Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy Minister, hon Members of Parliament, all the Whips who are present this morning to grace this important gathering, sportsmen and women, fellow South Africans, ladies and gentlemen, and distinguished guests, this morning we addressed business people, civil society and our fellow citizens at our breakfast session at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The breakfast session was organised to engage business and other strategic partners in the delivery of sport as part of our dialogue to make a case for sport and recreation in South Africa.
Key to the breakfast session was the announcement of the 2012 National Sports Awards, to be hosted in November 2012. We are hosting these awards to honour the excellence continuously displayed by our sportsmen and women. We aim at making the 2012 South African Sports Awards bigger and better than in 2011 - "blistering", in fact! We do this fully convinced that our athletes deserve more recognition and appreciation in order for them to reach higher heights in sport and recreation.
We also do this to recognise the sacrifices made by both the hon Andrew Mlangeni and the late Minister of Sport and Recreation, Comrade Steve Tshwete, in the fight for a united, nonracial, nonsexist and democratic South Africa, as well as equality in sport and recreation. We do this, too, as part of a collage of equally significant awards in recognition of the talent of our athletes and to celebrate excellence, quality, and success in sport in all its facets.
Ladies and gentlemen, our mere material existence and quest for survival as the ultimate ambition is at times intercepted by forces beyond our control. We in the sport and recreation fraternity have in the recent past experienced tragedies and misfortunes visited upon us by the sad loss of several athletes and sports administrators. To all those heroes and heroines who once graced our sporting fields, stadiums, surfing waters, boardrooms and Parliament with their scintillating performances and mesmerising skills we collectively say, "Go well, comrades! Go well, fellow countrymen and women!"
We refer here to hon Sicelo Shiceka, Roy Padayachie, and Mama Florence Nyanda, as well as our sporting heroes like Zithulele Sinqe, who passed on in December 2011, the six rugby players from the Motherwell Rugby Club, David Lilienfeld from Cape Town, Braiber Ngozi of Port Elizabeth, and Sibusiso Duma from KwaZulu-Natal. To all of them we say, "Rest in peace."
Chairperson, this year is an exceptionally good year for South African golf. Our young golfing stars have enjoyed huge success on the European Tour, with Louis Oosthuizen winning the Africa Open and the Malaysian Open, and narrowly coming second in a play-off at the Masters Tournament. Jb Kruger showed that dynamite comes in small packages when he outclassed the field by winning the Avantha Masters. The new star of South African golf, Branden Grace, in his first year on the European Tour, has won the Jo'burg Open, the Volvo World Match Play Championship and the Volvo China Open. We must applaud and congratulate these ambassadors of South African sport.
Hon members, the department's total budget allocation for 2012-13 amounts to R848,4 million, with an increase of R45,7 million from the previous financial year.
R525 million is allocated to the Mass Participation Programme, which makes up 62% of the total budget. This is mainly due to the Mass Participation Programme Conditional Grant, with the focus of increasing participation in various sporting codes by supporting school sport, club development and hubs.
The school sport budget in SRSA has increased from R27,3 million in the last year to R42,6 million, and the department will place the emphasis on supporting the delivery of sport programmes to learners. It will also continue to empower educators in code specific coaching, technical officiating, team management and sport administration, with the focus on the 16 priority sporting codes.
The Sport Support Services Programme also received a significant increase, of R25 million, from R162 million to R187,3 million. This is mainly to support sports federations in sports development projects.
The budget of the International Liaison Directorate sees a decrease of R26,6 million, mainly due to the adjustment budget received in 2011-12 for value-added tax refunds on 2010 Fifa World Cup tickets.
Compensation of employees is slightly above the inflation increase, mainly due to additional staff in the school sport component. The budget increased from R79,9 million in 2011-12 to R91,9 million in 2012-13.
For the 2012-13 financial year, the department allocated R470 million to the Mass Participation Programme Conditional Grant, which has been allocated as follows: R211 million is allocated to school sport programmes, which makes up 45% of the grant, and club development and community hubs receive R106 million respectively, which makes 23% each. The remaining budget is allocated for the compensation of employees in provinces working on the MPP projects and the district academies of sport.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we accept the 2012-13 Budget allocations for Sport and Recreation from the national fiscus, we equally acknowledge the competing priorities of the country to which the developmental state should respond as a matter of urgency. We must also acknowledge the reality of the potential contribution of sport to social cohesion and nation-building, as well as to attracting indirect and direct foreign investment and to the economic regeneration in our communities, cities, regions and provinces.
The reality that sport is a tool to foster social stability, patriotism and increasing levels of health, social consciousness and inclusion has been widely realised by local and international leaders, both in sport and politics, and among academics and the intelligentsia. In this era of hope we must continue to popularise sport and recreation, until we realise our dream of South Africa's being a national sporting nation.
Hon members, last year, on the occasion of the Minister of Sport and Recreation's speech during the debate on Budget Vote 20 of the Ministry of Sport and Recreation South Africa, we announced a new vision for the Department of Sport and Recreation. Embedded in this new vision were five key strategic priorities, with a strong emphasis on transformation, school sport and mass participation in South Africa. That was to develop and unlock the potential grass-roots talent, nurture such talent and sport skills, and ultimately produce athletes with an international competitive edge.
We further announced our intention to organise Sport Awards in South Africa, which will be the first of their kind, to honour our sportsmen and women who have made an immense mark on the history of sport and recreation in South Africa.
We also announced our intention to host a National Sport and Recreation Indaba, NSRI, later that year, in November 2011, to allow all South Africans to give an input regarding the direction and life of sport and recreation in the Republic.
The NSRI was aimed at consolidating the values and virtues of our renewed vision for sport and recreation, as espoused by our overarching strategy, the Road Map to Optimal Performance and Functional Excellence.
I am pleased to inform the House that the indaba adopted the first ever National Sport and Recreation Plan, with the Transformation Charter and its stated scorecards. The Sport and Recreation Plan is the end product of a structured process of more than ten months of consultation and robust debates with diverse and representative sport and recreation stakeholders. The Deputy Minister will elaborate on the concrete steps taken regarding the indaba resolutions and implementation.
The Sport Plan seeks to reposition our functional efficiencies, accelerate service delivery, enhance organisational excellence and inject new performance energy, whilst at the same time capitalising on the renewed commitment by all our stakeholders in sport and recreation to transform and improve sport and recreation. Furthermore, it provides the basis for our 20- year strategy to reposition South Africa to use sport and recreation as catalysts for socioeconomic transformation and it makes the case for sport.
The National Sport and Recreation Plan will be an eight-year sustainable implementation plan for the Sport and Recreation Policy Framework, as captured in the White Paper on Sport and Recreation. Whilst it is envisaged that the White Paper will remain relevant until 2019, the National Sport and Recreation Plan will be closely monitored annually to identify any hindrances which may negatively impact on implementation, and will be reviewed in its totality in 2020.
It is important to note that the National Sport and Recreation Plan has further been adopted by Cabinet as an integral part of the programme of government. It is also currently being costed to ensure its successful implementation. For the very first time we have a concrete and integrated plan that will deal holistically with sport and recreation development in South Africa.
Once costed and implemented, the Sport and Recreation Plan will give South Africa a clear indication of how many jobs the Sport Plan will create to fight unemployment in our country, whilst at the same time providing the country with all the strategic elements of the plan, which will assist the nation in the fight against poverty.
For example, through the roll-out of the infrastructure development plan announced by the President in his state of the nation address, Sport and Recreation South Africa, together with the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Recreation, should provide the Ministry with a concrete plan to roll out the construction of recreation facilities in South Africa and its maintenance plan for a two to eight-year tenure. It is the strategic and bold decisions that a country takes that ensure multiple effects on that society and its future. Australia, for example, decided more than 20 years ago that it would invest in sport and recreation as a means to effect socioeconomic development and position itself as a major sporting nation. It would be incorrect to mention investment in monetary terms, as Australia is a developed country and mature market. However, the results of the bold decisions it took then are evident for all to see. Today its athletes in different codes, such as athletics, swimming, cricket and rugby, are performing well, and Australia hosts some of the most prestigious sporting events in the world, such as a major tennis championship and a Formula 1 race.
South Africa today is faced with similar challenges to those that Australia faced 20 years ago. We believe we need to plan for the next 20 years, and focus on school sport if we want to drastically change the status quo on the sporting landscape.
John McKnight and Peter Block, in their book entitled The Abundant Community, suggest that, and I quote:
Communities (and institutions of learning) are abundant with the resources we need for the future; and this is necessity, not luxury.
In this narration there is a suggestion that: It takes a village to raise a child and in an increasingly commercial world children are often surrounded by cell phones, big brands and institutions. Young people today are much less socially connected than their grandparents were, with the result that in both poor and well-off communities gangs, mall-centred children and negative behaviour are growing. In communities with strong connections both child development and school performance improve.
Hence the School Sport Programme has been identified by our department as a priority area for delivery in the 2012-13 financial year. This programme is the bedrock of our Sport Development Strategy and the cornerstone of the National Sport Plan going forward. The aim is to ensure that all learners in South Africa are provided with access to an organised and structured system of sport that offers opportunity for mass participation, talent support and high performance.
The ultimate goal in increasing access to school sport is to increase the athlete base in the country, thus improving the talent pool and improving South Africa's performance internationally. This is one of the ways in which we will deal with the problem of transformation.
To achieve this, the starting point is with learners in schools. The South African Schools Act guarantees all learners access to physical education and sport programmes. In supporting this ideal, SRSA and the Department of Basic Education signed a memorandum of understanding for the delivery of physical education and sport programmes in all schools in our country.
The roll-out plan of the School Sport Programme is underpinned by the following three critical components: physical education, top school leagues and youth Olympics.
Chairperson, it is pleasing to announce that we have already completed the process of registration of the schools that wish to participate in the School Sport Programme, especially in the national school sport leagues, which will culminate in the national top schools' final championship in December 2012. Thus far we have managed to register 11 000 out of 27 000 schools for participation in the 2012 school sport leagues and competition.
Hon members, 28 March 2012 marked the official kickoff, at Vlakfontein Secondary School in Mamelodi, Gauteng Province, of the school sport leagues and Magnificent Wednesdays. The direct implication of this is that every Wednesday all schools in South Africa will be expected to practise sport. Learners should be out on the sports fields, practising sport and preparing for competition in the national sport leagues.
With the roll-out of the School Sport Programme in 2012, sport personnel and experience are required across the country in order to make the School Sport Programme a success. In this regard, on 13 February 2012 the Ministry of Sport and Recreation launched a National Sports Volunteer Corps in order to recognise, recruit and utilise the experience, expertise and passion for sport, as well as the abundant reservoir of goodwill, among the sports legends towards the growth and development of the South African child. Hence, the legends will be utilised, among other things, as coaches, talent identifiers, technical officials, sport administrators, and sport and recreation facility managers.
We as government have invested enormous resources in our School Sport Programme. We are now finalising our engagement with the National Lottery Distribution Agency on Sport and Recreation in regard to their allocating R200 million to our School Sport Programme. I was informed shortly before this that our R200 million got the thumbs up from the Lottery yesterday. Thank you, Prof Nevhutanda!
For us to realise our objective of sport development at grass-roots level, SRSA had to come up with a funding framework that was based on the National Sport and Recreation Amendment Act, Act 18 of 2007. This framework was to contribute systematic provision and capacity building for coaches, administrators, athletes, and technical officials in the South African sport system, in order to revitalise sport in schools and contribute to long-term participation development. If we want to realise these objectives over a period of 20 years, the country should at present invest more in sport and recreation.
In this financial year we are going to harness all resources in support of the National Sport and Recreation Plan. As a department we have realised that we have not successfully implemented the sport development continuum, which will ensure a well co-ordinated and seamless development of athletes from talent identification to the elite levels.
For this purpose, as from this year, funding to national federations will be divided into two tiers, which are: guaranteed and conditional. The conditional funding will be outcome-based. The measurement will be as per the transformation scorecard outlined in the SRSA National Sport and Recreation Plan, as well as good corporate governance and value for money.
We have instructed all national federations to submit bids with programmes and projects that address school and tertiary participation, as well as demonstrate effectiveness and sustainability. All these programmes must demonstrate improvement of the national federations' intended progression in regard to their ranking in Africa and the world.
From this year we are committing ourselves to a four-year funding drive for all these programmes and projects, in order to reach our stated goals of Vision 2020. This will ensure that in the upcoming years South Africa will be a really active and winning sporting nation, which has a people living healthy lifestyles and participating en masse in international sporting competitions.
We will also adhere to the quota system, as agreed on by the National Sport and Recreation Indaba, using a developmental approach contained in the revised Transformation Charter. This will be difficult, and cannot happen if South Africa has a skewed distribution of sport and recreation facilities, and there is a disjuncture between national, provincial and local governments.
SRSA, together with the South African Local Government Association and the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, are, in response to the Sport and Recreation Indaba resolutions, hard at work organising the first ever Municipal Conference on Sport and Recreation from 28 to 29 May 2012.
This conference will provide an opportunity for SRSA to present the National Sport and Recreation Plan to all the municipalities of the Republic of South Africa. The conference is aimed at resolving on measures to address the issues of funding of sport facilities, access to sport and recreation facilities, norms and standards of sport and recreation facilities and municipal games, and the pathways of teams and athletes that participate in these games.
The National Sport Plan identified development as a basic building block for transformation in sport, including school sport, access to facilities, training, coaching and equipment. Success in sport in South Africa, particularly school sport, is dependent on access to sport and recreation facilities. There is no question that for our plan to work, it must be supported by a variety of facilities in both urban and rural areas. That is why the provision of accessible community sport and recreation facilities is one of the key pillars of the National Sport and Recreation Plan, and is a critical matter to be addressed by this conference.
With the current shortage of facilities, SRSA has identified the hub system as one of the systems that can, in the interim, deal with the shortage of sport and recreation facilities. Sport and Recreation South Africa has revised the concept of hubs, from being any identified geographical area within a 5 km radius in a community, to being a local sport infrastructure, integrating the local municipality, clubs, community structure and sports councils. This will condense the hubs to being a structured physical participation centre, support centre, advice and information centre, and administration block. Sport and recreation facilities, together with structured sport development programmes, will provide South Africa with a solid base to become an active and winning nation.
As President Jacob Zuma concluded in his state of the nation address of 2012, and I quote:
We must perform better in sports ... And set higher standards in the coming years.
Our star performer, Oscar Pistorius, has set the standard for the year by winning the 2012 Laureus Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award.
Chairperson, this is indeed an age of hope. I know that this year we have set the bar for our qualification standards higher than in previous years, to ensure that the team we send to London is a quality team that can bring more medals back to South Africa than was the case in Beijing 2008. We have done this to instil a culture of our being a winning nation.
It is major sporting events, such as the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and many world cup tournaments, that allow a country and its athletes to assess the extent to which the collective and personal investment put into the respective codes achieves success or suffers failure. [Interjections.]
Hon Minister, you have one minute to conclude.
Yho! This year, 2012, marks the 20th anniversary of South Africa's readmittance into the family of the international sport community in general and the Olympics in particular. This year marks 20 years of the fighting sporting spirit and the sense of Olympism displayed by our men and women in sport battles internationally. Thank you very much!
Thank you, hon Minister. Before I recognise the next speaker, I just want to remind our visitors in the gallery that the taking of photos and recording of proceedings in the Chamber are not allowed. I request those who have done so to kindly erase them from their cell phones.
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, sporting family, guests, comrades and friends, thank you for allowing me to participate in this debate on Vote No 20 of the Department of Sport and Recreation. Colleagues, I rise on this occasion on behalf of the 100-year-old liberation movement, the ANC, in support of this Budget Vote allocation to the department.
As we know, sport is an indispensable and treasured social activity amongst humanity, dating back to the beginning of human civilisation. In South Africa sport has a particularly interesting history because of its intimate link with our struggle against apartheid. It is for this reason that we must celebrate our achievements in sport since South Africa's readmission to the international sporting family. In a very short space of time we managed to win the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and 2007, and the Confederation of African Football Cup of Nations in 1996, and successfully hosted the Cricket World Cup competition in 2003 and the Fifa World Cup competition in 2010, as well as scoring many commendable achievements in the Olympic codes.
All these achievements have gone a long way in uniting the nation behind the project of building a united, democratic, nonracial, nonsexist and prosperous society. Sport thus occupies a special place in the minds and hearts of all South Africans, not only as a form of recreation, but also as a core force for uniting our nation.
We are a sport-loving nation, something we share with other nations throughout the world. Sport is a common language spoken across racial divides and across class differences, shared by men and women alike, and enjoyed by all sectors in our society.
We have witnessed many changes taking place in Sport and Recreation over the past 18 years. Many of these changes have sought to elevate and transform sport from what it was under the apartheid era sport policy which prevailed before, to a transformatory, nonracial, integrated and co- ordinated sport policy.
Central to the National Sport and Recreation Plan is the Transformation Charter, which was formulated to bring about the establishment of a competitive and demographically representative sport system guided by a value set based on equal opportunity, fairness and just behaviour, equitable resource distribution, empowerment and affirmation.
The ANC has always recognised sport as the single biggest "healer" in a country that was torn apart by race and cultural differences. With the introduction of the Transformation Charter and Scorecard, it is anticipated that transformation will be better understood and effectively applied to all sports organisations.
This transformation process will hopefully see the establishment of a sport system focused on the principles of: human capital development; equitable resource distribution; elimination of all inequalities; increased access to participation opportunities; greater community involvement; empowerment; respect; fair and just behaviour; innovation; sustainable internationally competitive performance; and good governance.
It is envisaged that collectively these activities will provide citizens with opportunities to interact, to share a common purpose and to contribute to nation-building. Sport is recognised as a basic human right and it is an important contributor to the quality of life of all South Africans. It builds an active and inclusive citizenry.
As Adolf Ogi, a special adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, stated, "Sport can help overcome ignorance and discrimination and sow the seeds of integration and equality."
Whilst the government remains the custodian of sport and recreation in South Africa, and has the legislative powers to oversee the development and management of sport and recreation in our country, partnerships with key stakeholders and private sponsors are equally crucial. Commercial sponsorship is an essential source of funding for many sporting activities at the local, national and international levels. Without sponsorship, many sporting disciplines would face extreme difficulties. Through sponsorship the nation's sporting fraternity is nurtured and enhanced, and spectator choice is widened. Mobilisation of funds for sport is thus imperative in order to realise our development objectives.
We recognise that there are numerous challenges facing the development of sport in our country. Many townships, rural areas and rural schools have no playgrounds or sport fields. The committee is concerned that transformation and development are taking place at a very slow pace, and some sporting codes have all but collapsed. Indigenous sport is nonexistent in rural areas, and there appears to be a lack of talented players. Another issue that we want to emphasise is the cancer of corruption that has taken hold in some entities.
The ANC has set the following clear goals to attain by 2016, which is four years from now: citizens accessing sport and recreation activities; a transformed sport and recreation sector; our athletes' achieving international success; an integrated system of enablers supporting the delivery of sport and recreation; sport being used as a tool to support relevant government priorities; and an efficient and effective Sport and Recreation South Africa. We would like to inform the department, hon Minister, that we are going to hold them to these goals.
It is significant that we recognise the determination of the Department of Sport and Recreation to try to comply with all the constitutionally prescribed governance regulations. This view is stimulated by the way they have conducted themselves in the Auditor-General's opinion, both in financial performance and cash flows, where the year ended in accordance with the Departmental Financial Reporting Framework, prescribed by the National Treasury, and other legislative requirements.
On that note, our political obligation is to acknowledge and congratulate the department for the unqualified audit report. The portfolio committee is satisfied with such an effort towards compliance. However, this is not to say that there is no room for improvement, especially on matters raised as matters of emphasis by the Auditor-General.
We are mindful of the fact that the department is mainly a policy-making body on matters of sport and recreation. Equally important is the appreciation of the profound profiling of the department under your leadership, hon Minister. We think the profile of the department has been raised.
All of us, as Members of Parliament, are going to play a very important role by ensuring that we participate in all sporting activities! Here in Parliament, hon Lee, it is important that we do that as Members of Parliament, in order for us to remain very healthy. This will be by participating in different sporting activities. [Laughter.] We shouldn't lead a society in regard to sport if we ourselves are not participating in any sporting activities! It is, therefore, very important that all of us play this role!
Again on profiling, a case in point is the Cabinet approval of the National Sport and Recreation Plan this year.
Obviously there are other landmarks, such as the school sports revitalisation, and the promising organisational changes to the departmental structure which at face value do seem to be rational. The point that we want to emphasise, hon Minister, is that the changes that are taking place in your department should assist us to ensure that the department becomes the best department. There is no reason why we can't do that. We wouldn't argue that only the private sector is efficient and government is inefficient. It wouldn't be correct for us even to entertain that idea. We think the department must assist us to address the problem. Obviously, of course, this is within the limited resources allocated to the department.
The Sport Plan is a major milestone for the country, as it paves the way for South Africa for the first time to have a unified sports sector with all the role-players working towards the same objectives and sport transformation which will be addressed in a holistic way.
The committee also noted that the approval of the plan will result in the need to review the legal framework of the South African sport system, and for an improved institutional mechanism and a new funding model.
The portfolio committee notes that, central to the effort to mobilise our society and galvanise social cohesion, the Cabinet approved South Africa's hosting of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament and the 2014 African Nations Championship.
The above demonstrates the pure hard work done to normalise our country. However, in no way does it seek to suggest that all is well in our society with respect to transformation and integration. The point that we always raise is this: What is making it difficult to transform sport? If we all love sport, surely it shouldn't be difficult for all of us to transform it? Therefore, there is a bigger issue that needs to be addressed and we think that development must facilitate that. We are all sporting persons. We love sport, all sectors, but it can't transform sport. Therefore, there is a bigger problem that we should face and confront, and certainly, hon Minister and our leadership, we must defeat it, because we must transform sport in our country.
In the spirit of integrative thinking and common sense in uniting the people, we recognise a need to ensure that talent from Schools of Excellence is managed professionally to the benefit of the country. It is a very important point that we are making, Chair, because it can't be right that 100 people are taken to a School of Excellence but all of them end there - they don't progress. We think that that should be monitored and that we should be addressing this matter seriously, because it has a tendency to demoralise a large number of people.
Underpinning this endeavour will be a robust oversight function, monitoring to ensure that we do not lose track and that there are checks and balances, in trying to make a significant contribution to the future of our children. We will hold federations accountable, particularly regarding transformation, leadership, governance and sports development.
We think every federation that appears before the committee must be prepared to answer these questions, because they need to address some of the issues around transformation, leadership, governance and sport development - anything else is a sideshow. We are taking this view because we understand that there is difficulty and some organisational decisions require the ability to integrate diverse facts, ideas, issues and connections to solve problems sensitively.
We believe that we should take full advantage of new opportunities which the South African government provides, using them as a springboard to reignite nation building through the use of sport as an effective mechanism. Sport and recreation should be viewed as one of the pillars of the national democratic society we seek to build. All of us must view sport as a contribution to the national democratic society that we need to build.
Hon Chairperson, I think, without formalising my opinion on this one, that there is a need to place a premium on legislative amendments which I believe the department may want to consider in future in regard to strengthening our sport Act.
In that process there may be a need to persuade each other to consider the following: the insertion of a clause that will compel local authorities to have sport and recreation facilities or a sport desk in order to find ways to deal with the municipal infrastructure grant, MIG, funds; the persuasion of provincial sport councils and rugby unions to align their independent constitutions with the National Sport and Recreation Amendment Act, Act 18 of 2007; and, what is going to be critical, the insertion of a clause that specifically grants-provides the ministerial powers to oversee major sponsorship transactions to avoid wealth maximisation through sponsorship commission at the expense of broad sport development, and this must not be labelled as, or confused with, interference in sport.
All of us know what France is doing, hon Minister. The Minister there can intervene strategically and deal with the issue of sponsorship. France is a democratic country. I don't think it is a dictatorship! It is a democratic country. Therefore, as a result of that, Chair, I think we should be able to address this issue seriously. We hope all the sport federations will assist us to address some of these matters. It is a critical issue, Chair.
I am preparing to bring my speech to a close, hon Chairperson, as you are touching your microphone! [Laughter.] We wish to take this opportunity to wish the SA Olympic team well in the upcoming games in London, hoping that they will make the nation proud and bring back all the medals we expect, unlike before. We wish them well.
Hon Chairperson, I would like to express my thanks and deep gratitude to the Minister and Deputy Minister of the department for making themselves available to appear before the committee and share with us their strategic plan and strategic thinking in taking sport forward in our country. Thank you very much. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Chairperson, by their nature sport and recreation are about participation. They are also about the inclusion of South Africans in a variety of sporting codes. Sport and recreation are bringing communities together, highlighting the commonalities and, of course, bridging the cultural and ethnic divides.
They also provide a forum in which to learn skills such as discipline, confidence and leadership, and further teach principles such as tolerance, co-operation and respect. Sport also teaches the value of effort, and how to manage victory as well as defeat.
However, Chairperson, the lack of sporting facilities, coupled with corruption, has continued to hinder transformation.
There is a great outcry about local businesses not helping with sponsors, but it is merely because our federations need to get their act together. Hon Minister, the Olympic Games are just around the corner and the state of readiness of our teams cannot be determined only by their preparedness in regard to participation, but also by the way we rally behind them financially.
Hon Minister, the DA is very grateful for the work of the Princess of Monaco, who will host a two-week training camp for the South African swimming team in the build-up to the London Olympics, and has invited the swimming team to train in the principality in June. According to SRSA spokesperson, Godfrey Monei, Princess Charlene will provide facilities for the team, as well as meals and accommodation.
South African female boxers are also in line to be a part of history which will see women's boxing featuring for the first time in the Olympic Games in London in July. The trio are Thobile Khumalo, Anna du Plessis and Claudia Heijns.
Hon Minister, the issue of funding has once more reared its ugly head in South African sport, and this time it is the men's hockey team. The amaStokostoko, as they are casually known, pulled off an incredible win recently, defeating the host in a tense final in front of an ear- splittingly noisy crowd. The DA feels that we started funding our teams very late. In future, we need to start early in preparing for our teams.
Mogologolo a re ditlamelwana tsa pula di baakanngwa go sa le gale mme tlogatloga e tloga go sa le gale, modisa wa dikgomo o tswa natso. Go matshwanedi gore re nne re le malala a laotswe. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[We have to make hay while the sun shines because time and tide wait for no man. We should always be ready for action.] Hon Minister, why would the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, Sascoc, put so much pressure on athletes by promising to bring home 12 medals? This is not the route that needs to be taken to encourage athletes. As our own Blade Runner, Oscar Pistorius, has stated, athletes are already under pressure from themselves and their own expectations.
Regarding the over R80 million in allocations by government and the National Lotteries Board, there was a complaint by Sascoc that underfunding had led to the decline in South Africa's Olympic performances. South Africa's performance in Beijing was dismal, yielding only one medal. On this one we support the Minister's request to corporate South Africa to support and contribute to the Olympic effort.
What happened to the campaign to support local markets? The kit for our teams has come from China! Also, a foreign airline was almost used to transport our teams to London, just before the South African Airways, SAA, came in. Mr Chairman, the DA believes that our getting support from the local market will only be possible if we also support them. It will not help for us to point fingers, when we do not lead by example. None of us must forget that "local is lekker!" [``local is best!''] [Laughter.]
We would like to take our hats off to the men's hockey team, who have joined their female counterparts in successfully qualifying for the London Olympics. Many will not know what a remarkable achievement that is! It is a significant achievement, against all odds, and worth taking note of. [Applause.] In the world of professional sport, where money plays an almost determining role in one's success, it is nothing short of remarkable. Their success defies a history of sustained political interference and financial difficulty, often endured as a direct result of the state's poor administration.
Hon Minister, the DA appreciates some of the developments that are taking place in sport. But please, Minister, at this time, when teams need funding more than anything, was it appropriate for your department to spend R46 million on the South African Awards? This was 60% of the National Lottery Board's contribution of R73,8 million to support South Africa's participation in the London Olympics. So the amount comes against that backdrop. [Interjections.] [Laughter.]
School sport has actually come at the right time. We need to develop the children when they are still young. One of the challenges that we are facing as a nation is building facilities in the rural areas. We also have another challenge, that of instilling a spirit of patriotism in our youth, so that they know and understand that these facilities are meant for them and they need to guard them jealously, as they will help produce champions.
The other challenge that we are facing is that of drugs. I am appealing to everybody to please stand up and help in the fight against the drug lords.
Mogologolo a re: "... le dujwa le sa le metsi", e bile "tau e senang seboka, e siiwa ke none e tlhotsa". [Strike the iron while it is hot and unity is strength.]
Hon Minister, the Africa Cup of Nations, Afcon, will be costing municipalities or metros approximately R20 million just to host the teams, making it highly subsidised.
There is a racist incident that might need to be commented on during your response to this budget debate, Minister. I quote:
A 17-year-old Wagpos Horskool, Brits, pupil claims she was turned away from hockey trials in Rustenburg because she was black.
Rego Modise, a Grade 11 pupil at the North West school, said she persuaded her parents to drive her to Horskool Grenswag, for ``Bokkie Week'' trials after being given approval by her coach.
All seemed well when she was allowed to register after producing her birth certificate and paying a R30 fee. But everything changed when she and two white pupils later met coach Louis Koen, who inquired who had sent them.
Modise said yesterday: I told him I was sent by my coach. He then asked me: 'Didn't they tell you anything else? ' and I said no. Then he told me that ``Bokkie Week'' was for white kids only."
[Interjections.] I continue:
Neither Koen nor Wagpos principal Daan Neethling could be reached for comment yesterday. Modise said she felt "humiliated" because her coach had given her the go-ahead despite there being an apparent brief sent to schools.
The Rev Peter Stans, CEO of Afrikaner Volkseie Sport, the organisers of the ``Bokkie Week'', said Modise had "definitely" not been invited for trials.
"We work exclusively by invitation only," said Stans. He said the week was for "Afrikaner" children only.
But Modise's school has distanced itself from Koen's statement. Modise said: "I'm the only black girl in either our first and second teams. I only joined Wagpos last year, and I love playing hockey, even though I had never played it until I moved there."
Stans admitted no player of a different race had ever attended ``Bokkie Week'', saying: "We're not against anybody, we are [of Afrikaner descent]," he said.
The family yesterday said they were considering their options.
Asked how she thought the South African women's hockey team would do at the London Olympics, Modise said: "I'll be watching the Olympics. I know Australia will win, but I'm holding thumbs for RSA."
A me a kalo. Ke a leboga. [Legofi.] [I'll stop here. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Hon Chair, I wish to compliment the department on receiving an unqualified audit. However, the performance on three matters did not meet the requirements of the Auditor-General.
The department in prior years incurred unauthorised expenditure of R704 000. Furthermore, an amount of R3,4 million was incurred as irregular expenditure, of which R790 000 related to the prior year and R2,5 million to the current period. Also, R7,2 million was incurred as fruitless and wasteful expenditure in prior years. Such transgressions of the Public Finance Management Act, PFMA, and a very small funding allocation weaken the department's motivation for a larger budget. Minister, the department has a staggering 29% of posts that are unfilled. The focus on sport in South Africa is of such a nature that it can indeed be the motivating force for building national unity, social cohesion and economic prosperity. However, without its being appropriately resourced from a human capital perspective it will struggle to deliver on its mandate to transform sport in South Africa. Cope believes strongly that our budget allocation of R848,4 million is gross underfunding and that makes it difficult to fulfil the various mandates of the department.
The fact that neither the President in the state of nation address, the Minister of Finance in his budget speech in an Olympics year, nor the Minister in the Presidency in his deliberations regarding the National Planning Commission mentioned sport as a high priority, would suggest that the Executive appears to have placed sport way down the priority list.
Thankfully, we have a Minister who is energetic, decisive and hands-on. The fact that we have a new Sport Plan, with school sport as its core component, and a partnership with the Department of Education to promote sport in schools, which aims at promoting physical wellbeing, effective socialisation, greater participation and improving the health of our youth, is wholeheartedly endorsed by Cope, particularly as one in four youths is overweight or obese. The government must be held to account for omitting physical education and sport from the school curriculum for the past 17 odd years. Chair, in the support services category R187 million has been allocated. Part of this is for club development, education and scientific support for federations and nongovernmental organisations, NGOs.
Minister, I myself have witnessed at school, in sporting events and leagues, the difficulty that young players, particularly of colour, have in participating. The cost of playing kit, transport, etc, is a financial issue that needs to be recognised to ensure that all our children can participate. Transformation on the ground is being hindered by a lack of funds. I wish to compliment those volunteers, teachers and other sports administrators who fund these children, often out of their own pockets, and without recognition or thanks. Participation in school sport must be our main objective and the funds allocated in these areas need to be more focused. The question is, however, will the Sadtu-affiliated teachers play ball?
Minister, facilities in our poor, rural and some urban areas are totally inadequate. This issue is severely retarding our progress in transformation. Again, our budget merely allows for R8,6 million, a far cry from what is needed. That will not maintain facilities in one province, let alone the country.
In 1995, in response to a question asked in Parliament, the then Minister of Sport, the late Steve Tshwete, indicated that 1 000 sports grounds would be developed around the country, but due to a combination of a lack of political will and the absence of credible partnerships between government, business, federations and clubs, this target was never fulfilled.
We have excellent facilities at the top level, but virtually nothing at grass-roots level. Full transformation has not occurred for 18 years, because up until now there have not been fundamental changes on the ground, that is, school sport, facilities, funding and a coherent sports plan.
Government, and not only civil society and federations, needs to take responsibility for the lack of transformation. Government needs to transform its own thinking and policy directions, instead of only laying the blame at the door of federations and other sports bodies. They must deliver on the most fundamental needs of sport in our country.
Rugby is often accused of a lack of transformation and faces the brunt of this, but it is a federation with a real transformation plan and a record of success. Minister, you have witnessed the hurt of the Springbok players and management after the World Cup loss. They are true patriots and warrant support, as do all our sportswomen and men who wear our emblem and colours. Well done to rugby and cricket, both of whom are ranked in the top three in the world. Minister, we need to build partnerships. We are all in this together to make this work. This is the year of the Olympics. After our dismal performance at the last Olympics in Beijing, we are very hopeful that our medal count will improve substantially. Funding is again a major obstacle to our success, and the amount spent on preparing our athletes for this event - approximately R130 million from government and other sources - pales into insignificance when compared to other major sporting nations. Swimming, where we have our best chance of medals, has a very small budget and most of our swimmers are trained and coached in the USA to get to the Olympic standard. Cope would like to congratulate the men's hockey team for qualifying for the London Olympics in Japan recently, which was also achieved on a skeletal budget. We wish team South Africa every success.
As a member of Brics, a comparison with their sporting objectives will indicate how far we lag behind them. We should possibly develop a multilevel co-operation agreement with them, so that our athletes can benefit from this association, which will include team and athlete exchanges, coaching, and medical/scientific support.
Minister, Boxing South Africa is a disgrace. This body cannot function with the funding it receives, which in the past year amounted to R5 million, when their budget was R9 million. Government is setting Boxing South Africa up for failure and the bleeding will continue. A real solution is required and the continual lack of political will will not solve the problem.
We would like to compliment the Minister on his decisive action on Cricket South Africa. Today we can see that a real clean up has begun, and that the Nicholson report can act as a blueprint for all sports federations going forward, particularly in the area of governance.
It is of concern to Cope that only 2% of school leavers go on to play organised sport. This is due to the factors that I have previously outlined. If we can increase this to 10%, then natural transformation will take place across our country.
Finally, I wish to share the story of Sibusiso Duma. He was a farmworker in the Howick area in KwaZulu-Natal. His employer encouraged him to ride horses and, upon seeing his natural ability, encouraged him to play polo. Sibusiso became an outstanding player, representing his country, and was called the new Lionel Messi of polo. He was tragically killed two weeks ago.
When people are given opportunities and facilities are made available, how many other Sibusiso Dumas will there be out there? This is the intriguing question we all need to answer by our future actions. I thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, sports and recreation is a vital, key component of any balanced, healthy and prosperous society. The departmental vision of creating "An Active and Winning Nation", with its primary and core focus the providing of opportunities for all South Africans to participate in sport, must be supported and commended.
The challenges, however, necessarily remain ones of budget - efficient roll- out, oversight, management, maintenance and upkeep. Our townships and rural communities are abound with raw talent. There are youngsters who, with the proper training and motivation, could easily compete amongst the world's best. What are we doing to identify and harness this talent pool?
Minister, we agree that school sport is very important, as that is where young men and women are moulded.
There has not been a visible improvement in sporting infrastructure or opportunities in the rural areas. For example, despite so many high profile events that we have hosted, the facilities and equipment available in these areas are still not up to standard.
Whilst we acknowledge the hard work that has been done and the dedication shown by sporting administrators in staging these events, we believe that they have ignored the social aspect. Their social upliftment programmes seem to be limited to short visits by sports teams to underprivileged areas. But this sometimes comes across as an exercise in public relations, since nothing much seems to happen when the cameras are turned off and the media disappear. This is clearly not enough. Partnerships and links with visiting teams, officials and organisations need to be built and maintained. When these events are over, the media attention subsides, and the masses leave our shores, the momentum created by these events must be maintained and used to develop sport in our country, especially in underprivileged areas.
These social implications must also be taken into consideration when deciding on rewarding people with bonuses. Bonuses that administrators and officials receive for successfully hosting an event should be linked to the respective event's success in promoting and assisting sport in the country, including at grass-roots level and in the disadvantaged areas. Hopefully this will serve as an incentive, and speed up the delivery of sporting infrastructure and equipment to rural areas.
We have shown that we have a world-class sporting infrastructure, as well as the expertise to host any event, and this has made our country a popular sporting destination. Some of the past events that we have successfully hosted include the Rugby, Cricket and Football World Cups. These events, and especially the 2010 Fifa World Cup, have raised the profile of our country. The department and the various sports administrators must be commended for this.
A South African national team remains a sporting ambassador, no matter which sport they play. They all deserve equal promotion, coverage and recognition from the department and our country regarding their achievements.
Our disabled sportsmen and women are a credit to the will of the South African people, and are representative of the will that has made this great country what it is today. We can all learn from the example they set and should support them in any way we can.
Transformation initiatives must be supported. Transformation begins with equal access to sporting facilities, and this is one of the single greatest challenges that the department faces today. Promoting sport, sporting events, raising awareness, and providing our youth with healthy alternatives to an idle lifestyle are what the core mandate of this department is. Let us therefore concentrate on making the greatest impact with the limited budget that we have available. The IFP supports the Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister and hon members, on behalf of the UDM I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Minister of Sport and Recreation for his sterling work since he took office. His bold leadership is helping to rid different sporting codes of corruption and maladministration. In fact, the Minister's actions have sent a strong message to everyone who is involved in sport administration that adherence to the principles of good governance is not negotiable.
For many years, sporting codes have used public funds without accounting for them. Even in incidents where sports administrators were found to have misappropriated funds, they were either redeployed or fired. They have never been made to face the consequences of their actions by either repaying the money or facing imprisonment. In this regard the different sporting codes should be compelled to develop tougher punitive measures for the people they appoint to positions of authority. We should make it standard practice for sports administrators to develop comprehensive development plans when they take office.
South Africa is renowned for its successful hosting of international sports events, but the nation is regrettably never kept abreast of the patterns of expenditure of the revenue generated from such events. This creates a loophole for administrators to spend the funds as they deem fit. The funds generated from these events should be spent on sports development, as my colleague, hon Lucas, has just said before me.
In addition, as a country we have not been able to co-ordinate the programmes of the Departments of Arts and Culture, Sport and Recreation, and Tourism in a way that promotes tourism. As the Minister has given the example of Australia, it is fitting for me too to make an example of Australia, where the three portfolios I have just mentioned work in tandem to promote tourism. We therefore need to conduct research on how the three departments can be used to promote tourism in South Africa. This will ensure that the hosting of international sports events does not just end up in one-off visits by our international guests, but in repeat business. The UDM supports the Budget Vote. Thank you, hon Chairperson. [Applause.]
Voorsitter, agb lede en Minister, soos u tereg weet, is Suid-Afrika 'n sportnasie, en ons is trots op ons sportmanne en -vroue wat vir niemand in die wreld terugstaan nie.
Sport kan mense saambind, maar soos enige iets anders kan die verpolitisering van sport ook intens verdelend van aard wees. Daarom is dit van kardinale belang dat u departement se werksaamhede kennis neem van die sensitiwiteite ingebed in sport. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Adv A D ALBERTS: Chairperson, hon members and Minister, as you well know, South Africa is a sporting nation, and we are very proud of our sportsmen and women who don't take a back seat to anyone in the world.
Sport can bind people together, but like anything else, the politicisation of sport can also be extremely divisive in nature. Therefore, it is of cardinal importance that your department is aware of the sensitivities entrenched in sport.]
It is therefore positive that the Minister is focusing more on development in sport, especially in schools, as opposed to the continuous intervention in current teams through quotas. Access to sport is best achieved through a combination of development and merit. This will ensure that opportunities are created without undermining the winning culture of our teams. Challenges remain though.
Een van die uitdagings is gekoppel aan 'n groter sistemiese probleem, naamlik die aanwending van ons belastinggeld. Dit is werklik vreemd dat soveel vrugtelose en vermorsde uitgawes deur die staat aangegaan word, terwyl sport in die algemeen, en ons Olimpiese span spesifiek, nie werklik die finansile ondersteuning wat hulle nodig het, van die staat ontvang nie.
Byvoorbeeld, ons atlete word gewaarsku dat nie almal Olimpiese Spele toe kan gaan nie weens beperkte fondse. Dit blyk dat die staat se prioriteite en verantwoordelikheid teenoor belasting - wat eintlik aan die burgers van Suid-Afrika behoort - moreel gebrekkig is en nuwe slagoffers skep deur, onder meer, geleenthede van sportmense weg te neem.
Die VF Plus is van plan om met Minister Gordhan in gesprek te tree, want die implikasies vir die wanaanwending van bestaande fondse het wye implikasies vir Suid-Afrika in geheel. Ons wil egter van Minister Mbalula weet hoe dit gebeur het dat sy departement nie begroot het om al ons beste sportmanne en -vroue na die Olimpiese Spele te stuur nie. Waarom is dit inderdaad nodig dat privaat borge gesoek word? (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[One of the challenges is linked to a bigger systemic problem, namely the spending of our tax money. It is really odd that so much fruitless and wasteful expenditure is incurred by the state, while sport in general, and our Olympic team in particular, is not getting the financial support they need from the state.
For example, our athletes are warned that not all of them can go to the Olympic Games because of limited funds. It seems that the state's priorities and responsibilities regarding tax - which actually belongs to the citizens of South Africa - is morally bankrupt and new victims are created, among others, by denying sportspeople opportunities.
The FF Plus intends to meet with Minister Gordhan because the implications of the misappropriation of existing funds have far-reaching implications for South Africa as a whole. We would, however, like to know from Minister Mbalula how it happened that his department did not budget to send all our best sportsmen and women to the Olympic Games. Why is it indeed necessary to search for private sponsors?]
Furthermore, as far as sport development is concerned, we would also like to draw your attention to another important aspect that is being overlooked. At various universities, students from minority groups have obtained degrees in sport and recreation or similar fields, and cannot find jobs in those fields. Does this not present an opportunity for the Department of Sport to employ these young people and send them out to develop new sport stars in the poor and rural areas? We have a database of such youngsters, and we are willing to talk to the Minister about making use of their talents to develop and foster new sportsmen and women.
Laastens wil ek graag die Minister aanmoedig om nie terug te deins indien sportliggame nog steeds klem bly l op kwotas in plaas van ontwikkeling nie. Hulle moet oortuig word dat sport en prestasie aan mekaar gekoppel is, en moet bydra tot die positiewe stigting van sportmanne en -vroue, hul ondersteuners en 'n land in geheel.
Indien ons verby die punt van 'n blote rasse-sensus in sport beweeg en op ontwikkeling fokus, sal ons vinnig nuwe sportsterre kweek wat vir ons met trots op die internasionale arena kan verteenwoordig, sonder om sosiale kohesie in gevaar te stel. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Lastly, I would like to encourage the Minister not to back away should it be the case that sports bodies are still placing emphasis on quotas rather than development. They have to be convinced that sport and performance are linked to each other, and have to contribute to the positive establishment of sportsmen and women, their supporters and a country in its entirety.
When we move beyond the point of a mere race-based census in sport and focus on development, we will quickly create new sports stars that will proudly represent us in the international arena, without endangering social cohesion.]
If we can meet these challenges, we as a country can take the road to victory. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, members of the executive committees in the nine provinces, members of this august House, comrades and distinguished guests, it is an honour and privilege for me to be afforded an opportunity to stand in this House to debate Budget Vote 20 of the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa, which was presented to the portfolio committee for consideration.
We listened with passion as the Strategic Plan 2012-16, and the Annual Performance Plan 2012-13 were presented. We noted the strategic overview offered by the Minister. It gives hope for the transformation of sport in South Africa in that it creates a platform for equal access and participation in all sporting codes, without any discrimination. To improve the quality of life of all South Africans, we draw this ultimate goal from the priorities of the department, with the core priority being transformation. This good intention of the department requires all South Africans to rally behind this noble goal, as a nation at work, if we are to be called a winning nation and a nation in diversity.
All relevant stakeholders with vested interests in sport and recreation need to redouble their efforts to make sport and recreation a priority. Keeping sight of this, we need to pay attention to the strength the department has to carry out its mandate. The Department of Sport and Recreation draws its legislative mandate from the National Sport and Recreation Amendment Act, Act 18 of 2007, which regulates the administration of sport and recreation, and the transformation of sport in South Africa.
Having viewed and listened to the strategic overview of the department, we want to share our confidence with the House that South Africa will realise the long-awaited and desired strategic outcome of being a winning nation, united in diversity.
However, as we stand here, our work is not to think ... [Inaudible.] ... as members of the ruling party, the ANC. There is room for improvement. When we look at the strategic documents, the annual report and quarterly reports ... [Inaudible.] ... 2012-16 ... [Inaudible.] ... which does not seem to be succeeding in the filling of vacancy rates. This is but one example, and it also does not give clear, measurable objectives when it comes to its annual performance plan. Being a public document, it should be easy for anyone who picks it up to see exactly what its objectives are, and to be in a position to see how they can be measured, who will be responsible and in what timeframes. We feel that we need to appeal to the Minister to look into that again.
While we appreciate the costing exercise and the new sources of funding which are presented in the strategic plan, the expenditure of those funds must be clear in the reports and be tied to the specific programmes and subprogrammes, so that we can measure our progress in relation to our broader intention of transforming society.
The commitment executed in the development of the National Sport and Recreation Plan, NSRP, the Transformation Charter and the Transformation Scorecard by delegates at the Sports Indaba in 2011, bears testimony to a nation en route to transformation.
We welcome such dedication, and we look forward to the implementation of the resolutions taken. We hope and believe that Sport and Recreation South Africa, as the custodian, will monitor this and give guidance through a well-structured system, which clearly spells out the strategic performance programmes developed in pursuance of the 2011 NSRP. Efficiency and effectiveness are key components for co-ordination. Roles, activities and timeframes should be according to the legislative mandate if we are to succeed.
We appreciate the move made by the department to make its own Swot analysis in their internal audit subcommittee. It gives hope that we are actually going to have value for public money, as we follow their strengths and opportunities. We appreciate the department's move to being proactive in making its own Swot analysis, that is, an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organisation, and coming up with a risk management tool. This monitoring tool will go a long way in addressing weaknesses cited in the 2011 annual report.
We agree with the observation of the department that effective implementation of the National Sport and Recreation Plan, NSRP, requires consideration, dedication and commitment from all human resources in the department if we are to succeed.
An organogramme, with the 210 funded posts, seemed inadequate when I was considering their documents. We welcome the restructuring as cited, to be finalised during the 2012-13 financial year.
However, we have critically noted the unfilled vacant post of the chief financial officer in Boxing South Africa. I think this is an observation by all of us. The Department of Sport and Recreation has an obligation to BSA and that is why it cannot watch boxing suffering in front of it.
Equally important is the fact that, of the 35 vacancies in the department, 28 have been identified in the administration programme, and this poses a challenge. We note this simply because expenditure on the compensation of employees increased from R37,3 million in 2008-09 to R56,1 million in 2012. Specifically for this programme the expenditure is expected to grow to R131,1 million in 2014.
Governing in the 21st century requires relevant tools such as technology. Utilisation of technology to manage all our athletes in a single centre is long overdue. The national, provincial and local levels of government should consider this approach of using technology in fighting any harmful aspects which pose a danger in all sports. For example, giving false names and ages of athletes is not a good thing and it is, in fact, perennial. I thank you. [Time expired.]. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister Mbalula and hon members, I congratulate the hon Sindane on a very good maiden speech.
Voorsitter, die ``Bokkie Week''. Kom ons praat 'n bietjie eers opor di week. In Afrikaans s ons, ``Bokkie Week'' is so uit soos apartheid. [Chairperson, the ``Bokkie Week''. Let us first talk a bit about this week. In Afrikaans we say, Bokkie Week is out as apartheid.]
What we need in this country is to join hands, which we will be doing as a Ministry, with the Premier of the North West province, and the MEC for sport there, to approach the Human Rights Commission to investigate that. More than that, we need society and every political party to stand up and say, ...
``Bokkie Week'' is so uit soos apartheid. [``Bokkie Week'' is as out as apartheid.]
It is wrong. We must say that. We must be vocal and we must not find fault with one another in the process! [Applause.]
I want, Chairperson, to echo the congratulations of Minister Mbalula to all our athletes and teams that have qualified for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We trust that our investment in the preparations, contrary to what the hon member of the FF Plus was saying, will really assist them to achieve the ultimate prize for any athlete, and that is a medal at the Olympic Games.
We have also heard Minister Mbalula refer to the National Sport and Recreation Indaba that we hosted last year. The indaba was the culmination of nine provincial izindaba and consultations with various stakeholders, ranging from business, sponsors, the media, the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee and the federations, to the public at large. In the process building up to the indaba we received more than 1 500 inputs that assisted us to finalise the discussion documents for the national indaba.
Now let me just say this. There is no doubt that our National Sport and Recreation Indaba was a great success, Minister, like all the things we do! [Applause.]
It really involved robust debates based on the documentation provided, and at the end we emerged with 75 resolutions that we had formulated and accepted. Overall consensus was reached on key issues, and finally we adopted the first ever master plan for sport in our country, underpinned by a declaration of intent to chart its implementation. In short, for the first time in history South Africa now has a National Sport and Recreation Plan, with unified objectives for all role-players, and with sport transformation addressed in a holistic way. As expressed in Vision 2020, the National Sport and Recreation Plan also outlines the expected outcomes and ideal future for a South African sport system, and our landscape here.
Chairperson, although the indaba itself has been concluded, there are a number of important matters arising to be dealt with. These are in essence a strategy dealing with a number of consequential matters that emanated from the indaba. Let me refer to some of them. They are: a review of the legal framework of the South African sport system; a revised role demarcation at macro level; to have all stakeholders' alignment of their strategic and business plans with the National Sport and Recreation Plan of South Africa, which includes "Bokkie Week", by the way; the signing of collaborative agreements with stakeholders, which can assist with the implementation of the plan; improved institutional mechanisms, including the restructuring of our Department of Sport and Recreation to ensure that we can deliver on the National Sport and Recreation Plan; and the implementation of a clearly defined Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.
The commitment we made at the indaba, which we wish to reiterate here today, is that the National Sport and Recreational Plan will be a plan of action, and that plan will not gather dust somewhere on a shelf in an office.
I am therefore pleased to report that in the five months since the indaba we have already made significant progress in implementing the key focus area of the plan for the 2012-13 financial year, that of school sport.
Other areas of achievement in this short period of time include, amongst others, the following: the hosting of indigenous games as a tool to broaden the participation base; the planning of South Africa's first youth games; building a coaching framework for systematic capacity building in our country; securing the involvement of former sports legends in various projects; ensuring that government funds for sport are utilised more effectively, through the development of a new funding policy framework for federations and sports bodies, with a focused approach; lobbying the private sector to become more involved in sport and recreation activities; and improving the governance of sport, as we have recently seen with Cricket South Africa.
The National Sport and Recreation Plan will be closely monitored annually to identify any obstacles that might negatively impact on its implementation. Let me say, Chairperson, that it will be reviewed in its totality in the year 2022.
Hon members, the Department of Sport and Recreation is in the process of signing a memorandum of understanding, MOU, with the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority, Cathsseta. Against the background of the National Skills Development Strategy III, we have the mutual objective of stimulating and strengthening skills development in the sport and recreational sector in our country.
The bursary scheme that Cathsseta will henceforth offer master's and doctorate students will bind the recipients to ensuring that their research is aligned to the priorities, as indicated in the sports plan. They will also present the results and findings of their research at the annual South African Sport and Recreation Conference, Sasrecon. Now, let me just say that this conference has since been repositioned in line with this new approach.
We play a huge role in sport in Africa. In the Southern African Region, South Africa is this week hosting an executive committee meeting and commissions meeting of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa, SCSA, Zone VI. These meetings are critical in ensuring that South Africa and the Southern African Region of the African Union remain the most active and vibrant region in terms of sport development on the continent.
Our Minister has also represented the country at the second World Olympic Sport Convention in Moscow. He will also participate in the forthcoming 6th Commonwealth Sport Ministers Meeting in July, ahead of the official opening of the Olympic Games in London.
We will continue to support South African sports students in Cuba who are currently completing their university degrees in Physical Education and Sport. Why do we do this? We do it because it will have a meaningful impact on boosting the capacity of sport administrators and physical educationists in our country.
Sport is not just about being active and winning medals. It is also about winning the war for peace and development, and contributing to healthy lifestyles and a healthy environment. At its meeting in Geneva in May last year, South Africa was nominated as the chair of the Thematic Working Group of the United Nations' Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group. South Africa's appointment as chair of this important group can be attributed to its valuable inputs at various United Nations sessions throughout the world.
At the 2nd International Forum on Sport, Peace and Development that was hosted in Switzerland last year, we delivered the keynote address on the theme, "The Impact of the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa".
With South Africa as chair of the thematic working group on Sport and Peace, our department has developed an action plan on sport for peace and development. This action plan was distributed to all member countries for their comments and inputs.
The draft action plan provides for the promotion of policies and programmes by national governments with the view of harnessing the potential of sport in contributing to the achievement of development objectives, specifically the Millennium Development Goals, peacekeeping and peace building.
Whenever Team South Africa leaves our shores our athletes serve as ambassadors for our great country. Their awareness of the harmful effects doping can have on their health has been repeatedly addressed by our antidoping initiatives in the Ministry. They also sign a pledge and take an athlete's oath to adhere to drug-free participation and ethical practices. We thus maintain very high standards and integrity when it comes to fair play.
As the host of the next World Conference on Doping in Sport of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Wada, in 2013, we really take pride in setting an example of fair play. The conference we will be hosting here will, among others, emerge with a revised World Anti-Doping Code, the policy document that harmonises antidoping policies and practices across all sports and all countries.
South Africa has, since the inception of Wada, shown total support for antidoping and the World Anti-Doping Code. The country is a signatory to the Copenhagen Declaration on Anti-Doping in Sport, and has ratified the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco, International Convention against Doping in Sport.
In fact, South Africa has represented Africa at both the Wada Executive Committee and the Foundation Board. In fact, Minister Mbalula, as he sits here, is serving as a member of the Wada Executive Committee. Our Ministry will be participating in the forthcoming Wada Executive Committee meeting in mid-May this year, as a full member.
The country has also led Africa in the implementation of antidoping strategies and annually contributes more, financially, than it is invoiced. That is in order to cover for poor African countries that are not able to pay their annual Wada fees. Why do we do this? We do this because by doing so we are demonstrating our spirit of good neighbourliness and ubuntu.
We wish to applaud our public entity, the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport, Saids, for leading the fight against doping in our country. Their I Play Fair campaign has seen a number of people taking to the streets on their bicycles to make the statement that doping in sport cannot and should not be a way of life.
Minister Mbalula here is an active participant in this campaign, which culminated in his participation in the Cape Argus Cycle Tour, where he cycled all 104 km of the race. I am proud of you. Congratulations, sir! [Applause.] This is our way, as a Ministry, of saying no to doping and also setting an example to both the young and the old that participation in sport and recreation is an enjoyable way to have a healthy lifestyle. I am told that the Minister is also preparing as a high performance athlete to participate in the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge for the I Play Fair Team later this year! I plan to join him in a motor car! [Laughter.]
While we are now really doing even better than before in setting developmental frameworks in place and creating a pool of quality athletes for our national teams, we depend on our federations' subscribing to the principles of good governance.
The recent developments in Cricket SA, where we had to appoint a committee of inquiry to investigate the affairs of that federation, are an example of the fact, and I quote Yeats, that where "things fall apart" we in the Ministry will not shy away from intervening to ensure that the "centre holds". It is, however, time consuming and costly to be intervening in federations when they should be practising good governance fully, for the good of the athletes and the sport they run.
Under the leadership of Judge Chris Nicholson, the committee investigated the contentious issues in Cricket SA and, once finalised, their report was submitted to the Ministry and to Cricket SA. In the name of transparency and the right to know, the report was released to the public by the committee and the Ministry. After careful consideration of the observations and recommendations of the Nicholson Commission, we in the Ministry made our stance known through a media briefing at the time. I join the Minister in thanking Judge Nicholson and his committee for their sterling work and good service. The report is good not only for cricket, but for sport and all federations in general.
Last week, after a meeting with Cricket SA - and it was a long meeting, Minister - our way forward was made known via a media briefing, once again in order to be transparent. We have agreed that, amongst the main measures taken, Cricket SA will recover any undue bonuses paid out to its officials; it will pursue criminal charges for the contravention of the Companies Act; and it will review its governance structure and procedures in order to be in line with the best practices accepted internationally.
Sport and Recreation SA has, through the Division of Revenue Act grant framework, introduced an allocation of 3,5% of our total 2012-13 grant to the development and sustainability of district academies.
The system aims to address the demographics of our national teams by accelerating the development of talented athletes, particularly from the disadvantaged groups. It is envisaged that the district academies will be aligned to political district demarcations and placed in previously disadvantaged areas to ensure that disadvantaged sportspersons have access to services rendered at these academies of ours.
It is therefore foreseen that 53 regional sports hubs will serve as feeders to the nine already existing provincial academies. The main aim of a district academy system is to take technical, scientific and medical support services to the sporting community. Here I am talking about athletes, coaches, administrators and technical officials. The services are coach-driven and athlete-centred, with the purpose of creating a structured performance pathway for talented athletes, coaches, administrators and technical officials residing within the region.
The Sport, Environment and Climate Change Seminar was hosted by our department in November 2011. This was organised as a side event to Cop 17 in our country. We must acknowledge the good work done by international sports bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee and Fifa. We must also thank the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, as well as our national federations, Cycling SA - not because the Minister is a cyclist, but because they did well there - MotorSport SA, and the SA Confederation of Cue Sports for presenting their case studies on the very good work they have done and are doing. In short, as a sports sector we have made a firm commitment to government's strategy on sport and the environment.
In conclusion, hon members, Minister Mbalula and I are batting on, and we are batting for the same team. We have reported to you in as open, honest, complementary, holistic and complete a manner as possible. We trust that you will receive our report in the same spirit as it has been presented.
Hon Lee, we trust that you will also apply your mind to the information and that, when questions - specifically from your party - are asked, you will bear in mind that whatever activities we undertake as politicians must not be narrowed down to just an individual political agenda. We cannot reduce the value and impact of our sport-related activities to a few narrow concerns. [Interjections.] You must read the answers we give you, and then you will understand what I am telling you, Mr Watson. [Laughter.] The impact of sport and recreation activities and the programmes on social cohesion, nation-building, personal fitness, and the health and wellness of our people outweigh by far the financial investment that we are making in them.
So, if we travel to achieve, we travel with permission. Once permission is obtained, we travel with passion. That we do in a quest to deliver a better life for all, including the DA! I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, let me take this opportunity to thank you.
Ke tseye nako eno gape ke dumedise motlotlegi Tona ya lefapha, Rre Fikile Mbalula, ke dumedise gape le Motlatsatona Rre Gert Oosthuisen, ke dumedise batho botlhe ba ba eteletsweng pele ke Rre Moemi, ba ba dirang kwa tlase ga lefapha la gagwe. Ke tseye gape nako eno ke dumedise MEC wa rona yo o tswang ko North West, motlotlegi Modise, le Ditona tsotlhe tse di leng teng fano. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[Let me also take this opportunity to greet the hon Minister of the department, Mr Fikile Mbalula, the Deputy Minister Mr Gert Oosthuisen, and everyone who is under the leadership of Mr Moemi in his department. Let me also take the opportunity to greet our MEC from North West, hon Modise, and all Ministers present.]
Hon Minister and Deputy Minister, we want to first acknowledge the inputs you are making in sport. Let me be brave enough to indicate to the House that your approach in transforming sport is directive and has vision, and I have the following reasons to substantiate what I am saying.
Firstly, South Africa is currently rated as the number one mega destination in the whole world - I thought that hon members would applaud! [Applause.] Maybe I should repeat it: South Africa is rated as the number one mega destination in the whole world for sport. [Applause.]
Secondly, you, hon Minister, find it necessary to recognise excellent athletes through your sports awards; thirdly, we have in the country, for the first time, national Olympic school sport; fourthly, the hon Minister is to establish the Transformation Commission; and, fifthly, the Minister indicated recently that he went to Khayelitsha and presented sports equipment to the disadvantaged community there. We commend him for that. [Applause.] Modulasetilo gompieno re tlile go bua ka mebala ya metshameko le tsotlhe tseo di tlhokegang mo metshamekong. Ke batla go bua ke penotse sehuba, ke totobetse fa re se na mafaratlhatlha mo metshamekong, ga re kitla re tsamaya re bona batshameki ba ba nang le tlhwatlhwa mo Aforika Borwa, sekai; ga re kitla re tsamaya re nna le bo Lionel Messi le bo David Beckham mo Aforika Borwa. Re tshwanetse go tlhokomela gore ditlabakelo tsotlhe tse re nang le tsone di re kgontsha gore ko bofelong re nne le batshameki ba ba ntseng jaaka bao.
Modulasetilo, ntetle tlhe Mong wa me gore ke go bontshe gore ke raya jang. David Beckham fa a ne a na le dingwaga di le robongwe o ne a na le ditlhako tsa bolo e ka nna dipara tse tlhano, o ne a na le dibolo, kgwele ya maoto di ka nna 24, o ne a na le mokatisi ka nako eo yo e neng e le rragwe. Jaanong ka yone nako ya dingwaga tsa gagwe di le robongwe, mo Aforika Borwa fa ke dira sekai, basimane ba dingwaga tseo tsa gagwe ba ne ba tshameka kgwele ya dinao, e ba itiretseng. Batho ba tla gakologelwa gore mo Aferika- Borwa basimanyana ba ba nnye, ba na le kgwele ya tenese e ba tshamekang ka yona. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, today I am going to talk about race in sport and everything that is needed in sport. I would like to be frank and tell you that we can never have great soccer players in South Africa if we don't have great sport infrastructure. For example, we will never have our own Lionel Messi and David Beckham in South Africa. We should take good care of all our resources so that we can have those kinds of players in the end.
Chairperson, please allow me to elaborate on what I said. When David Beckham was nine years old he had about five pairs of soccer boots, he had about 24 soccer balls and his father was his coach at that time. His nine- year-old counterpart in South Africa had to play with a self-made soccer ball. We will all remember that boys in South Africa play with a tennis ball.]
However, in most cases when you come up to those boys, you will see that the ball that they are playing with only resembles a ball. It is not actually a ball, but a tennis ball covered with plastic, and it resembles a ball. Each one of those nine-year-old boys has taken great pains to contribute a plastic bag in order to make a ball.
Now, remember, I said that by then David Beckham had 24 balls. David Beckham had 24 soccer balls! [Laughter.] [Applause.] David Beckham had 24 soccer balls and six pairs of soccer boots!
Hon member, ...
I must indicate that the disparity ...
Hon member, those balls were far too many! [Laughter.]
Thank you, Chairperson. It was just an omission; I should have said "soccer balls". [Laughter.]
The disparity that we see today, which was created by apartheid, has delayed us and handicapped progress in our country. I mention this, even though some people do not want us to blame it on apartheid. However, I would like to say to the hon Groenewald it is apartheid that spent R578 on a white child and only R46 on a black child. It is apartheid that made the structural form of facilities in white areas differ from those in black areas. Furthermore, black people of the disadvantaged communities could not use those better facilities, which were found only in white residential areas.
For instance, there is a stadium called the Gert Lubbe Stadium that I know in the North West. Gert Lubbe. It is a stadium that is owned by a school. [Interjections.] Now, the communities that surround that area cannot use that stadium. If members of the disadvantaged community want to use that stadium, they will be referred to the school, and the school will tell them: "Nee, meneer." ["No, sir."] It is an Afrikaans school. They will say this: "Nee, meneer, ons kan jou nie help nie. Jy moet eers met die voorsitter gaan praat, want hy is die een wat die toestemming gee."
["No, sir, we can't help you. You will first have to go and speak to the chairperson, because he is the one who gives permission."]
And if you want to ask about the whereabouts of the voorsitter [chairman], you will be told: "Hy is op sy plaas; hy is seker besig met sy beeste." ["He is on his farm; he's probably busy with his cattle."] [Laughter.] [Interjections.]
Hon Minister, there is nothing you can do about that. Thank you, hon Chairperson. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. [Time expired.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, at the outset let me state that the PAC supports the Budget Vote. [Applause.]
The hon Minister's unrelenting charge against corruption in sport is highly commendable. The PAC salutes him for carrying out a clean-up operation in cricket. However, we are concerned about corruption in football, especially at the amateur level. [Interjections.] Allegations of referee bribery are flying thick and fast. Something needs to be done to root out this evil practice.
Many of our sportsmen and women live in abject poverty, where they are doomed to die. Some of them were once flush, with millions of dollars and euros. The PAC proposes that the Ministry of Sport and Recreation find a mechanism to protect sportspersons financially.
The private sector should be brought on board and be encouraged to employ former sportsmen and women. It would be worthwhile to conduct an investigation into the remuneration of sportsmen and women. It seems some sportspersons are paid a fortune, while others take home peanuts as a salary.
On the transformation of sport, I am afraid we can't transform sport without transforming the entire society. Otherwise, it's like fixing a carburettor alone and wishfully thinking that the whole car will perform. Hon Minister, the PAC hopes that you will persuade your colleagues in Cabinet to see a need to transform society in all respects - cultural, economic and social. Sport transformation will remain a pipe dream as long as economic apartheid remains firmly in place. Take the former Transkei for example. The area has about 5 million people, and no decent sporting facilities. It has hardly a stadium that can host a Premier Soccer League game.
In conclusion, let us transform society, and sport and recreation will automatically be transformed. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen, the speeches on this Budget Vote present us with a chance to talk about the real face of Sport and Recreation in South Africa. Sport and recreation are a human right that is recognised by the ANC's policies, our Constitution and the United Nations, to name a few.
Under the apartheid regime the colour bar was used not only to dissolve any possibility of social cohesion, but also to block black, coloured and Indian sportspeople from developing and excelling in sports. In addition to this, no recreational facilities were ever planned or built for black communities.
Through the Freedom Charter the ANC called for the elimination of the colour bar in cultural life, sports and education. Through countless boycotts and negotiations we managed to establish a sports department that promised to serve all South Africans.
In spite of these achievements, we in the ANC think it is still crucial to remember the contributions of sports heroes who played under difficult conditions, for example, Ace Ntsoelengoe and Kalamazoo Mokone, who were widely regarded as the best soccer players that South Africa's townships ever produced. However, like many other talented black footballers, they grew up playing in the dusty streets of their home towns. After being neglected by local sporting bodies because of the country's former racist regime, international sports bodies welcomed them. In spite of their being an inspiration to black sportspeople, the full potential of these players was never realised. This kind of sad history must be discontinued right now by the ANC, where sportspeople are denied support or are excluded from sports in their own country and are remembered only when they are dead.
In response to the need to extend sports opportunities in disadvantaged communities, the department has launched the National Sports Volunteer Corps to harness the skills of former players, coaches and administrators.
Our Mass Participation Programme really imbues the spirit of inclusivity. It focuses on encouraging people to participate in sports. In this programme we co-ordinate and build capacity, and promote special projects focused on HIV and Aids and the participation of women, senior citizens and those with disabilities. We focus on marginalised areas that are adversely affected by the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
In this financial year we intend using the mass participation and sport development grant to increase participation in different sporting codes by supporting school sport, club development and sports hubs. We in the ANC are encouraging the provinces to spend their provincial grants effectively, and to prevent the roll-over of such essential funds, as this affects communities for whom sports services are intended.
We are happy that soccer plays a phenomenal role in social cohesion and community development. We have noted how the Fifa World Cup spawned infrastructure development, capacity building, job creation and economic growth across the country.
The department is in the process of implementing South Africa's first multiracial School League programme in our schools. In practice schools that make it through five competition levels will participate in a national competition. The School League programme was launched in Mamelodi, in Tshwane, and currently approximately 11 000 schools are participating in this programme. Up to R33 million has been set aside for the implementation of this programme. We believe this mechanism will enable the country to improve its overall performance in international sports competitions.
We in the ANC believe that sports facilities should be erected in schools all over South Africa, particularly in townships and rural areas, where we find some of the most adverse conditions of poverty and unemployment.
The participation of educators in the development of sports in schools is integral to the success of plans for sports in the country. In 2011-12 we placed our focus on emphasising the roles and responsibilities of teachers in school sports. This will be achieved by the purchasing of sports equipment and developing an implementation plan for school sports structures and government departments for all levels of competition and 16 sporting codes. In the spirit of inclusivity that we mentioned earlier, we do not support one sporting code more than another, but promote all sporting codes, including indigenous games, in our programmes. Over the medium term we intend to empower educators in code-specific coaching, technical officiating, team management and sports administration.
Attention needs to be focused on transformation in our programmes if we want to encourage the participation of women in sport. The Mass Participation Programme must assist women residing in rural areas and townships to establish clubs at the district and regional levels and right up to the national level.
I submit that this programme must assist in the creation of women's leagues for football, rugby, cricket and other sporting codes. The achievement of Banyana Banyana in their qualification for the 2012 London Olympics bears testimony to the untapped talent that needs to be harnessed.
However, government cannot be the sole provider of sporting services. Our role as a government is to help establish the conditions and environment for sports development. Sponsorship opportunities must come from our private and international donor communities, whom we encourage to help boost our player representativity. The ANC supports the Vote. [Time expired.]
Voorsitter, ek wil nie baie tyd aan ``Bokkie Week'' bestee nie. Eerstens het ons 'n verklaring uitgebring. My kollega het daaroor gepraat en die Adjunkminister het gereageer. Al wat ek wil s, is dat as dit in die Wes-Kaap gebeur het, sou Helen Zille soos 'n ton bakstene op sulke mense, wat sulke dinge aan kinders doen, afgekom het. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Mr T D LEE: Chairperson, I don't want to spend a lot of time on ``Bokkie Week''. In the first place, we have issued a statement. My colleague has discussed this and the Deputy Minister has responded. I only want to say that if this had taken place in the Western Cape, Helen Zille would have come down like a ton of bricks on such people who do such things to children.]
Secondly, the chairperson issued a challenge, it seemed, when he spoke about taking part in sport. I accept that challenge and I challenge you to a game of golf at the Fancourt Country Club Estate in George, if it is accepted by Fancourt.
Mnr die Voorsitter, dames en here, byna elke Sondagaand die afgelope paar weke, het ons vasgenael voor ons TV's gesit wanneer daar 'n gholftoernooi was en die een of ander Suid-Afrikaner weer in die laaste rondte was. Daar was nogal 'n Oosthuizen ook. Ons het vasgenael gesit. Ongeag of die toernooi in Suid-Afrika, in Afrika, die Ooste, Europa of die grote Amerika gespeel was, was 'n Suid-Afrikaner of Suid-Afrikaners onder die voorlopers.
Die goue draad wat deur hierdie voorlopers en wenners loop - die Minister het 'n lys van die manne genoem wat voorgeloop en gewen het - kan tot by sy oorsprong in die Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation gevolg word. Dit is waar die oorsprong is.
Of dit nou Louis Oosthuizen - die Adjunkminister s dis familie -Brendan Grace, James Kamte of Lee-Anna Pace is, die bakermat, die oorsprong, bly dieselfde, naamlik die Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation.
Dit is om hierdie rede dat ek vandag my toespraak wil opdra aan Ernie Els en aan hom hulde bring vir die enorme rol wat hy speel in Suid-Afrika, die Suid-Afrikaanse sport in die algemeen, maar Suid-Afrikaanse gholf in besonder. Dit is hy wat ons op die wreldverhoog plaas en dit daar hou. Dit is hy. "The Big Easy" is 'n Suid-Afrikaanse ambassadeur par excellence.
Die nalatenskap van Ernie l nie net in die hoeveelheid "majors" wat hy gewen het en ander titels wat hy verower het nie, maar in dit wat hy vir ons nalaat. Ons weet, as gevolg van die feit dat hy 'n klomp "major" gholftoernooie gewen het, het hy geld en roem verwerf, maar ons gun dit vir hom. In dieselfde asem het Suid-Afrika ook roem verwerf. Sy eintlike nalatenskap is die aantal protgs wat deur die Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation gelewer word - die mense na wie die Minister nou net verwys het.
Laat my ook toe om vandag hier erkenning te gee aan Hannes van Niekerk, wat daar bo sit, as die hoofuitvoerende beampte van die Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation, en aan Carl Reinder, ook van die stigting. Hulle is die spil waarom alles draai. Hulle is die mense wat vir ons die Ernie Else en daardie mense lewer. So van geld gepraat, ons moet ook nie van die enorme finansile bydrae wat mense soos Johann Rupert en Dr Hasso Platner maak, vergeet nie. Hulle altrusme sal my altyd bybly en ons as land moet hulle eer en salueer.
Dit is dus geen wonder dat drie van die vier spelers in die junior span wat Suid-Afrika in Junie in Japan sal verteenwoordig, van die Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation afkomstig is nie. Dit is so wragtig 'n prestasie! (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, ladies and gentlemen, over the past few weeks, on almost every Sunday night when there was a golf tournament in which some or other South African was participating, we were sitting glued to our television sets. There even was an Oosthuizen. We were glued.
Regardless of whether the tournament took place in South Africa, Africa, in Europe or in big America, one or several South Africans were among the front runners. The golden thread that runs through these front runners and victors - the Minister named a list of men who were front runners and who won - can be traced back to its origin in the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation. This is where the source is.
Whether it be Louis Oosthuizen - the Deputy Minister says he's a relative - Brendan Grace, James Kamte or Lee-Anna Pace, the cradle, the origin, remains the same, namely the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation.
For this reason I would like to dedicate my speech today to Ernie Els and pay tribute to him for the enormous role he is playing in South Africa, in South African sport in general and in particular in South African golf. He is the one who placed us on the world stage and who is keeping us there. He is the one. "The Big Easy" is a South African ambassador par excellence.
Ernie's heritage does not only lie in the number of majors and other titles he has won, but in what he leaves behind for us. We know, because he has won quite a few major tournaments, that he has gained wealth and fame, but we grant him that. In the same breath South Africa has also gained fame. His true heritage lies in the number of protgs that are produced by the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation - the people the Minister was referring to a moment ago.
Allow me here today also to acknowledge Hannes van Niekerk, sitting up there, who is the CEO of the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation, and Carl Reinder, also from the foundation. They form the pivot around which everything revolves. They are the ones who produce people such as Ernie Els and others like him. Speaking about money, we should also not forget about the enormous financial contributions by people such as Johann Rupert and Dr Hasso Platner. Their altruism will always stay with me and as a country we should honour and salute them.
So it is no wonder, then, that three of the four players in the junior team that will be representing South Africa in Japan in June originate from the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation. That really is an achievement!]
The question then is, "What can we as South Africans learn from the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation experience?" The first thing is that we need role models that will inspire the youth to greatness, and therefore the role that people like Bobby Locke, Papwa Sewgolum, Gary Player and now Ernie Els have played must never be underestimated and must never be forgotten.
Secondly, a strong family structure and support system should be in place in order for the budding stars to achieve their dreams. To this end, the contribution that Ernie's father, Neels, and his family made to his development and achievements can serve as an example to all of us, and that is true.
Thirdly, sheer talent is not enough. It takes sacrifice, perseverance, dedication and hard work to reach the top. There is no quick fix. Therefore, Mr Minister, those of us who propagate a quota system must think again. They are not serving the cause of this country, nor do they serve the cause of the players.
Stars like Breyton Paulse, Makhaya Ntini, Herschelle Gibbs and Charl Langeveldt have stated over and over again that they abhor the quota system. In fact, Charl Langeveldt withdrew from the Protea team when he suspected that he had been included in the team because of the colour of his skin. We should applaud him for taking this stand.
The next batch of rising stars in golf are people like Kim Daniels and Sylvia Masango, who are girls, Devon Thomas, Leorin Pillay, Mojalefa Xaba, Siyanda Mwandla and Karabo Mokoena. All of them are tremendously talented young golfers who will grace the national and international stage in the very, very near future. They will be there, not because of the colour of their skin, but rather because their talent was identified early, and their extraordinary skills were honed to perfection at the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation.
Laastens het ons geld nodig en dis hier waar ek waardeer wat mense soos Johann Rupert en Dr Hasso Platner vir gholf doen.
Elke moontlike sent uit die fiskus moet effektief en met oorleg aangewend word om sportontwikkeling te help. Dit is om hierdie rede dat ek nie saamstem dat amper R50 miljoen aan 'n medalje bestee was nie. Ek stem saam dat ons ons sportsterre die hoogste erkenning moet gee, maar om so oordadig te wees, gaan die verstand te bowe, veral noudat ons so sukkel, en ek is bly dat ons geld gekry het om ons span na die Olimpiese Spele te stuur.
Hierdie oordadigheid het nie gestop by die funksie nie, maar daar is gerugte dat die "after party" in die Minister se suite 'n drankrekening van oor die R90 000 gehad het. As dit waar is, mnr die Minister, skuld u die land 'n verduideliking.
'n Ander ding wat my dronkslaan, en dis nie die drankrekening nie, is dat instansies soos die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens, SAL, eerder oorsese spelers, in plaas van ons plaaslike spelers, borg. Kon die geld wat hulle vir die Argentynse gholfspeler, Angel Cabrera, gegee het, nie maar eerder na James Kamte of na Evance Vukeya van die Soweto Country Club of na Nkosinathi Dauwa gegaan het nie? Die SAL en ons moet leer dat "charity begins at home" (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Lastly, we need money, and this is where I appreciate what people such as Johann Rupert and Dr Hasso Platner are doing for golf.
Every possible cent from the fiscus should be employed effectively and after deliberation, in order to assist with sports development. For this reason I do not agree with spending almost R15 million on a medal. I agree that we should confer the highest accolade on our sports stars, but such extravagance defies all logic, especially now that we are really struggling, and I am grateful that we received the funding to send our team to the Olympic Games.
This extravagance did not end at the function, and there are rumours that the after party in the Ministerial suite ran up a liquor bill exceeding R90 000! If that is true, Mr Minister, you owe the country an explanation.
Something else that makes me dizzy, which is not the liquor bill, is that institutions such as the South African Airways, SAA, would rather sponsor overseas athletes instead of our local athletes. Could the money they gave the Argentine golf player Angel Cabrera not rather have gone to James Kamte or Evance Vukeya of the Soweto Country Club, or to Nkosinathi Dauwa? The SAA and we must learn that charity begins at home.]
Imagine a child who is prodigiously talented at sport, any sport, and is born to a poor rural family. She has little prospect of a proper education and even less of fulfilling her sporting potential. The DA's vision for South African sport is one where that child's talent would not be lost to her circumstances.
Through a system of dedicated talent scouts she would be identified at an early age, either at school or at a nearby sporting facility, through a dedicated talent search programme.
If she were good at athletics, her family would be offered a bursary for her to attend one of the 20 top athletics schools in the country, where she would have access to the best facilities and training. After school, and assuming that that was the path she still wanted to follow, she would be invited to attend an academy of excellence that was properly funded and benchmarked against international best practice, where her talent would be further developed and her skills honed. If she was good enough, she would then be independently selected by a provincial team and, if warranted, ultimately selected to the national team.
In other words, the DA's vision is a system structured specifically to offer the opportunity and to provide the means for any person with the requisite talent to achieve their full potential.
Mnr die Voorsitter, daar is by my geen twyfel dat die Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation 'n enorme suksesverhaal is, en wat byna jaarliks, sonder uitsondering, gholfspelers ... [Tyd verstreke.] [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, without a doubt the Ernie Els and Fancourt Foundation is a huge success story which almost annually, without exception, produces golf players ...] [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Chairperson, Minister, Deputy Minister, leaders of sports domains and federations, director-general and your team, ladies and gentlemen, ... mandiqale ndiphose amazwi ovelwano kusapho lakwaShiceka, olwakwa-Padayacheie kunye noluka Mam' uNyanda, abathe basishiya. Sivelana nezi ntsapho, kwaye sithi koogxa bethu baseMzantsi Afrika sigxwala nani emswaneni wenkomo. Silila nani zihlobo, kwaye siyanibulela ngokusiboleka la malungu entsapho zenu singumbutho we-ANC. Andibalibalanga abadlali abathandathuhlanu base-Motherwell abasweleke phambi kwePasika. Nakwezo ntsapho ke sithi ngxe. Lalani ngenxeba. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
... let me start by expressing my sincere condolences to the Shiceka, Padayachie and Nyanda families who have lost their loved ones. We are thinking of you during this difficult time. To our fellow South Africans, your loss is our loss. We symphathise with their relatives. As the ANC, we are grateful for their contribution. I have not forgotten the six rugby players from Motherwell who passed away just before the Easter weekend. Our hearts go out to their families in their time of sorrow. We say we are very sorry. May they find comfort.]
This debate is taking place in the year of the centenary of the ANC. Were it not for this movement, I can guarantee you that we would not be where we are today. Let me start with the positives; I will come to the negatives.
I wish to congratulate President Hoskins of the SA Rugby Union on his election as vice-chairperson of the International Rugby Board. At the same time, we also acknowledge and congratulate Mr Haroon Lorgat, who is serving on the International Cricket Council. We also have Dr Danny Jordaan, who is serving on the Fifa 2014 subcommittee. This confirms our ability to provide leadership, and is a sign that our sport is moving in the right direction.
The role of Sport and Recreation should be to address the government objective of building a nation united in action for change. I am convinced that sport in this country is ideally located to play a significant part in this context. However, in order for sport to fulfil such a role, the transformation of sport should be at the heart of it. The reality facing us is that unity in sport, 18 years down the line, can only be consolidated through transformation. Sporting codes might be united, but whether or not they are united in action for change is a moot point.
I am often confronted by ordinary sportspersons questioning me about who the main beneficiaries of unity are. This raises a host of possibilities, but the undeniable fact is that a sizeable part of the sporting fraternity are still not enjoying the fruits of unity.
In an assessment of the work of the Ministry of Sport and Recreation during the past six months, I urge you, Jola, to focus on a few key issues: transformation, development and the ever present racism in sport.
Furthermore, the normalisation of the sport of boxing and putting it back on track cannot be overemphasised. This is a task that also includes returning the relationship between amateur and professional boxing to normality. We in the ANC wish for boxing to be granted its rightful amount of television air time. Here we are referring to the fact that the SABC has not been broadcasting boxing as it is supposed to.
Furthermore, the budget for boxing has remained the same every year since its inception in 2001. Issues of inflation and other issues are not taken into consideration when the annual allocation is made. What sickens us is the lack of involvement of sponsors, despite efforts made by government to stabilise the leadership and management of boxing, which meet the requirements of the King Report on Corporate Governance.
The SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport has been enjoying mixed success. Its funding was increased and some bodies, which were not under its jurisdiction, have now been voluntarily subjecting themselves to its regime. However, some of the other federations have not been co-operating to the same degree. Therefore, we require legislation that will compel every federation to be under the jurisdiction of the SA Institute for Drug- Free Sport.
We are concerned about the use of so-called recreational drugs, in the light of certain recent cases. We feel that protocols should be amended to make more provision for testing for such substances.
We are also concerned about the use of drugs at school level, and urge the institute to approach the Department of Basic Education. There is the problem of doping in schools. There was also a problem with legal jurisdiction in schools. Perhaps, hon Minister, you should engage with your counterpart, the Minister of Basic Education, so as to see how we can address this issue.
An increase in the use of recreational drugs has been detected and is becoming a problem in the fabric of our society. It is also luring children away from sports grounds to drug corners. We hoped to see a reduction in this, but the fact is that the use of cocaine and tik has increased in our society. We feel that the jurisdiction of the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport should be extended to conducting tests in schools. This will require further capacitating of this institute. I am sure that, working together with the Minister of Basic Education, this will be done.
Aba bantwana bayayotywa ezikolweni, bakugqiba benze amanyala enyoka. Endaweni yokuba badlale ibhola, baqhunywa ngumnya ne-tik, hay'ke emva koko iba ngubhentsu-bhentsu kuqhum' uthuli. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[These children are intoxicated at schools and they later engage in horrible acts. Instead of playing ball, they smoke dagga and use the drug tik. Thereafter it is just chaos!]
I want to refer to the reign of the ANC in the Western Cape, and I am now coming to you in the Western Cape. There were problems which caused people to become African refugees. [Interjections.] I just want to highlight something which was done by the ANC when it was in charge of the Western Cape.
During the reign of the ANC in the province of the Western Cape, we introduced the Sport Stepping Stones programme, which saw young coaches being deployed to crime-infested areas that were luring children into being involved in drugs, instead leading them into playing sport and taking part in recreational programmes. Unfortunately, the Premier, Mrs Refugee ... [Laughter.] ... canned this successful programme, and this resulted in children from Manenberg ...
On a point of order, Chairperson ...
... Khayelitsha, Mitchell's Plain and Hanover Park being involved in ... [Inaudible.]
Hon member, please take your seat. There is a point of order.
Come again?
Take your seat. There is a point of order. Take your seat.
Oh, I can take my seat. [Laughter.]
[Inaudible.]
I will give the ruling before the end of this sitting.
You are wasting my time, hon member. [Laughter.] Allow me to say, unequivocally, that the Ministry will be relentless in this financial year in ensuring that sport serves as a catalyst for change in our country. I shall challenge any sports federation that undermines efforts in this regard uncompromisingly. You will recall that at one stage sport was one of the leading protagonists for change in the country. We have unfortunately lost that advantage, and we would like to commit ourselves here today to turning that trend around.
During the course of the year 2000 several major sports federations set targets for achieving representativity in their respective teams. Maybe we should examine their performances shortly. New targets will have to be set to ensure that we proceed progressively and rapidly towards our goal of total representativity in line with the demographics of the country. We should be totally committed to this objective.
Hon Minister, on Freedom Day I was in my constituency. With the assistance of the president of South Western Districts, SWD, Mr Hennie Baartman, and Mr Hoskins, I dished out purchased rugby jerseys to farm clubs.
Subsequent to that, on Sunday I was in Elsies River where some gangsters had been taken out of gangsterism and had formed a club for themselves. With the assistance of Mr Graeme Adam, who is sitting here, we managed to give them a set of jerseys.
So, there are people who are concerned and who are coming to the party. This is unlike the DA, which just looks after the interests of the whites. You are talking about a coach. That coach was instructed by the school governing bodies, SGBs, to operate in that fashion. Don't come and cry foul here. Speak to your party because those people are voting for the DA. I must tell you, charity begins at home.
Chairperson, the issue of female sport must be looked at very seriously. Its funding is inadequate. Look at what Banyana Banyana have done! They have qualified. However, some teams which are adequately looked after are not performing like that. We must stop getting to the airports to welcome teams that have failed, because we are making heroes out of them! Let them be welcomed by the workers at the airport!
Minister, there is a problem in regard to refugees. A club in Paarl has been suspended. For them to play, they must first pay R180 000. Where will they get that money? I went to Newlands to try to see if we could find an amicable solution. They just refused. I can't understand that.
The problem lies with the administrators. When they are elected to serve, they forget about their mandate. One of the recently elected administrators in a federation said, "I'm happy that I've been elected because I'll be in a position to go to any world cup game." Is that a mandate? The mandate is to transform sport! Another thing is that if you are used to Marie biscuits and you then get Choice Assorted, you completely forget what your mandate is! We need to look at these things. If these administrators don't look after the interests of our kids, we will not get anywhere.
This coach who has just been ''freed'' - I don't want to say more - used to coach the Under 21 rugby team. He won the World Cup with the Under 21s ... [Time expired.]
Hon Minister, before I give you an opportunity to reply, let me give a ruling on the point of order put regarding the use of the words "the Premier, Mrs Refugee". The ruling is that the expression of unparliamentary remarks refers to members of this House and not to people who are not members of this House. The hon member was definitely not unparliamentary in his remarks. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, the Chinese say we must extract the truth from the facts, and we must avoid the temptation to promote wild, insurrectionary rumourmongering to achieve narrow selfish acts. So, when you criticise, it must arise from the facts. Put the facts on the table.
I want to announce that we in Sport and Recreation South Africa will establish the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Recreation, because in the past Recreation was not actually attended to as a component aspect of our Ministry. The following persons will constitute the committee: Prof A Goslin, Mr M Mthembu, Ms D Moodley, Mr W M Chuene - not Leonard, Mr S Gwala, Ms C N Tshaka, Mr M Mamabolo, Prof M Keim Lees, Mr M Lindie and Mr Robert Marawa.
For the first time we will also establish a commission on transformation in South Africa, as part and parcel of the resolutions of the Sports Indaba. Mr Silas Nkanunu, Dr Somadoda Fikeni, Prof Marion Keim Lees, Ms Ria Ledwaba, Mr Louis von Levner, Dr Willie Basson, Ms Nomfanelo Magwentshu, Prof Tim Noakes, Dr Sam Ramsamy, Mr Maxwell Moss, Dr Xolile Mangcu, Mr Qondisa Ngwenya and Mr Wimpie du Plessis will constitute the Eminent Persons Group on Transformation. This commission will work out the terms of reference and discuss them with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, Sascoc, so that we are all on the same page in relation to what we want to achieve.
Transformation will be achieved in South Africa if things are integrated. We understand our work in regard to development, and those who have to do with high performance also understand their role and responsibilities.
The National Sports and Recreation Plan speaks to these objectives. We come to this House and say we've got a plan and a strategy. We are not just all over - all over and everywhere, and in the end we achieve nothing!
Even before the Sports Plan has been costed and implemented by government, we have started this year to implement the School Sport Programme. That programme is going to explain our story, just so that you understand. You cannot expect the national rugby team to produce the results that we want when young people in our townships and the public schools are not playing rugby. They don't play rugby, although they want to play it, because we don't offer them the opportunity.
The reason we are producing athletes and stars who come from Model C schools is because those of us gathered here pay for the coaches and the education of our children, and they enjoy an advantage over everybody in the other schools because they've got what are called competent experts in coaching. It does not mean that we cannot produce a rugby player in Khayelitsha and Gugulethu, but the fact is that we don't play rugby there. So, watch the School Sport Programme - in it we are playing rugby like nobody's business!
Coming to other facts, I think this year we will launch the Netball Premier League - again it is a first. [Applause.] Everything is for the first time! The Netball Premier League is going to see our girls being full time in sport. Netball is the number one women's sport in South Africa.
Young people, and particularly girls, are going to fill up the stadiums in the local areas to come and watch their netball stars for the first time on television. Mahala! [Free of charge!] [Applause.]
These girls will participate, like their boy counterparts in soccer, as full-time professional players. That is what we want. Come to the party! That is where we want the money to go.
Secondly, in regard to extracting the truth from the facts, I want to refer to the hon member, Donald Lee. All of a sudden you are speaking about the Big Easy, Ernie Els, as if he were dead! He is still alive, and he plays golf magnificently! Let me tell you one thing that you do not know. Among the South African Sports Awards that you are so obsessed about - and you are misquoting them - we gave Ernie Els a Steve Tshwete Lifetime Achievement Award for the work he has done and the contribution that he has made to South African sport. [Applause.] Ernie Els is in the Golf Hall of Fame and he was recognised by the United States of America. You are not awakening us to the task; we are already past that! [Applause.] You have just woken up from slumberland and you speak as if this thing were new. We have been around, hon member.
I understand that the problem you have is that we have been in this Ministry ...
Order! The hon Minister's time has expired.
It is 10 minutes.
Chairperson, on a point of order: I think the hon Minister has 10 minutes at the end. [Interjections.]
That is what it says. [Interjections.] That is what it says.
We have it here.
We have it here. [Interjections.]
Order! Hon Minister, the situation is as follows. The list you are referring to is actually a draft list; according to the final list, you were given only five minutes. On the draft list, yes, it is 10 minutes, but on the final list that I am using it is only 5 minutes. I am sorry for the inconvenience if you were not properly briefed.
Give him another five minutes.
Order, hon member! Hon members, as I said, the time that the Minister had has expired.
Debate concluded.