Chairperson, the first part of the question was whether this "department intends to take back sports infrastructure functions since it has been found that most municipalities do not prioritise these functions despite funds being allocated to them; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details".
The second part asked: "whether any sporting codes are directed to rural areas for development, including traditional or otherwise, such as stick fighting, umlabalaba [Zulu chess], nqabeshu, boxing or weightlifting; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?"
Our reply with reference to the question of whether the department intends to take back sport infrastructure functions from municipalities is that the department does not intend to take the sport infrastructure functions from the municipalities. And why not is in terms of Schedule 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996.
Part A lists provincial recreation and amenities and Part B - local government matters - lists local sports amenities, municipal parks and recreational facilities as functional areas of exclusive provincial competence. In terms of section 156, a municipality has the executive authority and the right to administer the local government matters listed in Part B of Schedule 5.
The department, recognising the challenges with the provision of sport and recreational facilities, has sought intervention and remedial action as follows.
A smaller municipality is funded through the municipal infrastructure grant, MIG. The department, together with the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, has prepared a proposal for the ring- fencing of funds for sport and recreation within the municipality's municipal infrastructure grant. Secondly, the proposal was presented to Treasury in order for the proposed funding policy reforms to be incorporated into the Division of Revenue Bill for 2011. National Treasury indicated, however, that the proposed changes to the allocation formula could not be incorporated into the Division of Revenue Bill for the 2011-12 financial year. National Treasury indicated that at the point of the submission of the proposal, the draft Bill had already been submitted to Cabinet, and it was thus not possible to make any substantive policy changes such as introducing ring-fencing into the municipal infrastructure grant. These changes will be incorporated in the 2012-13 financial year.
However, the Division of Revenue Bill framework prescribes sport and recreation facilities as one of the measurable outputs against which municipalities must report.
In addition, Sports and Recreation South Africa, SRSA, and the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs have identified and met with the municipalities in all provinces without sport and recreation projects since the inception of municipal infrastructure grants, with the exception of the Eastern Cape. Plans are under way to have a session with the municipalities in the Eastern Cape. The plans for these municipalities are being reviewed to include sport and recreation facilities.
In regard to the big municipalities that are funded through the urban settlements development grant, the department, together with the Department of Human Settlements, is firstly working on a model to ensure more equitable provision of sport and recreation facilities in the urbanised areas. The possibility of ring-fencing funds for sport and recreation facilities will also be considered.
Secondly, Sport and Recreation South Africa, SRSA, does encourage national federations to develop their structures in the rural areas. This is done through the support given in the transfer of funds for the development and revival of clubs. Federations submit projects to be funded through transferred funds, specifically club development or revival. SRSA monitors the projects by getting reports and physically monitoring them to ensure that the money is used for its intended purposes.
Within the Siyadlala Mass Participation Programme, the legacy programme also deals with club development. The focus is on establishing clubs' provision of capacity-building programmes, namely training of administrators, coaches and technical officials, as well as employment of area co-ordinators.
The development of clubs takes place in conjunction with provincial federations. The focus is on the most rural areas. Indigenous games are co- ordinated as part of the Siyadlala Mass Participation Programme which is implemented in all provinces in mostly rural areas. Games include stick fighting, intonga, umlabalaba, dibeke and jukskei. Provinces hold indigenous game festivals with the mass participation hubs. This feeds into provincial indigenous games festivals on an annual basis. SRSA organises a national indigenous games festival. In 2008, women teams of each code participated in an international indigenous games festival in Busan, Korea. Some provinces have fully structured indigenous games councils. Thank you.