Mnr die Voorsitter, agb Minister en agb lede, in die jaar dat Suid-Afrika die grootste sportskouspel ter wreld, die Sokkerwreldbekertoernooi, aanbied, is dit baie teleurstellend dat die departement wat ten nouste hierby betrokke is 'n gekwalifiseerde verslag van die Ouditeur-generaal gekry het. Maar ons pluk nou die wrang vrugte van die aanstel van persone wat nie "fit for purpose" [doeltreffend] is nie. Ek wil onmiddellik bys dat dit nie 'n vingerwysing na die huidige direkteur- generaal, Mnr Petersen, is nie, maar eerder na sy voorganger, wat glad nie die mas opgekom het nie. Ek hoop dat met die huidige direkteur-generaal, mnr Petersen, in die saal en die nuwe aanstellings wat deur hom gemaak word 'n herhaling van die gekwalifiseerde verslag van die Ouditeur-generaal iets van die verlede sal wees. Ek hoop regtig so.
Die DA verklaar homself bereid om te help om 'n soortgelyke verslag van die Ouditeur-generaal in die toekoms te voorkom. Toe die departement voor die Staande Komitee oor Openbare Rekeninge, Skoor, verskyn het, wat eintlik 'n pynlike proses was, was dit duidelik dat die aanstel van amptenare in die provinsies wat nie hul sout werd is nie, een van die grootste struikelblokke is. Om voorgenoemde rede word baie projekte nie betyds in werking gestel of effektief gemoniteer nie en word daar nie betyds aan die direkteur-generaal verslag gedoen nie. Van die DA se kant sal ons probeer, en sal ek persoonlik probeer, om toe te sien dat soortgelyke goed nie in die Wes-Kaap, hier waar ons regeer, gebeur nie. Dit is 'n ander vlak van regering, maar van my kant af sal ek gesels sodat ons nie daartoe bydra nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr T D LEE: Mr Chairperson, hon Minister and hon members, it is very disappointing, in the year of hosting the world's largest sporting spectacle, the Soccer World Cup, that the department most closely involved in this received a qualified report from the Auditor-General. But we are now reaping the bitter fruits of appointing persons who are not fit for purpose. I hasten to add that this does not amount to pointing a finger at the current director-general, Mr Pietersen, but rather at his predecessor who just could not make the grade. I hope that with the current director- general, Mr Pietersen, in the saddle and the new appointments being made by him, a repeat of the qualified report from the Auditor-General will be a thing of the past. I really hope so.
The DA declares itself willing to assist in preventing a similar report from the Auditor-General in the future. When the department appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa, which was actually a painful process, it became clear that the appointment of officials in the provinces who cannot earn their keep is one of the major impediments. For the aforesaid reason many projects are not implemented in time or monitored effectively and the DG is not reported to timeously. From the DA's side we will try, and I shall personally try, to see to it that similar things do not take place in the Western Cape, here where we govern. It is a different tier of government, but from my side I will speak up so that we do not contribute to this.]
Boxing SA continues to be an albatross around the neck of the department. It is the only sports federation to be constituted by an Act of Parliament. It has been plagued by scandals relating either to mismanagement of funds or internal infighting, all of which has hindered organisational stability since its formation. In 2007 the Minister of Sport and Recreation, this Minister, called the organisation "a nuisance". Last year the current Minister, and it's the same Minister, said, "It continues to be the Achilles heel of our work."
The DA would like to contribute to finding a solution to the deadlock over Boxing SA by introducing a private member's Bill that will have the organisation disestablished and allow it to be recreated under its own management, as is the case with all other sporting codes. What is so special about boxing? Why is it treated differently?
There are very good reasons for disbanding this sporting body. Firstly, Boxing SA's administrative capacity is in shambles. It is still failing to get basic administrative functions right, such as ensuring that purse moneys to boxers are paid on time. Secondly, the body has been hit by internal fighting that seriously compromises its effectiveness. In December 2008 three board members, namely Messrs Sodo, Tsika and Baloyi, resigned from the board barely a year after being appointed, all citing the chairperson of Boxing SA, Dr Peter Ngatane's autocratic management style as the reason for their departure. Thirdly, it is a constant drain on public resources, having lost all its major sponsors since 2006. Boxing SA is now almost entirely dependent on state allocations from the Department of Sport and Recreation. This is an unacceptable state of affairs and cannot be allowed to continue.
The private member's Bill, and here is a copy of it, will relieve the department of this troublesome and ineffective organisation and should be fully embraced and supported by this House. I hope, Mr Komphela, that you will support this. The Minister, the director, the portfolio committee and Scopa - everybody, including the boxers, will breathe a sigh of relief if this Bill becomes law.
Voorsitter, een van die grootste tragedies wat hom in die afgelope jaar in sport afgespeel het, is die Caster Semenya fiasko. Op 'n hartelose en onverantwoordelike wyse is een van ons mees belowende atlete se lewe sowel as haar sportloopbaan verwoes. Die optrede van mnr Chuene, die oud- president van ASA, vind ek verwerplik, om die minste te s. Die feit dat hy deur sommige van sy mederaadslede gesteun en beskerm is, gaan die verstand te bowe. Ek kan ook nie verstaan dat hy deur mense wat in di Raad sit, beskerm word nie. Ek het 'n sug van verligting geslaak toe mnr Chuene en sy handlangers in die pad gesteek is.
Laat ek myself hier onderbreek. Ek wil vandag aan twee mense, naamlik Wilfred Daniels en Harold Adams, hulde bring. Di twee mense was bereid om hulself in die openbaar van di fiasko te distansieer. Hulle het hul eie posisies op die spel geplaas. Hulle het bedank. In hulle sien ek mense wat die sport, en veral atletiek, in di land kan lei. Ds eerbare mense.
In 2001 het ek 'n dossier aan die destydse Minister van Sport en Outspanning, mnr Balfour, oorhandig waarin die wanpraktyke in ASA met die nodige stawende dokumente aan hom uitgewys is. Vir my moeite het hy my 'n "coconut" genoem, en u sal dit seker onthou. Ek is verheug dat Saskok nou besluit het om die bedrywighede van ASA te ondersoek. Ek vra dit al vir die afgelope 10 jaar, want ons moet die atlete sowel as die borge gemoedsrus gee dat die administrasie van atletiek in die hande van eerbare mense is. Ek wil graag 'n versoek aan die Minister rig en vra of hy nie die dossier wat ek aan sy voorganger gegee het ook aan die ondersoekspan van SASKOK sal gee nie, sodat die inligting daarin vervat ook verder ondersoek kan word. Verder het ek ook 'n brief aan die Spesiale Ondersoek-eenheid onder leiding van Adv Willie Hofmeyr gestuur om hom ook te vra om ASA te ondersoek. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, one of the biggest tragedies to have taken place in sport over the past year was the Caster Semenya fiasco. The life and the sporting career of one of our most promising athletes were both destroyed in a heartless and irresponsible manner. I find the actions of Mr Chuene, the former ASA president, objectionable to say the least. The fact that he was supported and protected by some of his fellow board members is incomprehensible. I also fail to understand how some people who are sitting in this Chamber are protecting him. I breathed a sigh of relief when he and his henchmen were fired.
Let me interrupt myself here. Today I want to pay tribute to two people, namely Wilfred Daniels and Harold Adams. These two people were prepared to distance themselves publicly from this fiasco. They put their own positions on the line. They resigned. I see in them people who can lead sport, and especially athletics, in this country. These are honourable people.
In 2001 I handed a file to the then Minister of Sport and Recreation, Mr Balfour, in which malpractices within ASA were pointed out to him, with the necessary supporting documents. For my efforts he called me a coconut, as you will surely remember. I am glad that Sascoc has now decided to investigate the affairs of ASA. I have been asking for this for the past 10 years, because we must give the athletes as well as the sponsors peace of mind that the administration of athletics is in the hands of honourable people. I would also like to address a request to the Minister and ask if he could hand the file that I gave to his predecessor to the investigating team from Sascoc, so that the information contained in it can be further investigated. Furthermore, I have also sent a letter to the Special Investigating Unit led by Adv Willie Hofmeyr, asking him also to investigate ASA.]
I would like to draw attention to the National Lottery, which every year sends back billions of rand. I think they have R6 billion in unspent money. It is unacceptable and it is a sin. In fact, you have referred to it, Minister ... [Interjections.] Is it eight? It is growing by the day, it seems. It is R8 billion. [Interjections.]
It is unacceptable that sports projects around the country suffer from a lack of funds when such large sums of money go unallocated. The DA would like to see a portion of these funds ploughed into creating opportunities for talented sportsmen and sportswomen to thrive. Mr Komphela referred to the schools where they have no facilities.
We believe that the best way to do this is through the establishment of a South African sports academy which will, firstly, develop a national programme of action across as many sporting codes as possible; secondly, identify and recruit those with genuine sporting potential; thirdly, pursue a programme of excellence in developing talent and thus assist the next generation of sportsmen and sportswomen to compete at the highest level; and finally, to place South Africa on a par with the superpowers of world sport.
I also want to turn to the initiative of loveLife, where we also spend a lot of money. While the DA fully supports the fight against HIV and Aids on all fronts, including sports, I am concerned about the lack of accountability that plagues loveLife. They do not come to us, they do not report to us, but still they receive more than all the associations and federations put together. [Time expired.]