Minister Anroux Marais' Speech: Adjustment Appropriation Budget Vote 13 Debate

WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPORT, ANROUX MARAIS

ADJUSTMENT APPROPRIATION BUDGET VOTE DEBATE

30 NOVEMBER 2018

Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to engage on this very important budget vote debate today. I sincerely hope to constructively discuss the Western Cape Government’s commitment to service delivery and citizen impact and not simply chasing numbers, ticking boxes or political grandstanding to ensure that those we serve are enabled with greater opportunities to be better versions of themselves while uplifting the communities in dire need of empowerment.

I thank Minister Ivan Meyer, the Provincial Treasury team, my cabinet colleagues and the DCAS Executive Management Team and officials for understanding the value cultural affairs and sport has in not only nation building but to offer all who call the Western Cape home, a sense of belonging in a national climate where majority feels abandoned by the ANC government.

Speaker, in May this year the national Minister of Arts and Culture noted in his budget speech, to which I agree, “it is important to note and acknowledge the glaring reality that South Africa’s freedom would remain hollow for majority of the population, predominantly black, if they remain on the fringes of the economy”. Yet, Speaker, the majority of the population who are our vulnerable and previously disadvantaged are further pushed into despair and blocked from opportunities by allowing taxpayers money to instead fund maladministration, mismanagement, state capture, SAA bailouts and the sorts.

Speaker, I can then also agree with Minister Mthethwa that “The road to our democracy in South Africa is drenched in blood and punctuated by centuries of racial and economic subjugation, discrimination and oppression, with many ordinary South Africans, especially the youth, making the ultimate sacrifice in the quest for freedom and democracy”. Speaker, I have witnessed first-hand how Western Cape athletes and creatives, mostly youth, have been locked out of national opportunities as a consequence or sacrifice of political grandstanding. Speaker, this is absolutely unacceptable as our youth are still dying in townships, on the flats and in our remote rural areas as a result of hopelessness caused by national nonchalance.

Mevrou die Speaker, dit is om hierdie redes dat ons die R500 000 van die Departement van Gemeenskapsveiligheid verwelkom om die Vermindering in Alkohol Verwante Skade Spelwisselaar verder te bevorder. Dit het reeds groot sukses met ons loodsprojekte in Khayelitsha en Fairyland, Paarl, beleef. Hierdie projekte volg 'n holistiese benadering waarin gedragsverandering beklemtoon word deur positiewe ontwikkelingsprogramme waar lewensvaardighede en maniere ondersoek word waarop individuele probleemsituasies hanteer kan word terwyl sportvaardighede tydens sportaktiwiteite geslyp word.

Mevrou die Speaker, die gebruik van sport- en kultuursake as instrument om ons mense geleenthede vir selfbemagtiging en sosiale inklusiwiteit te bied, staan sentraal in ons pogings by die Wes-Kaapse Departement van Kultuursake en Sport. Ons het groot vordering gemaak met die skep van 'n bemagtigende omgewing waarin ons kiesers holisties kan floreer. Met ons beperkte jaarlikse begroting het ons ons belegging in die jeug geprioritiseer deur geleenthede vir toegang en deelname aan kultuursake en sport te vermeerder deur befondsingsorganisasies te finansier, platforms waar talent ten toon gestel kan word te vermeerder en nuwe, innoverende vennootskappe met ander te smee sodat groter geleenthede kan materialiseer. Daarom is ons baie dankbaar vir die bykomende R250 000 wat ontvang is om te verseker dat die Suid-Afrikaanse fietsrykampioenskap vanaf 11 tot 16 Desember 2018 by die Bellville Velodrome gaan plaasvind. Hierdie toekenning gaan beslis meer geleenthede aan ons jeug bied, aangesien dit ’n inspuiting is vir die ekonomie as gevolg van die werksgeleenthede wat geskep word. ’n Bykomende voordeel is dat interaksie van die jeug met positiewe rolmodelle moontlik gemaak word en die Wes-Kaap as die fietsrybestemming van Afrika beklemtoon word.

Speaker, critical thinking, consciousness and a sense of belonging contribute to nation building and identity. At the DCAS we are committed to changing mindsets to offer positive alternatives to already negative circumstances. Each day a greater amount of national funds is announced as stolen, misused, mismanaged and privately pocketed by ANC heavyweights. This angers and frustrates us, the Western Cape Government and our enabling partners, as we too often receive, what has now become the default response from the national ANC government that there are no funds available to optimise on our already functional and successful programmes through which lives are changed and communities uplifted through the work we do at DCAS in the Western Cape.

The arts, sport and cultural affairs allow people how to think, not what to think. Thus, the work of the DCAS is serious business, often misinterpreted as simple fun and a time passer-by, when in fact it is as fundamental branch of government. It is concerned with the wellbeing of the mind, body and spirit and Speaker, if the minds, bodies and spirits of our people are not equipped in our diversity, it is less likely that they will take up the opportunities rightfully to be availed to them. Cultural Affairs and Sport challenge and dismantle the idea that “Because we are different, we cannot be together”. We have made incredible progress in promoting the beauty and power in our diversity and will continue to show in real terms that the ANCs propaganda has polluted the minds of our people for far too long with no sustainable solutions to living lives our people can value.

In contrast Speaker, key to our efforts at the DCAS is the creation of an enabling environment in which all who call the Western Cape home feel a sense of identity, belonging and unity. There have been significant developments in the province’s commitment to identify, conserve, protect, manage and promote the heritage resources in the Western Cape so that we are aware of our cultural, historical landscape. We welcome the R1.5m appropriated to the further development of an Archaeological and Paleontological Heritage Tourism Route. This route aims to promote heritage tourism in the province, affording job opportunities while documenting where we come from and advocating for the significance of our beginnings as a diverse people.

While the ANC spews division, propaganda and consciously allowing taxpayers money to enrich the already rich, our officials are placed under severe pressure and are less capacitated as salaries do not remunerate their sacrifice, hard work and selfless contribution to nation building. Speaker, R4.4m was re-appropriated and translates to surrendered compensation of employees to the provincial revenue fund for fiscal consolidation. Due to the ANCs “Let them eat cake” attitude, our staff have become despondent as very little financial growth is available in this very difficult economic environment also forced into by the ANC government.

Speaker, it is clear that our Western Cape residents are speaking and are more vocal about their grievances, because they have been accustomed to a transparent, responsive and capable provincial government. I again urge the ANC in this house today to listen to our people. The Western Cape Government promotes diversity and will ensure vigorous public participation processes in which all interested voices will be heard, considered and democratically implemented. Honourable Dugmore, Makeleni and Gopi, our people deserve freedom, fairness and opportunity. How better to honour Tata Madiba on his centenary by proactively building the all-inclusive nation he once was prepared to die for.

The Western Cape Government firmly believes that we are better together and only once we understand the perspectives and lived experiences of others and act accordingly in reconciliation can we move forward as a nation. I thank you. 

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Media Enquiries: 

Stacy McLean Spokesperson for Minister Anroux Marais Email: Stacy.McLean@westerncape.gov.za Tel: 021 483 4426 Cell: 083 504 1171