(Budget vote debate in Free State Legislature)
The Free State Department of Sport, Arts and Culture frequently talks about nation building and social cohesion, but then does the exact opposite.
The Free State government's attempts to re-write the history of the Free State will not achieve anything. History cannot be changed or re-written.
The Department earmarked R2 million for the erection of a single statue in memorial of Albertina Sisulu, but does not seem to realise that future generations may be offended by the current government's symbols and may, therefore, ultimately tear them down.
For years, the FF Plus has been advocating that we should not try to wipe out a part of history, instead, we should keep adding to our shared heritage in the Free State and build it out.
Historical symbols do not have to be liked, they simply have to be recognised. And the greater the discomfort caused by the symbol, the smaller the probability that history will repeat itself.
The Department's obsession with the past prevents it from paying any attention to the future. The Department spends approximately 64% of its budget on employees instead of investing the biggest portion of its budget in youth development projects.
Cosmetic quotas and regulations will not bring about true equality. Spending 64% of the budget on compensation for employees does nothing for future generations.
The Department needs to realise that it must invest in the youth to perform in the future. The Department must also do introspection and consider whether its actions and priorities really do make a difference in the lives of the people of the Free State or whether it is simply ticking the right boxes so that it seems as if there is equality, at least on paper.
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