? Thank you.
House Chair for the opportunity and thank you very much, hon Mathevula for the question. Museums and heritage sites you will remember that they have their own administration and they also have their own boards. Most of the time the boards management manages those museums. Therefore, the department is not directly involved in running those museums. Most of the time, we give funding to them of course. But problems that would then arise out of how they are being managed, we only get interaction on how to deal with them when they are reported to us as the department by the board or by management. Maybe we need to do better in terms of how we then monitor how they are being run. But at this point in time they are run by the boards and the management. Thank you very much.
Mr I NTSUBE: Deputy Minister, the demise of Liliesleaf... [Inaudible.]... financial crisis affecting numerous dependent historical sites and theatres. Much of it predating COVID-19. The report indicates that the crisis is linked to government reluctant to fund the independent heritage, cultural and arts organisations. What is the Deputy Minister’s position on these accession? Is there in fact reluctance to fund dependent heritage, cultural and arts organisations? If so, what is the rationale behind this? Thank you very much, House Chairperson.
institutions and heritage organisations. Thank you so much.
Mr G MICHALAKIS: House Chairperson, I see there are extra hot and spicy version of chakalaka, so you might be on something. In the light of the fact that the DA has taken up the state of Robben Island over many years, with your predecessors in this very House, and none of the ANC Ministers of Arts and Culture have up to now successfully acted on this. Does this mean that with 2024 around the corner, that the ANC plans to leave the restoration and upgrade of these important museums that are so vital to the ANC to leave it to a DA coalition to safeguard you’re and the nation’s heritage that you have so disgracefully neglected?
very much, hon Chakalakis. [Laughter.] I just want to assure you that there is no hope in hell that the DA will be able to safeguard the Robben Island Museum. You know why? The reason is that it is not in its best interest to do that.
much, hon House Chair, and thank you very much, to hon Lehihi for the question. Mass gatherings are considered as a super spreader. The National Command Council and the Ministerial Advisory Committee recommendation based on scientific data available informed this. The rational to allow up to 2 000 spectators at sports events constitutes a relaxation rather than a restriction.
maximum number of 2 000 is in line with the number allowed in terms of Alert Level 1 for outside gatherings. Therefore, it will depend on the extent to which sports leaders exercise discipline and are able to contribute towards minimising the number of infections whether we go beyond that 2 000 and it will depend on the National Command Council. Thank you very much, House Chair.
Man B T MATHEVULA: Ndza khensa, Mutshamaxitulu wa Yindlu.
Deputy Minister, with the current minimum capacity of 2 000 people are allowed to gather outdoor or to the half capacity of the venue. What is the size applying to still restricting spectators to during sports events? Thank you.
as sports bodies we are then abiding by what the National Command Council has prescribed. However, of course, we are in continuous engagement with them on how then to navigate this moving further, but for now because we are on Alert Level 1, therefore, it is 2 000.
Mr M A P DE BRUYN: Thank you, hon House Chair. Deputy Minister, apparently restrictions are only in place and being implemented when it suits the government. Therefore, Deputy Minister, will your department please commit to consistency regarding Covid restrictions to avoid unrest amongst sports fans? Thank you.
hear at all.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms W Ngwenya): Can you repeat, hon De Bruyn.
elections that... [Inaudible.]... with numbers. Therefore, my question is will your department please commit to consistency regarding the Covid restrictions to avoid unrest among sports fans. Thank you.
to respond. Hon De Bruyn, I will try and see if I heard you, but I think that he was saying, House Chair, is that the restrictions seem to be not being done uniformly. They seem to be pick and choose on restrictions in summary. However, I just want to say that the restrictions are for all South Africans, black and white, green and yellow, because the Covid-19 is affecting all of us. So, the restrictions are meant to make sure that the virus is not making more damage as it has done. Therefore, what we are doing with the restrictions is to make sure that the people that go to the sporting activities are those that would have been the first one to respond to that sporting activity and they are 2 000. It has got nothing to do with those that are closer to the political party or... [Interjections.]... Thank you very much.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms W Ngwenya): Order, hon member!
Mr T J BRAUTESETH: Thank you, House Chair. Deputy Minister, I hope I can engage you today in the spirit of constructive engagement. I’m sure you like me are sports-mad fans and we all know that are sports lovers of South Africa from Bafana Bafana to the Springboks to all what across the world watch longingly as a little bit television, TV, screens around the world and see full stadiums, okay. And I think what you been doing in this question so far is beating around the bush, Deputy Minister. What South Africans would like from the department is a protocol. Tell us sports-mad South Africans, how many of us have to get vaccinated? Do we need vaccination sports passport to get into stadiums?
what sort of regulations do you have in mind to enable us to get there and not depending on and depending this and depending that. Give us a figure so we can work towards that Thank you, Deputy Minister.
much, House Chair. Thank you very much, hon member. I think first of all when we talk about sports lovers and the people that love sports we must not be divorce them from the rest of the society. They are part of the society. Now, it is out there, it is public knowledge that we had said that as a country we need to make sure that at least 40% of the population is vaccinated. It is out there. Now, that 40% of the population that must be vaccinated includes sport lovers, include those people that would want to go to the stadiums.
immunity. So, I want us when we deal with the issue of sport not to deal with it in isolation, and want the department to deal with to come up with protocols and everything, because remember it is part of the bigger society. Once we are able to deal with what is happening in the society at large South Africans going out there to vaccinate, the issue of the stadiums will not be an issue anymore. Thank you very much.
if may be she can tell us, hon House Chairperson, when are we going to go back to the field? Thank you very much.
much, House Chair, and thank you very much, hon Ntsube. I think South Africans by nature are sport loving people, and it is in interest of all of us to make sure that everybody is able to enjoy sport as they are used to, and those that can go out there they need to go out there and play sport. We are coming from time where it was even difficult for athletes to practice because Level 5, Level 4, and Level 3 did not allow this. Level 2 at least allow for sport people took to play in a bubble. Level 1 has at least allowed now that they can go out and play, but the important thing is that you have to make sure that your test is negative and you make sure that at least the 2 000 we stick to as I have already alluded to.
everybody is safer around them. 
Science has proven that all those that are vaccinated when they get the virus, they don’t end up in intensive care unit, ICU. Those that end up in intensive care unit are those that are not vaccinated. Therefore, at this point in time vaccination, vaccine is still our best way of protecting ourselves and making sure that we go back to the normality as we are used to know that we will be able all of us to enjoy life as we are used to know. Therefore, in all our corners let’s beg, let’s convince and let’s talk to people that they must go out there and vaccinate, especially young people.
Thank you very much, House Chair.
disciplinary process against the two officials which will start on 14 December. Thank you very much.
Mnu M R BARA: Enkosi mama siyabulela.
Deputy Minister, thank you for the update, obviously when the question was posed that information was not readily available. However, what I want to check Deputy Minister is that there are various corrective measures recommended in the report.
Eight months later we have heard nothing from your department which I hear now that they are on suspension. Will you commit your department to the successful completion of the prosecution of the National Arts Council members who have been found to be involved in the mismanagement of the R300million Presidential Employment Stimulus Package Funds meant to assist those affected by Covid-19? Thank you, House Chair.
officer and the chief financial officer’s disciplinary hearing is starting on 14 December. Also, tomorrow, the