BRIEFING BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ON KOPANO PROJECT

18 July 2000

Ladies and Gentleman of the Press, honoured guests.

When the convenor of this years African Renaissance Conference which was held in Johannesburg during April, the revered chairman of the Arts and Culture portfolio Committee - Mongane Wally Serote - announced the theme of this years Conference namely:

"MOTHO KE MOTHO KA BATHO: YOU ARE BECAUSE I AM"

He not only gave us the foundation for the KOPANO exchange programme but he could just as well have taken this initiative as the practical implementation of what he called and I quote:

"A FORUM FOR DEBATE, DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE ON THE REBIRTH OF AFRICA IN THE SEARCH OF DEMOCRACY, PARTNERSHIPS IN DEVELOPMENT AND CREATIVITY IN INNOVATION"

Ladies and gentleman of the press. This initiative to get together our neighbours from the SADC family for 6 Days to Debate Arts and Culture issues of common concern, will help us to realise how our common Heritage will, not only help us to understand who we are by interrogating our creativity and innovation, but also by establishing partnerships in Development of our common Heritage. In short, this is the AFRICAN RENAISSANCE IN ACTION and where better to start than with ourselves and with our SADC Family. KOPANO is a closed forum where Government and government organs will share information on matters of culture ranging from Cultural Industries to Arts Education. To stay in since with world trends five International Speakers will address the forum on a range of topics that will cover the following:

• Empowerment in the areas of arts and culture which will include arts education, the role of technology, arts management and arts business (Prof A Hull: Director of the Victorian College of Arts, University of Melbourne);
• Cultural industries and cultural tourism (Dr R Adam: Director-General: Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology);
• Access indigenous information (Prof B Alegbeleye: Department of Library and Archival Information Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria);
• Language, Oral History and traditions (Prof A Bangbose: Department of Linguistics and African Languages at the University of Ibadan); and
• The role of arts and culture regarding issues of concern such as aids, crime prevention, stabilisation of the youth and gender equality (Prof R Mkandawire: Head of the Centre of Youth Studies, University of Venda).

My Department expects to come out with a better understanding of the strengths and achievements of our SADC neighbours in order to inform the foundations for bi-lateral agreements and exchange programmes with our neighbours. We, as South Africans, cannot develop in isolation. Many speakers at various forums before me have expressed our Africanism and the importance of regional Development. In order to be innovative in the implementation of the African Renaissance we have to put Arts and Culture in the forefront of this movement by utilising our Cultural Diversity as a source of strength and unification. I suppose it would be appropriate to echo the words of our Minister of Foreign Affairs when she referred to regions as the building blocks of a unified Africa. It that is so Culture, Arts and Heritage can become the mortar to cement these blocks together.

To assist our neighbours in understanding who we are the KOPANO will include a two day cultural awareness programme which will include visits to Sterkfontein Caves and a pot-pouri of cultural performances by South African cultural groups.

We know the KOPANO will provide the framework for closer bi-lateral co-operation between ourselves and our neighbours in the Region.

Your press packs contains a programme as well as other relevant information and a brief summary of the objectives.

Mr Wakashe, Chief Director, from this Department will talk you through the press release and copies of my short address will be disseminated to you. I thank you.

Issued by the Office of the Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology