Ladies and gentlemen of the media
In three year's time the country will be transported into a new millennium. For South Africa, this means meeting the challenge to take all our citizens to the 21 st century. As the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST) this pursuit is full of meaning for us.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Policy, of course, underpins delivery. In 1996 the Science and Technology White Paper was accepted by cabinet. In view of the proposals in the White Paper the following preparatory initiatives were launched.
The National Research and Technology Audit is being performed with the aim of harmonising the Government's expenditure on Research and Technology with the national needs of the country and its peoples. To determine the status of science and technology in different sectors, a number of surveys were commissioned, namely:
Science and Technology in business South African Skills South African Research and Training Equipment Research and Scholarship Outputs Scientific and Technological Infrastructure.
These surveys will be completed during the first half of 1997 and we foresee that the results will be available in the second half of the year.
The aim of the National Research and Technology Foresight project is to help identify specific technologies and technology trends that will best contribute to an improvement in the economic well-being and the quality of life for all South Africans over the next 10-20 years. The project was launched in 1996. The pre-foresight stage has been completed and the main-foresight stage will run until September this year. The objectives of this phase are to map the key technologies that will have social, economic and environmental impact for South Africa. The post-foresight stage will concentrate on the plans and strategies for implementing the findings of the foresight.
In the light of the cross-cutting impact of science and technology on the activities of all departments, the Cabinet approved for Deputy President Mbeki to act as chairperson for the Minister's Committee on Science and Technology. This is strengthening the Committee's capacity to co-ordinate between relevant government departments, for decision taking, advice to Cabinet and implementation of science and technology policy.
The Science and Technology White Paper underlines the importance of a statutory National Advisory Council on Innovation for independent and informed advice to the Government on the development and implementation of science, engineering and technology policy and the stimulation of innovation. After extensive discussions including all relevant role-players, the Draft National Advisory Council on Innovation Bill was finalised and will be submitted to Parliament this year. The Council shall advise the Minister, and through the Minister, the Minister s Committee for Science and Technology and the cabinet on the role and contribution of science, engineering and technology promoting and achieving national objectives.
Then there is the National Research Foundation, which seeks to consolidate the granting of funding to research and development. A draft Bill has been prepared by the Department and it is being currently being circulated for comment. We intend to take it to Cabinet before March.
Additionally, the S&T White Paper announces the intention of compiling a comprehensive science and technology budget this year, giving an investment portfolio projection, of government's spending on science and technology for economic and social development. In conjunction with the National Research Audit, the project will generate a three year "government science and technology budget".
The current focus on outputs/outcomes of state expenditure has re-opened debate on the peculiarities of performance evaluation in the science and technology system.
The Science and Technology White Paper delivers a response in the form of a three-pronged review process which will be implemented this year. A mix of quantitative and qualitative performance measures will be utilised in reviewing the performance of science councils.
Concern regarding the outflow of highly skilled science and technology human resources from the public sector, caused by cuts in the expenditure, on, for example defence, atomic energy and grants to science councils, led to the initiation of this study. The first phase, which consisted of gathering of information from employers and employment agencies, has just been completed. As a second phase, ex-employees were approached directly towards the end if last year. Their responses will be analysed, a report is expected towards the middle of the year.
Since the establishment of the Government of National Unity, the Department has effected bilateral co-operation agreements with other countries. Last year we participated extensively in multi lateral structures to promote and develop science within the Southern African Development Community, the Commonwealth countries and the United Nations. In 1997 we will continue to develop these relationships.
It is important to note that the Department cannot make it's plans in a vacuum. There are external factors, for instance, crime, which impact negatively on the work we do. Therefore R10 million of the 1997/98 research fund has been set aside to enable science and technology to make a contribution to the National Crime Prevention Strategy for South Africa. This Crime Prevention Fund will be treated as a pilot project for the Innovation Fund announced in the White Paper. The National Crime Prevention Strategy will serve as the framework for project proposal development.
The approach of the NCPS submits that: a crime needs to be tackled in a comprehensive way, which means going beyond an exclusive focus on policing and the Justice system. It means problem solving to address the causal factors which provide opportunities for crime and limit the likelihood of detection."
As part of my responsibilities regarding libraries and information availability, the Legal Deposit Bill, intended to replace the Legal Deposit of Publications Act was approved by Cabinet and will be included in the 1997 legislative programme. An interesting development here is that electronic and audio-visual publications are now provided for in the bill.
ARTS AND CULTURE
The arts and culture have a multifaceted role to play in the social and economic development of South Africa; this includes an economic, developmental and nation-building role. This coming year the DACST will continue to exploit these aspects to their full potential.
This year will see the formulation of industry plans for each of the cultural industries as p .n of the Cultural Industries Growth Strategy (CIGS). This is key if we want to maximise the potential of cultural industries to contribute substantially to job creating growth, income generation and foreign exchange earnings.
The Department is intensifying its attempts to integrate culture into overall government strategies. Arts and culture have been used successfully in many international cities as the focus of urban regeneration projects.
DACST has developed business plans for the utilisation of R50-million of RDP funding. The business plans propose to contribute towards the construction and/or refurbishment of arts and culture facilities in communities throughout the country, in areas of need within a framework of strategic plans for development of arts and culture infrastructure developed by provincial governments . Forty-three facilities have been planned throughout the country.
The equitable development and promotion of cultural expression is key to nation building. DACST will therefore be continuing its project to democratise the arts, culture and heritage by actively encouraging and promoting all manifestations of the diverse cultures which, together, contribute to a common South African consciousness.
The process of transforming the associated institutions is ongoing. The Performing Arts Councils now have a medium term expenditure framework within which to plan their future activities. By the year 2000 the PAC's will be playhouses with only their core infrastructure being subsidised by national government.
The department will be implementing a strategy to develop a new national museums service that represents the heritage of all South Africans. During the course of 1997 we have proposed that two new 'flagship" institutions be formed in (Pretoria and Johannesburg) and Cape Town by amalgamating the appropriate existing "national museums" in these areas. The flagships will endeavour to promote national consciousness and to serve museums around the country.
Three new statutory bodies will be created this year - the National Arts Council (NAC), the National Heritage Council (NHC) and the National Film and Video Foundation.
The establishment of these councils is a milestone in South Africa's evolution as a democratic society. They will be charged with the responsibility of funding the full diversity of South African arts, culture, heritage and him with sensitivity and within an overall framework of transformation, equity and redress. It is chiefly through these councils that the Department will bring about universal access and equity across all the arts, culture, him and heritage in all regions of the country.
Heritage, specifically, will have the benefit of far-reaching transformation: The Heritage Resources Bill be presented to Cabinet in March and tabled in Parliament later this year. The scope of this new legislation takes into cognisance that heritage resources are non-renewable and therefore seeks to protect hitherto neglected areas such as living heritage, archaeology, palaeontology and meteorites. Burial grounds and graves, such as ancestral graves in rural areas will be protected.
The launch of Business Arts South Africa (BASA), was an important milestone in the Department's strategy to facilitate delivery to its constituents. The Department believes that this process, whereby business and arts combine resources to promote arts and culture, will bring in an essential missing element in the terrain of arts funding and developing the cultural sector. It is the aim of BASA to create and sustain a professional arts and cultural environment in which business can pursue high profile marketing strategies and develop its corporate image while investing in the community
LANGUAGE
Since the Language Plan Task Group delivered its report, plans are afoot to draft a new national language plan for South Africa. A multi media campaign, to promote multi lingualism will be launched during the second half of the year. Good progress is being made too by our steering committee for the telephone interpreting project. This project involves the creation of a twenty-four hour, seven day week interpreting service on a single telephone number which has been designed so as to eliminate language barriers when citizens, tourists etc., need to communicate with public officials in key service areas. Another development that I would like to report is that more African language translators are being appointed to cope with the steady increase in the volume of translation work in these areas.
THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
In this sector, the National Archives Act (No. 43 of 1996) was put in place on 1 January 1997. The public archives system which it establishes is founded in the Constitution's devolution of state responsibility for archives, from central government, to the country's nine provinces. This requires the establishment of a National Archives at Central level and the creation of nine or more autonomous provincial archives services.
The new Act brings the records of ail governmental bodies firmly within its ambit. The Act also includes all types of public records, by defining a record as recorded information regardless of form or medium.
In terms of the public's right of access to public records, the Act provides for a shortening of the open access period from 30 to 20 years, while also providing for a right to apply for access to records in the closed period from the National Archivist.
During 1996 the Department worked vigorously in producing policy documents and conceptualising programmes which give expression to our mission and objectives. We produced two White Papers, a Film Development Strategy and several pieces of legislation. In building on this solid foundation, I would like to declare 1997 the year of implementation of our policies, strategies and programmes.
Thank you.