Hon Chairperson, firstly, I would like to deal with the issues that have been raised here. To hon Meyer, thank you for all the positive and constructive comments you have made about the municipal infrastructure grant and so on. We are looking forward to receiving and viewing the DVD or CD you displayed during your presentation.
Secondly, with regard to the matter that has been raised about the annual report of the Department of Sport and Recreation for 2009-10, this was presented to the portfolio committee as well as the select committee last year. The 2010-11 report is due to be tabled only at the end of August.
A number of hon members raised the question of school sport, emphasising that we must ensure that this is implemented. We agree with that. Our concept of school sport is not just a parochial implementation of the school sport programmes. In South Africa, we have more or less 30 000 schools. When you talk about school programmes, they are actually parochial and each and every one has its own vision of school sport. What we are trying to do, as a department, is to develop a comprehensive programme so that even should Deputy Minister Oosthuizen not be there - because people get reshuffled every week - those who come in can actually continue with the plan for the implementation of school sport. We need a school sport programme for South Africa.
If we have limited resources in South Africa - this is our vision, as well as the ANC's - most of those resources must be spent on the university and school sport programmes. If you look at the Olympic athletes in our country, 80% of them have been groomed through university sport. Recently, there was a university Olympics at the University of Stellenbosch. Most of the athletes who will be competing in London will come through the university Olympics programme. This shows what university and school sport programmes can do in terms of the development and delivery of athletes of high calibre and of Olympian performance for South Africa. This is our vision.
We don't want to utilise resources that have no impact or don't produce anything. We are not in sport to basically supply extramural activities. Our task is to nurture and unearth talent. That is the point.
When we talk about school sport Olympics, it is something that we want next year. This year we start with finalising the issues of the memorandum of understanding. It must be organic. It must start at school level, where the person participates in football, or athletics, and continues up the pyramid until they reach the national school sports Olympics. In that way the athlete would have proved to be a worthy talent that can be nurtured for the country. That is the vision for school sport.
There is no country in the world - look, for instance, at the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia - that changed the face of sport and got to where they are today without school sport being the bedrock of development. This is what we are seeking to do with school sport. People have been talking about school sport, and others have school sport somewhere in the corners, with spaza shops and all that, but it has never taken off.
What we want is that yes, young people must be in the streets playing sport on Wednesdays, but out of that there must be a league of not less than 16 sporting codes, which will actually evolve up to the national level. If that evolves and is implemented over a period of time, we think that we will have played a role in changing the face of sport. Of the many things that we can do, school sport is actually a critically important one.
Transformation is important. The sports indaba is not just a talk show. We invite all hon members to participate in shaping the National Sports Plan. Part of what we are reviewing is a perspective on the question of transformation in South Africa. This is important, because we talk past each other. Other people have reduced transformation to racial polarisation - white versus black. That is not the issue. The fundamental question is: If we want a black and white squad that is representative of the rainbow nation, where will those young people come from? The Rugby World Cup is coming and the Springboks are going to participate. Is that team representative? You will argue that it is not. Why? The reason is that we don't have a developmental theory and alignment with regard to transformation.
Yes, people talk about merit, but merit does not mean underplaying what we represent. It means we must get our tools correct with regard to development in South Africa. Every sporting federation in this country must speak to the scorecard and be able to tell us what they have done to unearth and nurture talent in line with the principles of transformation in South Africa. If you ask sporting federations in this country what their transformation agenda is, each one of them has a different answer, and if not, no answer at all. And you can't blame young people when they go to tournaments and complain that a particular team is not representative but lily-white. What do sports administrators do to develop talent where they are? You are passing the buck to people who have no responsibility. As South Africans, we must all ensure through our own plans that there is a project.
Furthermore, I just want to say that I agree that indigenous games are very important. It is missing, but it is part of our plan and I think we have to work together.
As a Minister of Sport and Recreation in South Africa, I support all national teams and I recognise excellence. So, it does not mean that I hate Orlando Pirates by not mentioning them. [Interjections.] Of course, up the Bucs, because they have excelled. They have proven in tough competitions that they can actually make it, and that's the end of the story, finish and klaar. That is it. [Laughter.] As to whether or not I support Black Aces, thank you for reading my mind wrongly. [Laughter.] That is my secret, just as my vote in an ANC conference is a secret.
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge and voice my appreciation for all sportspersons, luminaries, coaches and administrators - without exception - present here with us. Together we are on a journey to change the face of sport in South Africa, together with the supporters and players who are part of the game.
When we talk about sport in South Africa, we don't mean football, rugby and cricket only; we mean everything. That is what we must begin to bring into the fold. We must learn to support even the lowest in the ranks of sport in our country. I know, Deputy Minister, that when you talk about jukskei, people will ask what that is. I think it is important that we support everybody and acknowledge and appreciate our working together.
I wish to thank everybody who wished me a speedy recovery from my short illness. I think recovery is a journey. I want to thank the staff and the doctors at the 2 Military Hospital, Members of Parliament, sports administrators, my family and everybody for their support. It shows that umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu or motho ke motho ka batho [human beings are interdependent]. That is the kind of world we live in. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.