Hon Chairperson, the IFP applauds the Department of Sport and Recreation for its drive to celebrate and reward the achievements of our sports heroes. However, spending R65 million, of which the Department of Sport and Recreation is forking out a massive R21 million on awards, is beyond excessive and makes a mockery of the collective struggles of many sporting aspirants who languish daily to realise their full potential in the absence of sporting infrastructure and resources.
The IFP agrees that we should celebrate sports in this country, but we should do so by giving the different codes all the resources they need, rather than throwing an extravagant party that caters to the desires of the elite. Therefore, sport should not be approached with the Minister's humdinger or razzmatazz attitude, but with the seriousness it deserves as an agent for social change and nation-building.
Since 1994, promises have been made that every school will have a sports field and a sports facility; yet this has not happened. The continual absence of these things entrenches inequality in sport. The excessive spending on the sport awards takes that inequality to another level. Whilst the IFP supports this Budget Vote, we cannot support excessive spending such as that on the sport awards. I thank you.