National Heritage Council presentation before the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture

1. National Heritage Council presentation before the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture 22 may 2007 Parliamentary Building, Cape Town

2. Introductory Remarks • A deep sense of gratitude for giving us, as creator of this entity through a legislation, an opportunity to engage and account in order to assess whether we do add value to the society. • This brief presentation, mindful of the short time given for our presentation and interface with this committee, seek to highlight issues in the documents you requested: • Annual Report and expenditure for 2005/6 (during second year of NHC’s existence) • Strategic Plan and Budget for 2007/2008 All other comments will be given in order to contexualize and amplify issues requested by the committee.

3. “As is” situational analysis • The following prevailing circumstances in the heritage landscape that prompted establishment of the NHC and other related organizations. • Colonial and apartheid legacy of a very skewed heritage sector with unevenly distributed heritage resources, institutions and human resources/skills. Extremely poor representation of Black experiences particularly those of indigenous people. • Heritage sector is highly fragmented with general lack of coordination of heritage management. Duplication and overlaps as a result. Various government departments responsible for heritage but no coordinated approach. • Dominance of tangible heritage (museums, physical sites etc) & little focus on intangible/living heritage. Consequently not enough focus on Indigenous Knowledge Systems. • Devolution of heritage responsibilities to local authorities but no clear role definition, resources and coordination. • A number of legislative and policy gaps for the heritage sector. • General neglect of Arts, Culture and heritage sector initially not seen as strategic.

4. Background and establishment of the NHC • NHC is a product of the White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage • Established in terms of the National Heritage Council Act,11 of 1999 • The Act was proclaimed on 16 February 2004 • The Council was inaugurated by the Minister of Arts and Culture on 26 February 2004 • NHC is therefore just over 3 years old

5. NHC mandate and functions in terms of NHC Act of 1999 • Advise minister on national policies on heritage. • Advise minister on allocation of core funding to declared cultural institutions. • Investigate ways & means of effecting repatriation of South African heritage objects. • Make grants to any persons, organization or institutions in order to promote & develop national heritage activities & resources. • Coordination of activities of public institutions involved in heritage management in an integrate manner to ensure optimum use of state resources • Monitor and coordination the transformation of the heritage sector • Public awareness • Consult & liaise with relevant stakeholders on heritage matters • Support, nurture and develop access to institutions and programs that promote and bring equity to heritage management • Promote an awareness of the history of all our peoples • Lobby in order to secure funding for heritage management and to create a greater public awareness of the importance of our nation’s heritage.

6. Core Functions • Coordination of the heritage sector • Transformation of heritage landscape • Funding and resource mobilization • Public awareness • Policy advice

7. Strategic Priorities • Advise on policies • Equitable redress and inclusivity • Enhance the role of Ubuntu in Nation Building • Improve co-ordination and management of the sector • Positioning the heritage sector as a significant contributor to socio-economic development • Public Awareness, education and stakeholder relations • Institutional development of the NHC and heritage organizations.

8. Establishment phase & governance issues • Many observers, including DAC, have indicated that in relative terms NHC’s growth has been faster and consequently its profile has risen sharply in the sector in just 3 years. • In the formative first two years organizational development marked by the establishment of all governance tools (strategy, structure, policies, recruitment and profiling) was the main priority hence much resources were dedicated to this development of internal systems. • In its accelerated pace NHC has moved to consolidation phase with a shift of resources to its core business, heritage. • Clean audit report achieved in spite of challenges of establishment.

9. NHC Milestones and key achievements and interventions • Development of Heritage Transformation Charter. • Launch of a programme aimed at reviving Ubuntu for Nation Building including Ubuntu Awards. • Audit of heritage sector that generated information to be used for information portal accessible to all • Establishment of CEO/Directors’ Forum for Heritage Institutions. • Launch of Heritage Awards and Heritage Magazine. • Nationwide training of Media personnel & journalist on how to tell SA story utilizing our rich diverse heritage • Youth programmes such as: • Youth Cultural Exchange Programme • Indigenous art training of 9 young artists from our 9 provinces. Training completed in Ethiopia and cooperatives and small business enterprise to be established for artists. • Young heritage ambassadors programme.

10. …NHC Milestones and key achievements and interventions • Assisted and partnered with Mpumalanga Government in conducting Mpumalanga Heritage Project. • Participated actively in the hosting of World Heritage conference by SA and in crafting of Africa Position Paper as well as establishment of Africa World Heritage Fund. • Recently organized a forum for discussing cultural rights, constitution and cultural practices • Has organized national imbizos on a range of issues that affect or has potential of impacting on our social cohesion and national identity. • Organized a national workshop to assist with identification of Heritage Legacy Projects and opportunities for 2010 Soccer World Cup • Has funded a wide range of strategic projects throughout the country.

11. Current and future programmes • National Heritage Council Programmes Programmes for 2007-2008 • Development and Implementation Heritage Transformation Charter • Young Artists Development and empowerment programme • Ubuntu and Nation building • Unearthing and Documentation of Unsung Heroes and Heroines Heritage Project • 2010 Soccer World Cup Heritage Legacy Project • Development of policy for access to heritage institutions • Heritage Festival for Reconciliation and Nation Building • Partnership with Icomos-SA to host ICOMOS International Conference

12. …Current and future programmes • Survey Analysis of Heritage Contribution to Economic Growth and Development • Heritage engagement with education sector: Summit on Heritage and Education • UNESCO & World Heritage Committee Activities • Unearthing South Africa’s history of slavery & Oral History Programme. • Development of a Policy Framework for Repatriation of South African Heritage • Liberation Route World Heritage Site Programme • Makhonjwa Earth History World Heritage Site programme • Women & Heritage • Digitization policy strategy • Irish-South Africa Heritage Project • Youth Cultural exchange programme • Heritage Resource Center Development

13. Strategic Partnerships • MOU with SABC • Mpumalanga government on Mpumalanga heritage project. • SATMA Awards • National House of Traditional Leaders • Icomos SA • International Committee of Musiems (ICOM) SA • South African Museum Association (SAMA) • Universities such as Fort Hare, Wits, UKZN, Venda, University of the North an Unisa. • HSRC • Freedom Park Trust, SACAR, Iikssa

14. Budget and expenditure TrendsNote progressive increase of money spent on core business particularly the funding of heritage projects. Sharp decline in HR cost is also an effect of costing personnel costs of core business under relevant units.

15. Summary and conclusion • In just 3 years NHC has managed to maintain a delicate balance of establishing corporate governance tools both for effective organizational functioning and compliance while at the same time aggressively carrying out its mandate • There are many emerging opportunities in the sector provided by window of opportunity such as 2010 as well as increasing realization that heritage is key to our social cohesion, national identity and socio-economic well being. It is, therefore, clear that the role of agencies as NHC will only grow as we move into the future.