Hon Chairperson, Minister, Deputy Minister, hon members, earlier the Minister said informally that the time allocated for debate was too short. We agree, Minister, that if we are to discuss all the issues we most probably need more than a single day.
However, hon Chairperson, I want to start my contribution to this debate by paying tribute to a poet, an activist and an author, and one of the pioneers of nonracial sport in South Africa, the late Professor Dennis Brutus, who passed away here in Cape Town on 26 December last year. South Africans will recall that Prof Brutus had been the President of Sanroc, the South African Nonracial Olympic Committee, among others. His activism led to Olympic officials banning South Africa from any Olympic competition from 1964 until the end of apartheid. In December 2007, Prof Brutus was to be inducted into the South African Sports Hall of Fame. At the induction ceremony, he publicly turned down his nomination, saying, and I quote:
It is incompatible to have those who championed racist sport alongside its genuine victims. It's time - indeed, long past time - for sports truth, apologies and reconciliation.
The legacy left by Prof Brutus provides and compels us to exploit all opportunities, hon Minister, to build a country and a sports movement that address the inequalities in society. To achieve this we require sports activists who prioritise the collective good of our people above personal gain and comfort. Attempts to achieve transformation in sport will only succeed if administrators and stakeholders have a clear understanding of, firstly, the damage that was caused by segregation and, secondly, what needs to be done to fix the problem. It also highlights the need for committed individuals who are unapologetic in pursuance of the objective of a democratic, united and nonracial society.
It is a sad reality that for us the norm has become to view transformation as an event and not as a part of a nation-building project that must be nurtured and protected. No amount of lip service and workshops on transformation will succeed in instilling confidence in sports administrators to proceed with the process of transformation. It is important, hon Minister, that we continue to train our sports administrators through the programmes of the departments and also through stakeholders such as Supersport and the programme that it runs through its Wits Business School. This has delivered, in a sustainable manner, qualified sports administrators who can administer sport.
You mentioned earlier, hon Minister, that sport is alive and well in this country. Yes, I agree that it is "alive", but it's debatable whether it's "well". And the reason I say this is because a month ago, towards the end of March, I, together with the president of Safcoc, attended a boxing tournament at the new International Convention Centre in East London. And on display, apart from the professional bouts, were very young boxers - amateurs - who have just entered the sport. Of course they come from the Mecca of boxing in South Africa: Mdantsane and Zwelitsha. It is thus important, hon Minister, that we don't kill boxing in South Africa. What we need to do is to correct and assist them through this convention so that we can produce more boxers who can bring pride to the country. We will wait and see what the intended legislation is and we will give direction to the comrades deployed in the private members' legislation committee, on how to deal with the matter when it arise there.
I am convinced the hon members witnessed over the Easter weekend how different sporting codes came together to participate in different sports activities. The questions that arise are: Is this hive of activity possible because of the support they are getting, or is it because of funding, or is it in spite of the support they are getting? I would say, hon Minister, it is in spite of the meagre resources that are made available that they are achieving this success.
We are convinced, hon members, that after the hosting of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup we will see a surge in the number of young boys and girls who want to play football. The question is how we are going to respond to these expectations. Hon Minister, it is thus important that we turn our attention to the flagship programme of the department, the mass participation programme. Over the next three years, close to R2 billion will be spent on this programme. It is about time, Minister, that we fine- tune this programme so that we can move it to another level. It is simply not good enough to say that we have the hubs and that mass participation programmes are taking place, but when you visit the hubs, you notice that the provinces, and in certain respects the municipalities, that are responsible for the implementation of the programme simply show no appetite to achieve its original objective.
You've also stated your intent in terms of school sport and it is absolutely correct. I will agree that we need to align these programmes with one another, because it's difficult to separate them. How do you tell a youngster who participates in a mass participation programme, "You have to wait for the school sport budget and programme before you are allowed to move to the next level"? In this regard, hon Minister, we propose that we form a closer working relationship with those progressive federations - and I want to stress "progressive federations" - in certain parts of the country that can actually assist us and the department in the implementation of that mass participation programme.
We have had different comments during this debate, hon Minister, especially from the hon Alberts. I see the hon Alberts is back now.
Hy het ges "... as ons suksesvol gaan wees met die aanbieding van die Fifa- sokkerwreldbekertoernooi in 2010 ..." Dis nie 'n geval van s ons suksesvol gaan wees met die aanbieding van die Fifa- sokkerwreldbekertoernooi nie, dit is eerder 'n geval van wannr ons suksesvol gaan wees om di toernooi aan te bied. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[He said "... if we are going to be successful in hosting the Fifa Soccer World Cup tournament in 2010 ..." It is not a case of "if" we are going to be successful in hosting the Fifa Soccer World Cup tournament, it is rather a case of "when" we succeed in hosting this tournament.]
Mention was also made by the hon member that the world has a negative view of South Africa at the moment, and that transformation has gone too far. Minister, as I have said, transformation is not an event; it is a process that all of us must own and nurture. What are the lessons that we have learnt up until now? Of course there will be more lessons to be learnt as we move on to the hosting of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.
Firstly, we are filled with national pride, irrespective of the political party we belong to. We are proudly South African because of the efforts made thus far. We have also proven to the world that we as a nation can deliver on commitments made to the international community. Internationally, we are now perceived as a reliable partner who can implement decisions that have been taken and we can proudly take our place among the family of nations. We have also proven that working together as a nation we can deliver quality products, services and events within agreed timeframes, and we stick to deadlines. The preparations for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup have unleashed an unwavering resolve by all our people, in spite of Afro-pessimism, to prove to the world that we can "work together to do more for our people", even beyond the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.
The message, hon Minister, for the key programmes in the department is: As the lead department in the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, you have taken us to the brink of history in providing a quality tournament. Let us use the skills and expertise that we have attained during this process to make a success of implementing those grass-roots programmes that will ensure sustainable success for our people. Afrika ke nako! [Africa, the time is now!] Let's celebrate Africa's humanity. I thank you. [Applause.]