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I will be inviting the leadership of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CTO) and the Provincial Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport to engage the Western Cape Standing Committee on Cultural Affairs and Sport in order to give their inputs on Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s proposal to form a national orchestra.

Minister Mthethwa proposal would see musicians and personnel recruited from regional orchestras to form a new body which would have no clear purpose, and will cost R30 million in its first year alone. The minister’s proposal not only represents a colossal waste of state resources,  but will also have a profoundly detrimental effect on regional orchestras. This impact will go far beyond music: the CTO runs a host of community and youth development programs which provide skills training and opportunities for young musicians to gain vital experience. As such, it is vital that organisations such as the CTO are not adversely affected by Minister Mthethwa’s new brainchild.

I believe it is of vital importance that the legislature understands the impact Minister Mthethwa’s proposal will have on existing structures within our own province. I hope that this invitation will give CTO and the Provincial Department a platform to explain the impact this proposal will have on local talents.

Issued by Gillion Bosman, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Cultural Affairs and Sport