Pretoria - The upcoming Social Cohesion Summit is not a reaction to the controversial portrait by Brett Murray titled The Spear - but is rather aimed at getting the country talking about pertinent socio-economic issues that affect people from all walks of life.
In an exclusive interview with BuaNews, the summit's project manager at the Department of Arts and Culture, Sandile Memela, said: "You know when you look into this summit, it is very easy for people to mistake it with the reaction of the Spear. It is not and that needs to be emphasized, because it will suggest that government is reactionary when it is actually a forward looking and visionary government."
However, he said the heightened emotions that came as a result of the painting could be seen as a potential threat to the country's social cohesion.
"It is a good thing that the Spear happened to awaken and sensitize us to the things that continue to haunt and keep us divided. There is no doubt that economic inequality and injustice is a measured threat to social cohesion."
The Spear, which depicted President Jacob Zuma in a denigrating manner, was part of Murray's Hail to the Thief II exhibition. It sparked national debate about the balance of constitutional rights to human dignity and freedom of artistic expression. The painting, which has since been sold to a German collector after it was defaced, was given a 16N rating by the Film and Publication Board.
Memela said there was no doubt that unemployment and poverty, a lack of education and skills, a lack of access to health and owning homes were all measured threats to social cohesion. "There are so many threats to social cohesion that we are all aware of which characterise themselves as a perpetuation of an unjust economic status quo," he said.
The Social Cohesion summit will take place on 4-5 July, at the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown, Soweto. The department is deliberately convening the summit at the birth place of the Freedom Charter, which is the basis of the democratic Constitution.
The summit is also an opportunity for South Africans to dialogue among one another about their shared values, their shared aspirations and their shared vision of a united South African nation.
Recently, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Minister Paul Mashatile said the summit was not a knee-jerk reaction to the debate around the Spear painting but had been a year in the planning. "If anything, the debate around The Spear came around the right time because it has awoken us that this dialogue is important."
The theme for the summit is "Creating a caring and proud society". President Jacob Zuma is expected to give a key note address and a declaration is expected at the end of the event.
About 1 000 delegates have been invited to the summit - including leaders of various political parties and trade unions, religious leaders, academics and artists and members of civil society - including those from womens' youth organisations and representatives from Parliament.
Delegates will be placed in focused groups to discuss various challenges to creating a united South Africa - from gender to under-employment.
They will also be asked to debate what can be done and is being done in South Africa to boost nation building and specifically, what practical measures and campaigns can be carried out to improve social cohesion.
The minister added that robust debate at the summit will be welcomed, but that those attending are encouraged to provide solutions to issues of social cohesion, rather than just complaints.
South Africa, like many African countries, emerged from an oppressive, divisive and colonial system which created a fragmented society. The country was divided by race, class, gender and other forms of segregation such as urban and rural settings.
The rural areas were characterised by conditions of severe poverty, poor living conditions, landlessness and lack of opportunities to improve the lives of the majority of the South African people.
