Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon Members of the National Assembly, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
I am going to talk about mass participation and our contribution as a department has been the training and recruitment of youth for employment as activity co-ordinators where they get a stipend. The mass participation programme has already trained over 4 000 young volunteers in sport and recreation. It shows that we are serious about contributing positively towards the socioeconomic health of our country.
The aim of mass participation is to increase the number of participants in sport and recreation programmes at community and local levels in conjunction with the provinces, local authorities, national federations, education departments and other key stakeholders.
One of the elements of these programmes is called community mass participation. It's a horizontal sport and recreation development programme that co-ordinates and builds capacity in sporting and recreational activities in the provinces through the identified hub; promotes special projects on transformation, HIV/Aids and for the celebration of national days; and monitors, measures and reports on the impact of the programme.
The Department of Sport and Recreation mainly has to provide the mass participation programme with resources for the disabled and for women. It is important that sectors of our society who have lived in a disadvantaged environment, like women and disabled persons, be given equal opportunities in sport. There are codes that were previously reserved for males, like soccer, rugby and cricket, that also include women now. We now have a national ladies soccer team as well as a rugby team. Some of the objectives will include addressing gender issues in sport and recreation, promoting similar opportunities in sport to all community members and ensuring equal access to all available opportunities in terms of sport.
How do we promote sport for women with disabilities? Equal to access and opportunities to participate in physical activities should be made available to all, including those with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Sports federations must embark on programmes and campaigns that attract women and people with disabilities.
Abesifazane badlale indima enkulu ukuthuthukisa leli lizwe kodwa babecindezelwe emidlalweni ethile yendabuko, singabala imidanso kanye nakwezemidlalo. Ngakho-ke ngiyazibuza ukuthi isimo sesinjani namuhla. Uma sithatha imidlalo yama-olimpiki njengesibonelo, siphawula ukuthi abantu besifazane sebeyamukelwa emidlalweni ebeyithathwa njengemidlalo yabantu besilisa kuphela.
Le ntuthuko iveza ukwamukelwa kukahulumeni oholwa nguKhongolose kwezemidlalo nokungcebeleka ukuphumelelisa izinhlelo ezifana nokubamba iqhaza ngobuningi kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwemfundo kwezemidlalo okuyikhona okwaba yisivumelwano sasePolokwane, ukuthi lesi sifundo akube yisifundo esifundwa ezikoleni.
Lolu hlelo luyisisekelo sokubandakanya futhi lulekelela labo abamanqikanqika ekubambeni iqhaza kwezemidlalo. Lolu hlelo luhlinzekela ukuba iningi libambe iqhaza kwezemidlalo, njengoba kancane kancane lwenza umkhakha wezemidlalo ube nomthelela ku-Asgisa. Ngiyazi ukuthi uhulumeni oholwa uKhongolose uyayihlonipha imithombo eminingi ethi abesifazane babambe iqhaza ezinhlelweni eziningi zezemidlalo eziyizinhlobo ezahlukene emazweni amaningi.
Izinga lalezi zinhlelo, ngendlela ezibe nomthelela ngayo odabeni lwamantombazana kanye nomame ngokunjalo ukuthi uhlobo lwemithelela ibemihle ngokuphelele kubalwa nemihlomulo. Yingakho-nje lezi zinhlelo kade zingahlinzekelelwe abakhubazekile, yingakho-nje iNingizimu Afrika isineqembu labagijimi abakhubazekile ... [Kwaphela isikhathi.] [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Women have played a very important role in the development of this country but they were discriminated against in some traditional sports codes. I therefore ask myself whether the situation has changed today. If we take the Olympics as an example, we note that females are now allowed to participate in sport which were previously considered to be for males only.
This development displays the acknowledgement of the sporting and entertainment fraternity by the ANC-led government in promoting programmes like mass participation and the development of education in sport, which was one of the Polokwane resolutions - that sport should be taught at school.
This programme is the building block for mass participation in sport and helps all those who are doubtful in taking part in sport. This programme provides for more people to take part in sport, as it gradually influences sport to have an impact on Asgisa. I know that the ANC-led government respects organisations that say that women should play a role in most sports codes which are available in all countries.
The quality of these programmes has had a good impact on young girls and women's issues and yielded good results and medals. These programmes did not cater for the people living with disabilities, but, South Africa has a team of disabled athletes now ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]]