Themba Wakashe Director - General Department of Arts and Culture

1. PRESENTATION TO SELECT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE NCOP 3 MARCH 2009 2009 / 10 DIVISION OF REVENUE BILL Themba Wakashe Director - General Department of Arts and Culture

2. Overview of 2009 MTEF allocations

3. Key Outcomes for the 2009 MTEF • Promoting a Culture of Reading • Libraries and social cohesion – shared family activities • Address severe disparities between poor rural and urban communities • Libraries and IT – connectivity in rural areas can bridge digital divide - Dinaledi schools Project • Publishing in Indigenous languages – launch of the African literature catalogue

4. LIBRARY TRANSFORMATION CHARTER • All inclusive consultative forums held in each of the nine provinces • Fourth Draft Charter to be presented to Arts & Culture MINMEC • Charter presented to Minister of Education on 16 Feb 2009 • Further consultations with portfolio committees, SALGA, and DPLG to be arranged.

5. INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES • Need for supply of literature in all official languages, especially for young readers • NLSA driving process to identify indigenous language publications and to reprint African language classics • Minister launched 27 titles of reprinted African Literary Classics on 17 February 2009.

6. PRIORITIES FOR 2009 -2010: PROVINCIAL • Increased books and reading material (esp. for younger readers) • Upgrading & construction of library buildings • Appointment of more staff; extensions of contracts • ICT – New integrated library management system;

7. PRIORITIES FOR DAC • Construction of a model library in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape • Facilitate the planning and building of two libraries in Khayelitsha, Cape Town • Cooperation with correctional services regarding youth at risk • Publishing in indigenous languages • Cooperation with Arts, Social Development regarding the production of tactile books.

8. PREPARATIONS AND PLANNING FOR 2009 - 2010 • DAC coordinated the development of business plans for 2009/10 • Draft business plans submitted to DAC and to National Treasury • Final business plans to be submitted to Treasury by 27 March 2009 • Technical Assistance Unit and Project Team provides ongoing support to provinces

10. EXPENDITURE FOR THE THIRD QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 2008 FOR THE 2008/09 FINANCIAL YEAR

11. Achievements to date: Provinces • Improved coordination / relations between provinces and municipalities • 360 professional and support staff appointed • One integrated library management system to be rolled-out to six provinces • Infrastructure upgradings (60 libraries upgraded) • New facilities are being planned • Quality of reading materials improving (esp. reference materials and indigenous languages) • Creative outreach programmes implemented, e.g. NW & NC (container libraries and mobile libraries)

12. Achievements to date: National • Focused attention on visually impaired – DAISY project (3 provinces working with SA Library for the Blind) • Republication of African Literature Classics • National architectural student competition to design a model library completed • Library Transformation Charter – consultations completed • Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity increased (new directorate established)

13. MAJOR CHALLENGES • Staff turn-over v/s skills shortages • Delays in concluding SLAs with municipalities – still Schedule 5 problems • Supply Chain Management issues – esp. in relation to procurement of books and reading material • Infrastructure-related problems – tenders; Public Works and maintenance

14. WAY FORWARD • National Tender for database of service providers for books and reading material • Infrastructure Project Management Support (National Treasury TAU) • 3 M&E specialists appointed by DAC • New “South African Public and Community Libraries Bill (Norms and standards)” – to be passed & implemented before conditional grant can be folded into the equitable share • Investigation into training at a national level underway

15. ThankYou