20 August 2004

By Clifford Mogotsi

IN line with State President Thabo Mbeki's commitment to an African Renaissance, Mogale City recently launched an advisory council that aims to revamp the arts, culture and heritage in the area.

The official launch held at the Mogale banquet hall introduced eight members of council who will represent Mogale City's interests in the sustainable development and promotion of arts, culture and heritage

The Rural Development and Tourism (RDT) directorate under the tutelage of Rapolai Segware will work closely with the council to ensure that its objectives are met.

"This capable and knowledgeable team of experienced icons will help us to reach the goal we have long set," said Segware.

Rural Development and Tourism Portfolio head, Isaac Dube, said the launch was a big day for the entire city, and that they would focus on unearthing hidden traditional treasures in the area.

"I am glad that we going back to our culture and the launch is paving the way," he said, adding that the establishment of this structure to ensure that the strategies and associated programmes truly addressed the needs of the broader community of Mogale, was long overdue.

Addressing a handful of people in the hall, Dube outlined the objectives of the council as:

• Participating in the development of a strategy for the identification and assessment of local heritage resources;
• Monitoring arts, culture and heritage resources activities to ensure they comply with approved principles, standards and policies for arts and culture development and promotion and heritage resource management;
• Identifying, and making appropriate recommendations on significant arts and culture developmental and promotional needs and associated programmes;
• Make appropriate recommendations on the recording of heritage resources in Mogale City;
• Advise, assist and provide professional expertise to any individual, institution or organisation in Mogale City for the management of heritage resources on local level.

Council's deputy chairperson, Molefe Phetoe, a seasoned writer and musician, said they had anticipated the launch long before 1994, but had only managed to consolidate in the last three years.

"This is not only for us in Mogale City, but for the whole of South Africa's art, culture and heritage world. That it should happen in Mogale City is for me, and for our advisory council as well as for the whole area, an ancestral gift," Phetoe said proudly.

He said the sterling work done by the interim arts and culture council would help develop a heritage resources developmental plan in line with the requirements of the National Heritage Resources Act.

Addressing the new advisory council, executive mayor Adv Lentswe Mokgatle said, "We sincerely hope that your collective wisdom and passion for this sector, the future of Arts, Culture and Heritage resources development will be consistent with the goals of our democracy and national reconciliation."

Mokgatle said they had facilitated a number of art development workshops, supported emerging artists though gallery exhibitions and had also assisted artists to access resources they needed most.

The council will also advise the Mogale Local Municipality on policies on management matters, with specific emphasis on living treasures and sustainable development.

It will also be the duty of the council to manage grant allocation, co-ordinate activities of public organisations involved in development and promotion of arts, culture and heritage and promote education and training in this field.

The new advisory council members are: Peter Davidson, Molefe Mosenye, Nicholas F. Hefer, Dr Molefe Phetoe, Professor Kegorapetse Khositsile, Tsholofelo J. Tsholetsane, Maxwell Khuzwayo and Busang Moiloa.