Yes, I know. There is no reason why sports federations don't transform at the speed that is necessary. Our view, hon Minister, is that you must try to push them. We persuade them, but we also push them, to ensure that they attain the goal of transformation. [Applause.]
Today's Budget Vote highlights what has been achieved and what still needs to be done. The ANC government has always campaigned for a fresh perspective and a transformation drive. This is a perspective that talks about equality, unity, access and excellence at the centre of national discourse.
We have always known that it will take time to eradicate the legacy of the apartheid. We have never laboured under any illusion that we will address the legacy of apartheid within 20 or 50 years.
We always knew that it's going to take time and passion for all South Africans to address the legacy of apartheid. Therefore, we hope that the Members of Parliament will appreciate that all the mess that was created by apartheid can't be sorted out within a period of 20 years. It is going to take longer than that for us to address this legacy; we have always known this.
The establishment of an Eminent Persons Group on Transformation, under the leadership of Dr Somadoda Fikeni, is a welcome move that will speed up the issue of transformation in sport. It will also develop a standard approach to monitoring and evaluating organisational capacity and commitment to the thoroughgoing transformation of sport in our country.
Many sports federations signed the Transformation Charter for SA Sport at the 2011 Sports Indaba and have promised to deliver on its mandate. The committee is just as committed to ensure that all sports federations deliver on this mandate. There shouldn't be any reason why they fail to deliver on this mandate because they have committed themselves to it.
Hon Minister, I think we should push them to deliver over the next two years on the charter that they have signed. There shouldn't be any excuse for their not doing what is right for the country.
We bear in mind, of course, that all federations are custodians of sport. However, sport does not belong to them; sport belongs to all of us, but they are the custodians thereof. Therefore, they should always try their level best to do what is appropriate in developing sport in our country.
It is the responsibility of this government to fundamentally change the status quo and ensure that South Africa has national teams that are a true reflection of the national demographics. On this issue the 53rd national conference of the ANC resolved that the utilisation of transformation charters and scorecards to transform sporting franchises, sporting councils, federations and the high performance centres must focus on local talent development.
This includes targeting the development sporting codes that are historically not available in other parts of the country. There are very few swimming pools in many areas of our country. They are located in urban areas more than in rural areas. The point that we want to emphasise is that these sporting codes should be spread throughout the country in order for our young people to get involved in swimming.
Hon Bhoola, our children should not go to swim in the uThukela River, but at properly maintained swimming pools. [Interjections.] Hence, we urge the private sector to support sport activities with funding for greater transformation of sports federations.
The National Lottery makes provision for about 22% to be used for sport and recreation purposes. It will be important for this provision to enhance the objectives of the sport plans. The National Lotteries Board needs to continue to engage all relevant stakeholders in advancing this vision in order to speed up the allocations which it makes to sporting bodies.
It is important for the National Lottery to speed up the allocation of money. It doesn't assist us to have money allocated towards the end of a financial year. It doesn't assist the sports federations to only then develop their plans. We think that it is important to persuade them to do so.
Hon Minister, we hope that as you engage them, you will raise this point, because there is no other reason for this 22% being allocated for sport and recreation.
Surely this amount should be given to the sport and recreation bodies in our country. It should also be done with the necessary speed. It shouldn't be delayed. They shouldn't apply and wait for two years before they are given resources for them to be able to develop their plans. [Applause.] It can't be right to do that. We think that we should address these issues.
Funding is generally a scarce resource for the development of sport. Whilst there is funding for high performance - although not enough - there is a need for more funding at development levels. Perhaps we need to revise the funding model in order to support the development of sport.
Liquor companies are one topic that will be important as there are a lot of discussions about this matter. Liquor companies are some of the major sponsors of sport all over the world because sport, in general, is underfunded. There has never been enough money to fund every competing interest in any country, but liquor companies are playing a very critical role in this matter.
As we all know, sport relies heavily on sponsorships, some of which come from the liquor industry and various other industries such as the clothing, food and footwear industries. Sport sponsorship is intended to fund sport and not to promote substance abuse. In fact, we think it is obvious that, in order to become a successful sportsperson, substance abuse must be avoided at all costs.
If the department is to contribute to increased employment levels by 2030, as per the National Development Plan, then sport has to be funded accordingly. But this is an ongoing debate with other stakeholders. I hope that they will reach a solution that will benefit everyone involved.
Growing the number of people who participate in sport is fundamental to the National Development Plan and the National Sport and Recreation Plan. Hence the department will allocate almost half of the budget to the School Sport Mass Participation Programme, SSMPP, this year.
The committee noted that over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period the aim for the 2013-14 financial year is to encourage active, lifelong participation in sport by delivering sustainable sport and recreation programmes to 25 000 South Africans annually. There will be an emphasis on women, youth, persons with disabilities, senior citizens and rural communities.
We appreciate the steady increase of participants in the programme to more than 28 000 people in the 2011-12 financial year. With the expansion of the programme and more funds allocated to it, more can still be done.
The increase in the budget from R529 million to R553 million is indicative of the commitment to transform sport by putting resources where they are most needed.
The SSMPP is an example of such a complementary programme in schools. However, since the signing of a memorandum with the Department of Basic Education on co-operation, little progress has been made, if any, with regard to the development of physical education as an independent learning area which should lay the foundation for the development of future sport- specific skills.
Whilst the SSMPP continues to be rolled out in schools, more opportunities for developing learners can be enhanced through physical education.
We request that these two departments share ideas and information about the way forward with regard to funding school sport programmes. The committee is pleased that both departments are talking to each other about how to resolve this situation.
Sport is a multibillion-rand industry. It is important that the federations should establish sound business practices. Good b governance is very important in sport, because the major causes of the problems in sporting federations in our country - of course, not all of them - is precisely the poor governance in that area. We suppose, therefore, that it is important to move on.
Chair, let me conclude. The struggle to transform and develop sport in our country continues and we need to encourage more sport activism in our communities. The ANC supports the Budget Vote. [Time expired.]