30 Jul 2020

The Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development Mr Buti Billy has outlined to Parliament initiatives targeted towards the preservation and development of culture.

Mr Billy noted that the establishment of the National Arts Council including the finalisation of the creative industry strategy were some of the initiatives that were in place to transmit and ensure continuation of the country’s culture.

He added that government had instituted relief funds for the arts and culture sector including the commemoration of the National Languages Day and National Culture days which were among some of the activities that would transmit the identities of culture contained within the national heritage including the protection of artists from adverse situations in which they could not generate revenue from their normal routines.

The assistant minister said government was also implementing articles of the UNESCO 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of the intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions including the Housing of the National Art Collection.

Mr Billy added that in an effort to develop the cultural festivals, the ministry continued to fund and partner with private organisations and community based organisations to host conferences and festivals some of which had attracted the international community.

He cited the Gaborone International Music and Culture week, the Botswana International Music Conference, Maun International Arts Festival and Dithubaruba Cultural festival as some of the cultural festivals that the ministry funded.

Furthermore, to promote cultural exchanges with other countries, the assistant minister said Botswana had a number of bilateral cultural agreements and memorandums of understanding with different countries.

According to Mr Billy, some of the countries included Kenya Nigeria, China, South Africa, India and Brazil among others including participating in expos, festivals, capacity building for skills transfers and cultural exchanges for marketing of cultural goods and services internationally.

He further indicated that the ministry affiliated to international organisations such as UNESCO and International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies and therefore had an opportunity in future to host international conferences and festivals like Southern African Summit and International Jazz Day.

Mr Billy said that the ministry also had a number of programmes geared towards the empowerment of cultural practitioners.

He said this empowerment projects included Arts and culture grant, Presidents Day competitions and the procurement of arts and Culture products and services which were facilitated through the presidential Directive CAB 1 (B) /2015- oversight of the proposed Budget provision to support local culture, arts and Crafts. 

Additionally, assistant minister said his ministry intended to develop and review some of its policies to facilitate the development of the culture sector. 

Some of the policies, he said were, the National Policy on Culture of 2001,  Cinematography  Act of 1970, the establishment of the National Arts Council and implementation of the International Instruments that Botswana was a state party to. 

 Mr Billy was responding to Jwaneng-Mabutsane MP, Mr Mephato Reatile who had asked the minister to state what his ministry was doing regarding among others the preservation and development of culture in Botswana, development of  cultural festivals in Botswana following the President’s roadmap which emphasises government’s desire to see Botswana generating revenue by hosting international events.  ends