.
• In terms of transformation in the sporting sector; the Department had a structured way of changing sport and transformation at the National Sport and Recreation Indaba in 2011. The transformation charter guides the changes in sports federation in very strategic areas and these include on and off the field, including demographic representation in key areas, access to participation, capacity development, governance, and economic empowerment. All in all, the Department looks at federation procurement spending, and who is benefitting from the procurement. The status is determined and monitored by measuring the actual performance annually. It gets these targets from the charter. The Department used this charter over the years but realized that it was a one size fits all. In 2016, they then adopted a barometer; where the sport federations set their own targets and the Department then assess the federations against their own set targets. Where sport federations do not achieve 50% or more of the targets, then penalties are imposed on them.  The Minister has the power to suspend and withdraw any funding from the federations that the Department provides. He can also revoke the authority for them, bid for international tournamentsand opportunities and canwithdraw the opportunity for them to award any colours. For the agreement, there is a signed MOU between the federations and SASCP to ensure that the federations are very aware that they are subject to penalties should they not meet their targets. Over the years, the transformation charter was overseen by an Eminent Person’s Group (EPG) who reported directly to the Minister. They oversee this and prepare an EPG report to give an indication of the performance of the federation, but also guide the Department into key areas to strengthen its own deliveries. Over the years, various issues that have come out include issues around the governance of federations. Also, when looking at the population dynamics in the country, there is an increase in young people under 18, and a diminishing population in the white population where the greatest number of sport federations administration lies. So, there is a risk of the country losing a lot of institutional knowledge in terms of the administration of sport. The Department needs to develop the capacity of the youth between 18 and 25 and include other race groups especially where people are skilled in the administration of federations. Another area to be worked on is school sports with this being the bedrock of sport development. The Department sees the need to ensure that the school sports programs are developed and that there is a stronger school sport program in the country. To ensure the nurturing in sports, talent needs to be developed which would helpthe country in the greater sports continuing development towards high performance.
• To ensure good governance in the institutionsand avoid recycling of council members so that they do not serve in multi-councils, the Department has a number of interventions to improve governance in the institutions. They have established a number of forums to ensure that there is constant engagement between the Department and its entities. They have to ensure that whoever is appointed as a council member undergoes an induction so that they understand how the Department works and how it is structured. They have partnered with Institute of Directors of South Africa (IODSA) which oversees governance and is a custodian. TheDepartment ensures that the council members are registered in this institution, and they benefit from a number of interventions including training. Registration of council members is paid by the Department.Although there is a challenge of recycling council members, the Department is working on this and there is an open process that they follow. The Department intends doing an open process where they call for applications from all over the country to develop a board base. So, the Department’s open call for people to serve in its councils will not be a result of the vacancies but rather an open call now. This, servesto develop the board base or database to ensure that they have a diverse base of applicants and whenever they need a resource, they can go back to that board base. They will open the board base to the public to ensure that there is no recycling of members. With engagement with entities and boards,the Department can guide them with legislation and regulations they must follow.  When site visits are done, issues can be mitigated promptly and they will look at visibility of those serving in the councils in an advisory capacity to ensure compliance with legislation. Some of theseinterventions, ensure that they avoid negativity and improve governance.
• There is a high number of vacancies in the Department, but there is a plan in place to fill these vacancies. This plan was put in place around September 2020 when there was a batch of 75 positions that were advertised. In the period of March 2021, the Department had 42 positions that were filled. The high level of unemployment causes a high number of applicants, so the process of capturing this batch, verifications and communicating with applicants takes time. Pertaining to the positions in the first batch, much workhas been done. The applications closed late in March and the Department has also started with setting up interviews. Although the recruitment process started late last year, there have been delays due to Covid-19 and some applicants couldn’t travel. To mitigate this challenge, the Department however, adjusted to working online where they could. The Corporate Services branch is committed to filling these vacancies but they are doing so with care as they are rationalizing their staff compliment after combining two departments. They are also managing staff overlaps and are working towards their final structure.
• Regarding the budget prioritization vis-a-vi a relief, the Department will manage the relief process without undermining the APP presented as it was still being implemented. Work still needs to be done to see where the Department prioritizes what and how much towards fighting the issue of Covid-19. The government has implemented ways of economic recovery of the sectors and how to deal with the issues, and that is why the PSP was established and put into place. During the third wave, the Department will give guidance on how to deal with the issues of Covid-19, and high spread. This will be done through the directions provided as they engage with the various sectors be it creatives or sports and then the plans are drawn.
• In relation to relief, the Department looks at what the implications are at the time and then reprioritize the budget according to that. There was no budget for Covid-19 but it is about responding to issues as they happen, and what the Department knows has been happening on the plight of the creatives and the athletes. There is, however relief programs for them and the Department ensures that the creatives and sports people are the major beneficiaries, and give them sustainable livelihoods through these programmes.
• In terms of the third wave and lockdown status, the Department is in line with what the government does. They don’t have adequate resources to make resources available to accommodate everybody, so they use processes of selection that asks people to come forward. There is an issue of not having a real database and this is why the Department has started creating a national database of its creatives in order to verify. They are also assisted by organizations who have submitted their own databases, and were hoping that that would assist them with a targeted response in terms of Covid-19 issues faced by the sector.
• The race relations programs are the same under the social cohesion as they have programmes and dialogues that normally stay at the attempt. Although at the MRM programs that the Department has, they have programs and dialogues, they believe more is still to be done as the issue of the racist ideology still raises its ugly head. The Department is also utilizing their social cohesion advocates, who developed programmes and target areas that they believe are in need. They help the Department to address the challenges on issues of social cohesion and nation building and among them is the issue of race relations.
• On council issues; the Minister signs a shareholder compact with the councils. He ensures that they understand their fiduciary duties, clean governance, and accountability as well as any mismanagement of resources or corruption that directly gets involved. The Minister also institutesan independent investigation to the board, and where board members are implicated, he institutes proceedings outside of the board.
• On the Zimbabwean example of fallen cadres of South Africa, the Department is currently dealing with the Vienna camp in Angola. They have 300 fallen cadres and it is not possible to repatriate all of those people. There isn’t just one camp but many with many liberation armies as well as many liberation periods and the banning of liberation movements that go back to the first world war as well as the second world war.  Remains of the deceased South African people are all over the world and repatriating all of them to SA would take more than the budget of the state. There are other ways of respecting people such as through monuments, which should be in those particular areas. The Department is currently at the point of engaging with the public and they have repatriated a few people and are honoring those who have fallen out of the country but due to numbers they cannot repatriate everyone. They are supported by government and will do what is within the resources available. They have also been approved by people whose grandfathers fell outside the country in the first world war, so the political will and the process is there. It is only possible to do what is within its resources.
• In terms of the legacy projects this financial year, the Department is currently having exhibitions and that’s what they need to put in those structures so that they can then become meaningful museums and the interpretive center.

 

1. Recommendations

The Committee, having considered the Strategic Plan 2020 – 2025 and Annual Performance Plan 2020/21 of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, recommends follow the following:

• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture should make sure that all the remains of South Africans who were brutalised and their bodies taken away by the oppressors and apartheid government are brought back for a decent burial in the motherland without further delay.
• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture should ensure that there is reasonable and just compensation for the families who have endured such humiliation and pain.
• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture should also make sure that indigenous creative art forms   are continually taught in our schools to keep them alive. There should also be funding at local community level for the indigenous arts.
• In light of job losses suffered during the pandemic, R20 million from the monumental flags    project should be re-directed towards assisting struggling artists and support for creative art centres.
• The transformation in sport should be fast tracked and should not only be for players but officials and selectors as well.
• The transformation agenda means more people from previously disadvantaged groups should also be trained in all aspects of sport such as administration, sport medicine and adjudication etc.
• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture should ensure good governance in the wake of allegations in board and councils as well as proper screening of councils going forward.
• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture should fast track the Presidential Employment Stimulus Program   for the benefit of youth.
• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture should fill in all vacant positions.
• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture should ensure that it identifies the communities where the 300 artists to be placed in schools will be placed.
• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture should focus on Race Relations and roll out programs so as to address Social Cohesion.
• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture should also focus on roll out programs tocombat Gender Based Violence, and spread of femicide.
• The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture should pay attention to the management of construction projects in municipalities.

 

1. Conclusion

Having satisfied itself in its engagement with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture on their Annual Performance Plan and the Budget, the Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sport, Arts and Culture recommends that Budget Vote 37: Department of Sport, Arts and Culture be adopted and that the House approves Budget Vote 37: Sport, Arts and Culture.

 

 

 

Report to be considered