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.]