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 ...