Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon Members, ladies and gentlemen ...
... ek wil net eers verskoning maak dat ek nie in my Bafana Bafana-trui is nie, maar u weet mos die bestuurder of afrigter moet so geklee wees. Die span moet mos die kleure aanh! [Gelag.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[... in the first place, I just want to apologise for not wearing my Bafana Bafana top, but as you know, the manager or coach has to dress like this. The team should be wearing the colours! [Laughter.]]
It is indeed a pleasure to announce that we are ready to host the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup tournament in 50 days. All the stadiums are ready and minor work is still being done on base camps and training venues. I'm sure it is going to be a unique and spectacular event, one that the world has not seen or expected from Africa and, in particular, South Africa.
The biggest portion of the budget is still going to the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup event, for the obligations that the government has to meet and the finishing of the infrastructure. It is with this in mind that we look at and engage with this budget.
Die begroting is vanjaar beduidend kleiner as die vorige jaar. Hiervan gaan R558 miljoen vir die 2010 Fifa-sokkerwreldbekertoernooi. Van wat oorbly, neem administrasie R88 miljoen.(Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[The budget this year is significantly smaller than last year. Of this R558 million will go towards the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup tournament. Of that which is left, administration takes R88 million.]
To become a top sporting nation, very little effort is put into sport to get ultimate achievements from the athletes. This is evident in the amount for sport support services, which has decreased by R22,1 million. Of the R102,1 million, R28,7 million goes to loveLife, which does not contribute to the success of our country's sporting achievements, as it is geared more towards social development. This R28,7 million ...
... is meer as wat al die sportfederasies gesamentlik kry, naamlik R27,6 miljoen. Ek wil werklik aanbeveel dat die loveLife-program uit die sport-agenda uitgefaseer word en die geld vir ander programme aangewend word.(Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[... is more than than the amount received by all the sports federations combined, namely R27,6 million. I would really suggest that the loveLife programme be phased out of the sports agenda and that the money be used for other programmes.]
This will ensure that the objectives of the sport support services can be met. We are also nearing the 2010 Commonwealth Games at the end of the year, where we want our teams to win medals. In the 2012 Olympic Games we want all our athletes to perform, but little is done to prepare them thoroughly.
We are all aware of the dire constraints under which the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport, Saids, had to be driven, practised, executed and accomplished. Despite these constraints, Saids has come up trumps with unqualified audit reports for the last few years. The increase in their budget to R10 million is well earned and will assist in achieving their goals.
The mass participation programme received the biggest part of our budget: R487 million. The objectives of this programme encourage active, lifelong participation in sport, sustain the legacy associated with the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup event, and promote physical wellbeing by facilitating school sport. All these objectives are very noble. However, the question remains whether the department can reach these objectives.
Van die bedrag beskikbaar - hierdie groot bedrag - is slegs R21,9 miljoen beskikbaar vir skoolsport. Daar is ges dat die program sy doelwitte die vorige boekjaar bereik het. Dit is egter teenstrydig met skoolsporttoernooie wat verlede jaar drie keer afgeskaal moes word, waarvan een uiteindelik afgestel moes word. Verbeel u: R21,9 miljoen vir skoolsport teenoor R28,7 miljoen vir loveLife!
Agb Minister, ons wil sorg dat ons op internasionale vlak presteer, maar u en die regering is traag om die probleme van die afgelope paar jare in skoolsport op te los. U het Ussasa doodgemaak, maar sloer om 'n werkbare oplossing vir skoolsport daar te stel. Ons verwag kwaliteit en resultate van ons nasionale spanne en atlete tydens internasionale byeenkomste, maar is nie bereid om op voetsoolvlak in skoolsport te bel nie.(Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Of the amount available - this substantial amount - only R21,9 million is available for school sport. It has been stated that the programme achieved its objectives the previous financial year. However, this is in contradiction to the school sports tournaments which had to be scaled down three times last year, and of which one, in the end, had to be cancelled. Imagine that: R21,9 million for school sport as opposed to R28,7 million for loveLife!
Hon Minister, we want to ensure that we excel at an international level, but over the past couple of years you and your government have been reluctant to resolve the problems in school sport. You have done away with the United School Sports Association of South Africa, Ussasa, but are dragging your feet in the development of a workable solution for school sport. We expect excellence and results from our national teams and athletes participating in international events, but are not prepared to invest in school sport at grass-roots level.]
Let us be bold and admit that we were wrong and start putting school sport back in the hands of the teachers.
U het wel personeel in die departement wat skoolsport moet organiseer, maar wat nie veel van sport weet nie. Minister, die grootste hartseer na 16 jaar van ANC-bewind, is dat ons steeds met skole op die platteland sit wat nrens het om hul sport te beoefen nie. Dit is dus onmoontlik vir atlete om hul potensiaal te ontwikkel as gevolg van fasiliteite wat ontbreek of nie bestaan nie, die koste aan proewe in groter stede en oefenkampe in groter stede wat hulle nie kan bywoon nie, en die koste aan nasionale toernooie wat hulle nie kan bywoon nie.(Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Indeed, you have staff in the department who should be managing school sport, but who do not know very much about sport. Minister, it is very sad that after 16 years under the ANC government we still find schools in the rural areas that don't have a place to practise their sport. It is, therefore, impossible for athletes to develop their potential because of lack of or the nonexistence of facilities, the costs associated with trials in the bigger towns and training camps in the bigger towns, which they are unable to attend, and the costs associated with national tournaments, which they are unable to attend.]
Funding from international bodies for attendance at international events is normally sufficient, but local rural athletes struggle to attend tournaments.
Agb Minister, dit het nou tyd geword om die bul by die horings te pak, die verlede te begrawe en aan te dui hoe ons dit wat ons het gaan gebruik om probleme in skoolsport met plattelandse atlete op te los. Dis interessant, mnr die Minister, hierdie pamflette word vandag hier buite uitgedeel. Lees dit! Cheryl Roberts s baie pertinent daarin dat "the situation is that only if you have money, can you participate in sport." Dis 'n groot probleem, mnr die Minister.
Ek herhaal: die bedrae in die begroting beskikbaar vir massadeelname en loveLife moet korrek aangewend word om die behoeftes van ons jeug aan te spreek en om beskikbare potensiaal te ontwikkel.(Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Hon Minister, the time has come to grab the bull by the horns, to bury the past and to indicate how we are are going to utilise that which we have to solve problems that exist in school sport regarding athletes in rural areas. Interestingly, Mr Minister, these pamphlets are being distributed outside here today. Read one! In it Cheryl Roberts states very pertinently that "the situtation is that only if you have money, can you participate in sport." This is a big problem, Mr Minister.
I repeat: the allocations in the budget available for mass participation and loveLife should be applied correctly, to address the needs of our youth and to develop the potential at our disposal.]
Hon Minister, your noble vision is under serious threat of not being realised, unless the various programmes are condensed into one, and it is properly managed and co-ordinated.
Sport het vandag 'n beroep geword. Ons moet sorg dat programme van so 'n aard is dat almal in ons land die geleentheid het om te ontwikkel. Die vraag oor hoeveel skole geen fasiliteit per provinsie in die land het nie, is telkemale gevra, so ook opleiding van lewensorinteringonderwysers by skole. Skoolsport het agteruit gegaan toe liggaamlike opvoeding as vak afgeskaf is. Dis egter verblydend dat dit deels terug is in die vorm van lewensorintering, maar onderwyseropleiding bly egter die uitdaging.
Oor die miljoene rande van Lotto is daar al baie ges. Ek gaan nie verder daarop uitbrei nie, want die tyd loop uit.
Gelukwensing aan ons paralimpiese atlete met hul prestasies die afgelope jare wat SA se naam hoog gehou het! Besondere gelukwensing aan Ernst van Dyk wat die afgelope naweek vir die negende keer die Boston-maraton gewen het, asook aan Krige Schabort.
Laastens, Voorsitter, wil ek net s voorspoed aan Bafana Bafana! Ons ondersteun julle.(Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Today, sport has become a career. We have to ensure that programmes are such that everyone in our country has the opportunity to develop. The question regarding how many schools don't have facilities for each province in the country, has been asked several times, as has the question about the training of life orientation teachers at schools. School sport has degenerated since physical education was scrapped as a subject. However, it is heartening that it has been partly reinstated in the form of life orientation, but teacher training remains a challenge.
A lot has been said already about the millions of rands in the Lotto. I am not going to elaborate any further on that because time is running out.
Congratulations to our paralympic athletes on their achievements these past couple of years, which did South Africa proud! A special mention goes to Ernst van Dyk, who won the Boston Marathon for the ninth time this past weekend, and also to Krige Schabort.
Finally, Chairperson, I would just like to say good luck to Bafana Bafana! We are backing you.]
We want you to do the nation proud. I thank you. [Applause.]