Economic Freedom Fighters 1st National People's Assembly Discussion Documents: People's Power for Economic Freedom

Arts, Culture and Economic Emancipation in our lifetime

Introduction

1. The History

The extent to which a people are emancipated; be it political, social or economic is intrinsically linked to their freedom of expression or lack thereof. Throughout history, oppressed nations have been oppressed precisely because of their inability to practice free speech, practice their beliefs and contribute meaningfully to the make-up of their socio-political life. Inevitably, in politically and economically oppressive societies, the key tool in sustaining the status quo translates to the oppression of self-expression. Free and undeterred self-expression is often directly a catalyst for a confident nation, one that is self-critical and therefore growth-prone. Hence Frantz Fanon determines that in oppressive societies, the culture or self-expression of the oppressed is a ‘contested culture'. The oppressor seeks to not only annex the economic and labor activities of his subjects, but also their ability to express and critique themselves in a manner that is congruous with their sensibilities.

Oppression of culture in a neo-liberal post-colonial setting is therefore a very complex issue. Not only because it is often enforced by a new elite who still hold the bragging rights for championing the liberation struggle, but also because it is less conspicuous, more hidden and inexorably more dangerous. In an animal-farm type setting, the rationale for the oppression is easily explained away as part and parcel of the ‘continuous struggle against oppression'. The subject, the newly-oppressed, in belief and trust of the leadership they see as synonymous with their own liberation, takes time to suspect the oppression. Hence often societies in a post-colonial setting, while in inertia of celebrating their perceived liberation, take time to unravel that their ability to critique the state of their new oppressors is but compromised. But Fanon correctly determines that this condition of society is not perpetually obsolete; that in time the setting self-corrects. He argues that the consciousness of the oppressed, awakening to the ‘clandestine' nature of their oppressed culture, begin to rebel. They begin to seek an equal platform for their self-expression. This stage will be discussed in another paper.

This document seeks to examine how our policy in the Economic Freedom Fighters can assist that self-correct machinery in order to refocus the mindset of our people to that of a nation ready to take back the ownership of their societal-psychology, their labour and their economy. This it will seek to achieve by critically examining the sector of Arts, Culture and Sport; the catalyst sector of self-expression and self-determination.

It will look at the status quo and how it affects the sector in moving the nation towards independent thinking and in propelling itself into an economically thriving machinery capable of absorbing wholesale labour, a critical agenda in a post-apartheid South Africa.

But perhaps by way of explanation, it is important to note that even though the document speaks to both sectors of Arts and Sports, the EFF firmly believes that while there are commonalities in how they affect society, they must technically be seen as separate cabinet sects.

2. The Status-Quo

The struggle for liberation in South Africa has travelled hand-in-glove with movements in the arts and culture sector. In a struggle in which the mindset and participation of the largess has been a critical ingredient, the arts became an easily logical medium to amass support for the liberation movement. Artists became the mouthpiece of the liberation struggle and in many ways, the catalysts of activism. As the struggle progressed, the arts moved along and mutated in tandem to find new and creative ways of propelling that struggle both within the confines of our border and beyond. The emergence of music forms and dance cultures like Kwela, Marabi, Cothoza Mfana, Mbube, Isicathamiya, The Sax Jive and many others were a direct result of the political ambience of their times. Socially critical artists of the time, the likes of Joseph Makwela, Aaron Jack Lerole, Michael Xaba, Marks Mankwane and later editions like Hugh Masekela, Mahlathini, Mirriam Makeba and Abdullah Ibrahim became the mouthpiece of a brewing struggle against apartheid and some continued to be so well into the 80s and 90's. Sports also took a stance as an expression for the people's will to see a society in which people can participate free of discrimination and intimidation in all cultural and sporting life of their birth-country.

The several bannings of South Africa in different international sporting codes respectively in 1957, 1964 and 1977 were part of this movement. Protest theatre then took over in the 80s as a platform of the liberation struggle. Plays like Township Boy, Sophiatown and Woza Albert became the icons of the struggle of the time. Names like, Gibson Kente, Maishe Maponya, Percy Mtwa and Winston Ntshona became synonymous with a cultural movement that seeked to critique our socio-politics. These are all people and movements that have helped shape the country moving into the socio-political agenda of a negotiated post-1994 South Africa. Many of the names mentioned above still reign supreme in their respective cultural and sporting codes.

It is in this post-94 era that the Fanonian/Animal Farm post-liberation phenomenon found foothold and politics relinquished its partnership with Arts and Culture. As the politics began to shift from left to centre and from center to right-wing, so did the cultural and sporting life of our country. The correct analysis is that the liberation movement increasingly found itself faced with balancing finances and what they called ‘critical election deliverables'. Infrastructure, sanitation, schools, healthcare centres and roads fell squarely within this description as sports, arts and culture slowly fell to the periphery. It did not help that the sector found it difficult to organize and professionalize itself early enough to stabilize in tandem with other sectors.

The liberation movement began to see especially arts and culture as non-essential and it rapidly became a nuisance department to which they relegated ministers they knew not what to do with. The department of Arts and Culture has deteriorated since into an arts desk solely responsible for events, and because its stewards are usually of the mindset that Arts and Culture is non-essential, activities of the Department have been populated with non-core business such renaming of streets and building libraries, activities which really belong to the Spatial Planning sector with Arts and Culture in an advisary and consultative role. Arts and Culture is not regulated properly, not professionalized and its largest cake is still in the hands of the white minority 20yrs post 1994. But its biggest challenge is that it has become a socially dormant sector whose political role is to endorse and rubber-stamp the policies and wishes of the ruling party.

3. What is to be done : Broad Policy recommendations

4. Who owns Culture and Sports

The revolutionary movement cannot lose its class perspective in its analysis of socio-political currents prevailing in the country. To do so would deprive stratagems of critical tools of analysis, tools by which all liberations are rooted and equipped to propel the lives of ordinary people for which they fight. And this is our point of departure in critically analyzing the status quo of sports, arts and culture in South Africa.

The debates about what art and culture should be are still as relevant as in György Lukács' analysis of Marxist Aesthetics in which he contends that socialist realism is the most relevant form of cultural and literary expression in a revolutionary agenda. If we assert that the revolutionary agenda in South Africa is not complete, then this, in line and coupled with Fanon's own insertion that culture in an oppressive society is inherently controlled by the dominant class, presents the country's arts and culture with an interesting problem which is perhaps best expressed by Ngugi wa Thiong'o:

"Our lives are a battlefield on which is fought a continuous war between the forces that are pledged to confirm our humanity and those determined to dismantle it; those who strive to build a protective wall around it, and those who wish to pull it down; those who seek to mould it and those committed to breaking it up; those who aim to open our eyes, to make us see the light and look to tomorrow [...] and those who wish to lull us into closing our eyes"

The new elite, the ‘dominant class' in the form of the former liberation movement, assimilating their former masters, have fashioned in defence of their policies and lifestyle, a new arts and sports sector molded around the neoliberal ‘celebritist' culture.

This sector exalts and elevates a few conformists, encourages rhetoric in praise of the status quo and is often centralized for control purposes. This sector revolves around a few institutions, which are often controlled by the new elite and their monopoly capital masters. It advocates a work ethic that says: Stick with us, and you will be alright. Much like their internal politics, it sidelines and banishes those who question and criticize. It survives on scare tactics and punishing dissent.

And so the survivalist artist and sportsman in this new regime is a fearful conformist. While their work is often only appreciated when the new elite need them to endorse their lifestyles, the artist remains without work, but loyalist nonetheless. The means to create the work for artists remains in the hands of government and white monopoly capital. It is dispensed in exchange for loyalty. And herein lies the answer to the question: What is to be done?

The sectors must be decentralized and put back in the hands of the people. It must be encouraged to grow into a self-sustaining and job creating sector that can absorb the job market. And it must do what art and culture do, critique society and act as a mirror without fear or favor. Practical steps are as follows

5. Grow and Protect the Industry

What stifles Arts and Culture in South Africa are five things

a) Lack of adequate support and resources

b) Lack of organisation

c) Lack of a market

d) Inability for the sector to produce market relevant products

e) Lack of protection from foreign markets

There is no Arts and Culture sector in the world that has successfully thrived internally and penetrated world markets without the support of the state. This excludes highly populated countries such as China, India, the US, Nigeria etc. South Africa is a 51mil population country with a 26% unemployment rate and an unskilled low-wage working percentage in the majority. Unfortunately, much like in the rest of Africa, Arts and Culture is seen as an unskilled sector with only ad hoc potential. Sadly, this is the foundation on which seemingly successful industries such as Nollywood were based: a large industry of unskilled and underpaid workers with a huge market. Still the figures are staggering.

Nigeria produces 872 official films a year and that number climbs to 2000-2500 if one adds the low-budget amateur films produced a year. Even though South Africa has the capacity to produce at least 100 films a year, it only manages to output 25 in the market, far less than 0,8 of the Nigerian output. Yet the country has the expertise and the capacity that Nigeria lacks. It is also staggering that when the Nigerian GDP pulled in the film and music along with other sectors as contributors, it spiked the economy by more than 2%. Nigeria now realizes the value of their film and television industry and have now pledged to put more resources in its direction.

A country that has seen the value of increasing the volumes of film production and increasing the market outside its borders is Australia. In the last 10yrs they have increased their output by more than 20% and strengthened markets outside of their borders. That industry today has enjoyed a more than 60% growth since and is rated as one of the best in the world today.

South Africa has SADC as an immediate target market. Instead of tightening control over coverage spilling into neighboring countries, broadcasters such as MNet and SABC must fight to be more accessible. South Africa should be strengthening bilateral agreements with neighboring countries like Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Instead South Africa has co-production agreements in Europe and the Americas.

The idea is simple: Create a market in the region then together tackle the international market. South Africa must encourage a significant increase in production of Arts and Culture products and it can only do that if it can create a viable market for itself through effective:

Local content and locally produced products

Policy on foreign investment

Local history and icons elevated around the world

Eight practical steps can be taken to achieve not only a more egalitarian Arts and Culture economy that is free of bureaucratic control, but one that is responsive of existing socio-political currents. These are:

1) Decentralizing the sector

2) Empowering Artists and Sportsmen

3) Providing financial services to the sector

4) Transforming monuments of heritage

5) Shifting towards a more indigenous culture through language

6) Creating and strengthening the Labour Movement

7) Developing the underground sector

8) Creating a parallel resistant industry

6. Decentralizing the Sector

In its current state, the arts and culture sector is based in two primary centers from which most of the broadcasting happens. Community Radio stations have to a certain extent managed to balance the numbers out slightly, but the stringiest laws around Community TV stations have made it inaccessible and therefore a few have sprung up in already metropolized cities. The laws must be relaxed and allow for a more spread out industry. Movie houses and theatre facilities must also be more accessible. All this will help to:

i. Facilitate more efficient dissemination of information

ii. Ensure TV coverage of all the languages and cultures around the country

iii. Allow the people to have a voice.

iv. Facilitate local content at local government level

v. Encourage local industries

This principle of decentralization applies to all disciplines of the Arts and Culture sector. The EFF strongly advocates creating new cities and business hubs across the length and breadth of the country. Cities rely on industry and the ability to market themselves. Arts, culture and sports play a critical role in the latter. Great cities of the world market themselves through major sports teams. In the current dispensation, post-apartheid South Africa simply assimilated the principles of Apartheid and maintained the status quo.

Hence today sports is still struggling to transform and arts and culture still only find expression in two major centers, Johannesburg and Cape Town. As we grow more cities, so must sport and culture hubs spread. The Recreation centers must be encouraged in townships where interested parties can learn and practice their art in a conducive environment.

7. Empowering Artists and Sportsmen

a) Throughout the world, artists and sportsmen are known to be in highly insecure and inconsistent jobs. This characterization has resulted in many leaving their professions for more stable jobs, leaving their industries run by charlatans and the country deprived of quality. It is in this context that countries like England and Russia have created laws that protect the livelihood of artists even in tough times. In these countries, Artists are provided cheap accommodation run by the state and they exempted from harsh taxation. UIF plays a strong role in keeping them going in addition to a basic stipend. EFF believes this is possible in South Africa and we demonstrate how this can be funded in all our official documents.

b) Practitioners in the Sports and Arts sectors are not protected by labour laws in South Africa. This is largely because they are viewed as ‘independent contractors' yet on the ground they practice as ‘employees'. Again this is a practice that was simply assimilated from the apartheid era without proper scrutiny. We believe practitioners in the Sports and Arts sectors deserve decent jobs and decent working conditions. For this to happen, they must be properly placed within the rights of all workers. This will also address issues of abuse of women and children and unfair dismissals.

c) It is also evident that the industries have largely not been transformed. Except for soccer, Sports and Arts are still in the hands of the white minority. This hampers skilling and proper empowerment of the majority in the country. Empowerment must happen under the strict watch of the state to ensure a more leveled playing field.

7. Providing Financial Services to the Sectors

Amongst some of the hardships the sector faces is lack of industry and practitioner financial support. The capitalist banking system views the industry and its practitioners as risks and therefore hardly ever supports them even for basic services including housing, car finance and basic banking services. A nationalized banking system would address the issue by creating special banking codes for these industries and insuring their survival or creating a special bank for all similar industries.

Financing in Arts and Sports industries is also sporadic and haphazard. Institutions like the IDC and NEF still rely on foreign models like Hollywood to determine local funding models. They even rely on foreign formulae for what makes a good project, thus unintentionally Americanizing local product.

o Transforming Monuments of Heritage

Monuments and other national icons must reflect a new dispensation. EFF rejects monuments of apartheid in key public areas including the inclusion of Die Stem in the National Anthem. These icons only assist in endorsing a dominant, aggressive and oppressive culture of the apartheid era which the new elite has assimilated.

New monuments that reflect a new era of ideology and independence must be encouraged to forge a progressive nation rid of old adages and customs. A new South Africa must tell a new story reflective of its aspiration for a new free society. New monuments of indigenous African heroes and those who fought for the dignity of Africa in general must be erected.

Architecture must also reflect this new society. It is at best astonishing that the Simon Van Der Stel building is still the benchmark for iconic architecture in a new South Africa. South African architecture must tell the story of an African country embedded in the history of the continental struggles. Government must forge this new culture of design.

Although we believe that street names and city names must also be changed radically to reflect a new South Africa that rejects its colonial past. Although government has spearheaded this program, we believe not enough us being done at a satisfactory pace. We must also clarify that the role of the Department of arts and culture in this transformation of iconic heritage monuments must be a consultative one. The job of actually naming places and building things must remain with Spatial Planning and Human Settlements in ‘consultation' with Arts and Culture.

Shifting towards a more indigenous culture through language

It is the view of EFF that the Khoi and San languages must be elevated to official status.

Fanon speaks clearly of language and how it affects culture and the national conscience and outlook. It is therefore our view that all languages must be given equal status in public spaces. Currently only Afrikaans and English enjoy prominence in Airports, Hospitals and other public spaces including institutions of learning. Indigenous African languages must be taught as first languages in all schools and English and Afrikaans as secondary technical supports. This is the practice in many progressive countries and it has in no way disadvantaged the populace of those countries.

South Africa must also forge ahead with creating an indigenous technical language for science and other technical subjects. A unitary language that is sensitive to all the official languages of the country.

Perhaps in tandem with how Tsotsitaal is a language that is universal within the borders of the country across all language barriers.

All languages must be given equal representation in all media

Creating and strengthening the Labour Movement

One of the crippling factors in both sports and the arts is the lack of organized labour unions. This vacuum is the catalyst for the wholesale exploitation that occurs in these sectors. The current government is satisfied with the status quo as it takes away the problem of dealing with these non-essential sectors through legislation.

It is in the interest of EFF to assist these sectors to organize themselves into formidable labour movements outside of the current labour structures who have shown little to no interest in developing a coherent labour voice for them. An effective union would formalize relations with government and the sector. It would also underpin the development of a conscientised artist, which the sector is in dire need of in general.

A legislated state-monitored regulatory body must be created to monitor and regulate the industries on labour and policy issues. This body will also professionalize the industry thus making it easier to manage. At present...

It is not even clear how many people these industries employ and how many more they can absorb

It is near-impossible to develop financial services as there is no credible database

Exploitation happens unchecked as there are no governing rules

The establishment of such a body would bring the industries under close scrutiny and render all parties answerable. Transformation would be closely monitored and measured.

Developing the Underground Sector

Kwaito and Hip-Hop have become an industry to be reckoned with. These genres have created a market for themselves amongst the youth and seen many artists in the job market. This industry must be encouraged and developed. The DJ industry is also employing youth in an informal that is employing hundreds of youth and whose career can be assisted and encouraged.

Creating a Parallel Resistant Industry

EFF must take a stance that if the existing industry resists transformation, a new and parallel industry must be forged, one that is in tandem with our national self-determination and protection. Such an industry would require

Industry-Specific Policy Recommendations

Arts and Culture

13.1 Fine Arts

a) Fine Arts must be introduced at school from elementary level

b) Fine Arts including the underground graffiti movement must be supported and encouraged to play a meaningful role

c) There must be a National Fine Arts Agency which supports all artists equally both here and abroad.

d) Galleries of works by South African artists must not only be based in CBDs, but also in townships to raise awareness of the Arts in general

e) Exceptional Fine Artists must be supported and elevated to international status

f) Recreational centers must be erected and fine arts taught informally with state support

g) Fine Artists must receive a grant from the state either through UIF or state grant for a period of time where the Artist is registered and verified as a professional

13.2 Film and Television

a) Film and television must be introduced as part of Arts and Culture studies at high school level

b) Community Television stations must be introduced especially in remote areas and supported

c) Every province must have Film and television production studios well-equipped and managed for the benefit of the people, the province and the industry at large

d) Film and television studies must be part of free education up to tertiary level

e) The culture of celebrityism must be reviewed and structured to the benefit of all, not in the notion of individual iconism as is being perpetuated by the current neo-liberal culture in place

f) Facilities such as cinema houses must be built in affluent townships and alternatives must be found in less fortunate communities. Access is key

g) The state must take an active role in ensuring that the industry is more equitable and does not remain in the hands of the white minority

h) The State must fund productions of works about the history and heritage of our people and market it internationally while keeping them nationally as archives and educational tools.

i) Film and television must also be seen as extended tools of education and information dissemination

Theatre and Dance

a) Theatrical studies and dance must be introduced in school and supported up to tertiary level through the EFF free education system

b) Theatres must be built in affluent townships and alternatives must be found in less affluent communities

c) Theatre and Dance must be professionalized and regulated to allow better monitoring and management

d) Theatre must be supported financially under the same umbrella of television and film

e) Theatre must be supported as one of the key drivers in social cohesion and local artists must drive the cause in conjunction with communities and social stakeholders

Music

a) Music must be introduced as part of the curriculum at high school up to tertiary level

b) Music education must be provided for free to interested parties even in the townships in the recreation centers mentioned earlier in this document

c) Local content must be enforced by law and ICASA to protect and forge the local industry

d) Musicians must be protected by law where applicable under the Labour Act instead of the blanket rule used under the current conditions

e) Piracy must be monitored and criminalized and a culture of promoting and supporting local music must be encouraged

f) Needle Time and other copyright and labour issues must be handled under one regulatory organization which is answerable to the state.

g) Exceptional musicians must be supported and promoted internationally

h) Musicians must be supported and promoted by the banking system in South Africa through various banking services

i) All forms of music and their cultures must be supported and brought into mainstream including traditional music, underground music such as DJ Hip-Hop and House.

Digital Arts

a) South Africa must be in the forefront of the digital arts in Africa

b) A distinctly African Search Engine with focus on the continent must be created

c) An African social media platform must be created in correlation with other African countries

d) South Africa must lead the Education through ICT drive and digital artists and technicians must be encouraged and supported to lead this program

e) The digital Arts community must be organized under one roof and professionalized

f) An African Gaming industry must be created and supported

Architecture and Landmark Names

a) As mentioned earlier in this document, Architecture, street and town names form an integral part of transforming culture in a new South Africa. It must reiterated that this task must be performed by the Department of Arts and Culture but only in an advisory capacity. Town Planners and Human Settlements must implement. These are the aspirations of EFF in a new revolutionary South Africa

b) Architecture, especially of important landmarks must be reflective of the aspirations of a new South Africa and be distinctly African in character

c) All major towns must be named after indigenous icons and reflect an African character

d) 70% percent of streets throughout SA must be renamed and reflect an African character

e) It must be legislation that private estates and company buildings must be named in a manner that reflects an Africanness and a new democracy. Purely European names that have nothing to do with South Africa's present reality must be rejected

Sports and Recreation

Recreation

a) Recreation centers must be created in every township and these must be equally accessible to all

b) Recreation centers must be a hub of activity with Sports and Culture activities available for community consumption

c) Recreation must be available to communities across the economic spectrum across all colour lines

Sports

a) All available sporting codes must be introduced in school starting from elementary level

b) Sports must be compulsory to all students until the age of twelve at which they can then decide whether they want to continue or not

c) All sporting codes must be available to physically challenged individuals from elementary school all the way up to tertiary education

d) Sports theory must be taught to children at high school

e) Emphasis must be put on water sports and all other previously unavailable sports to the township market

f) Transformation in all national sporting codes must now be driven by government and not left up to sports organizations' discretion

g) National teams must all be transformed racially and otherwise to compete internationally

h) There must be one legislated body to which all professional sportsmen belong which regulates the industry. This body will determine local agents' fees, regulate taxation and UIF for all sportsmen and women and professionalize the trade from early age.

i) Adventurous sports (i.e. biking, quad biking, canoeing etc.) must also be developed in all previously disadvantaged communities

In essence, a transformed sporting sector will revive an otherwise potentially active section of the unemployed populace and give the nation a new lease and zest to perform. This can only happen if the sector leads by example and proves to previously disadvantaged individuals that they too can perform well in other sports. Options must be available to all communities across the class, geographical and color lines

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear that the Arts and Sports sectors can be major job drivers if properly channeled. It is an area that has the capacity to liberate a nation in its own right. Where Frantz Fanon correctly observes "The area of culture is then marked off by fences and signposts", this document seeks to remove the fences and signposts placed by colonial and neo-liberal elites around the culture of the oppressed. It seeks to decentralize the power of culture from the grip of the incumbent right wing forces and place it back in the hands of the disenfranchised masses.

It is only when culture and recreation are back in the hands of the masses that real change can find expression in the lives of ordinary people in their daily activities. It is only when the people are in control of their ordinary thoughts which are largely manipulated by their cultural convictions and practices, that they can successfully incorporate their revolutionary beliefs and experiences into their daily activities and make the revolution their way of life. Oppressors throughout history have understood this simple fact, thus they have historically understood the importance of putting fences and signposts around the cultures of the oppressed.

Issued by the EFF, October 27 2014

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