M Stofile: Sport and Recreation Budget Vote Debate, NCOP

5 June 2006

Chairperson and honourable members, our people and our country have many
reasons to celebrate this period of our history. This was clearly and neatly
articulated last February by a group of Afrikaner business ladies whom I
happened to engage at Aliwal North during a door-to-door campaign. In their own
words, they said they were very pleased with where South Africa is as a
country, but they frankly told me that they were not going to vote for the ANC
councillors. Still, they lost their wards.

Where we are was achieved in a very expensive way. Good sons and daughters
of our land lost their lives, spent many years in jail and in exile. Yes, many
of us missed being normal children. This year we commemorate such events as the
last revolt that was led by Chief Bambatha 100 years ago in defence of our land
and our dignity. Fifty years ago our leaders faced trumped up treason trial
charges, and 30 years ago a section of the youth of South Africa rose against
an obnoxious system that had seen so much pain being inflicted by so few, to so
many, for so long.

Of course, 50 years ago, our mothers also embarked on that momentous march
to the Union Buildings to fight for their liberation and justice. To be here
should therefore be a cause for joy for all of us, united in our diversity –
just as our forbearers have always wanted South Africa to be a country that
belongs to all who live in it, black and white.

Sport should see no colour and I must confess that this was inspired by the
song by the American, Mr Nasirri, “Love Sees No Colour”. I think sport also
should see no colour. By its very nature, sport is a natural catalyst for an
integrated and united nation. Go to any place where children come together,
until socialised otherwise, children readily play together without
prejudice.

However, last night I watched an SABC 1 programme called Asikhulume. The
topic was the transformation of rugby in this country. The picture painted was
not very encouraging. The most horrific information to be heard last night was
that one Fihlani boy from KwaZulu-Natal sharks was not selected for the
provincial side and I quote the speakers, “because he could not speak English.”
This is a naked violation of our Constitution because it unfairly discriminates
solely on the grounds of race and languages, contrary to section 9 of our
Constitution.

Sports people can be exposed to antisocial traits like violence, corruption,
hooliganism, excessive nationalism and cheating. Sports people can be exposed
to the dangers of child labour, doping, early specialisation, exploitative
commercialisation and overexertion. These ills of society invariably affect the
health of citizens. They create a premature separation of juveniles from their
families and also of cultural and communal ties. So, yes, sport is a reflection
of society, its miseries and woes, the socio-economic challenges and, indeed,
the values of society.

The positive and developmental approach to sport has potentially positive
benefits. In a transforming society like ours, sport and recreation must
necessarily contribute to our country’s transformation agenda, an agenda that
seeks to create a non-racial, non-sexist, prosperous and peaceful South Africa.
Sport must contribute to the redresses of the disparities of the past, with
respect to the equality of opportunities, access to infrastructure, access to
equipment and kit, yes, and equal access to skills and skilled coaches,
referees and efficient managers.

What guides us in our work? Our President in South Africa has persistently
highlighted the potential that sport has to build social cohesion and national
unity. Who can understand that more than ourselves who experienced such
cohesive entity as South Africa during the victory in the World Cup in 1995 and
when we won the right to host the 2010 football World Cup in 2004? Of course,
we were also in a national solidarity of misery, woe and anger as we lamented
being kicked out of the list of nations to participate in the 2006 football
World Cup in Germany.

I am reminding most of you about what you already understand. But success
for a sport activist does not rely on a periodic remembrance of these facts,
and it does not rely on merely talking about them. What is important for us is
the passion in implementing these ideas. Knowing is not enough, we must apply
the knowledge. Being willing is not enough, we must do what must be done. The
purpose of this submission is to develop a common knowledge between this House
and our department regarding what needs to be done, and to translate the
constitutional imperatives into a common programme of action for the
transformation of our society.

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa affirms the democratic
values of humanity, human dignity, equality and freedom. A participation in
sport and recreation is recognised by the United Nations as a fundamental human
right, which all governments must access to all their people. As such, access
to sport and recreation is a non-derogable right. It is a human right.

In line with these constitutional imperatives, our President assigned us
powers and functions to develop and implement national policies and guidelines
for people and our country. This way we contribute to the transformation of
South Africa into a country that belongs to all who live in it, united in our
diversity. This way we contribute to the healing of pains caused by an
unfortunate dispensation in our country.

Our President also reminds us all the time that our ideals and objectives
for the South Africa of our dreams cannot be achieved through spontaneity and
mere aspirations. The transformation agenda cannot be left to the whims of the
market forces, for the President correctly points out that market forces are
not sympathetic to the poor. So, as government, we have a responsibility to
intervene and to make sport and recreation unlock its potential in transforming
and developing the underdeveloped parts and people of our country.

Our focus continues to revolve around the following areas. The first one is
mass participation, which is the promotion of sport and recreation among our
people. This takes into account the different age groups as well as the
different categories of participation. Response to this programme has far
exceeded expectations and puts a lot of pressure on us in respect of funds,
equipment and facilities.

We are also challenged to equip the elite sportspersons of our country to
make sure that South Africa remains at the top of the world. This is very
important for nation-building, pride and social cohesion. I must confess we
have not been always successful in this regard, especially with respect to
football.

With our focus on good corporate governance and human resource development,
training and skilling have become critical. Some sports federations and other
institutions have supported us admirably in these initiatives.

Only two weeks ago, together with South African Football Association (SAFA),
Super Sport and the University of Johannesburg, Wits, we launched a senior
management training course. The benefit of such acquired skills will go a long
way not only to a number of federations in lifting up their management
capacity, but even those who benefit from those managers who are skipping ship
and go to other careers will also benefit South Africa.

So our Mass Participation Programme (MPP) does not only swell the ranks of
sports programmes, it also creates jobs and develops skills.

School sport is a shared function of both the Department of Education and
us. Much still needs to be done to realign the mindset of our implementers to
the new thinking. No government department is an island. But I am afraid some
still do think that they are islands. We must enrich our collective
responsibility with our core specialisations. We are also involved locally,
continentally and globally with anti-doping programmes.

Although cheating in sport is as old as the history of organised sport
itself - last year, I alluded to the origin of cheating to the pre-Jesus Christ
period of the Roman times - South Africa is only beginning to experience the
most dangerous side of cheating which is doping.

The current season seems to be the most terrible of our codes, especially
athletics. This challenges our department, the federations and the SA Institute
for Drug Free Sport to redouble our anti-doping awareness programmes.

Of course, that also challenges the members of this august House, to
participate to those lobbying against the toxicities of our children. The
Department of Education and Social Development are naturally allies in this,
and so are public representatives of Parliament.

Doping is not only unfair as it enhances the performance of users, but it is
also dangerous to the health of the user. We must fight this scourge and
preserve a health nation that cherishes the values of fair play and ubuntu.

We are proud of the contribution our department is making in Africa and the
world in anti-doping policy development and the tightening up of the sanctions
on the offenders to include managers, trainers and everybody who introduces
athletes to banned drugs. Because believe me, these children are introduced to
these drugs.

Obviously, more legislation and regulation is needed to avoid some sections
of the sports fraternity escaping being tested by using selfish and frivolous
excuses, like the teachers who refused to have their boys tested in the last
rugby tournament this year. We are willing to do everything to protect our
country. But we must not only be willing but we must actually do it. Help us
succeed by supporting our Budget Vote and our programmes.

The other challenge to sports and recreation is the HIV and Aids. The
department of Health is the leading department on HIV and Aids in this country.
Our government’s programme to address the challenges of HIV and Aids is one of
the most comprehensive and largest in the world. Mr Kofi Annan, of the United
Nations (UN), in 2001, commended South Africa for tripling its resources
towards HIV and Aids.

In June last year, the world Health Organisation noted that the Republic of
South Africa had committed over US$1 billion for antiretrovirals over three
years, by far the largest budget allocation of any low or middle income
country.

We are pleased that we can be counted as one of the departments that never
fail in making a contribution to that allocation. Like any other programme, our
partnership with Love Life must be evaluated to make sure that we derive
maximum benefit from our contribution.

The Age of Hope for a faster access to shared opportunities and a better
life must spur us to quick and determined action. This hope we already see in
the middle aged and married women of Mngaza and Libote in the Eastern Cape as
they participate in 5 km and 10 km runs with their children.

We see it in the middle-aged women of Limpopo who play football with
pseudonyms of Collins Mbesuma, Lucas Radebe and others. In the remote area of
Tsidilamolomo in the North West, the rudiments of world-beaters are displayed
as teenage tumblers spin and fly through space under the watchful eye of
Tshepo, the no. 2 tumbler in the world. As Humbulani Thenga of Shayandima
Secondary School leads South Africa’s juniors in marathon runners, we see the
Age of Hope beginning to blossom.

Chairperson, whether it is Ntini making a habit of taking five wickets per
test match or a Brian Habana habitually intercepting a ball to score important
tries; whether it is Sipho Ntlapho becoming the World BMX Champion, our
Under-23 Soccer Team beating their African age-mates, whether it is Basetsane
or the KwaZulu-Natal under 15 soccer team beating the world in France; all
these are the building blocks for the Age of Hope. Today is much better than it
used to be in our time. Opportunities are no longer determined by race or
gender. South Africa is fast belonging to all who live in it, black and
white.

Our vision is to see the participation in our programmes lead to community
clubs. These will in turn be the basic sites of sport development and the
building bricks of social cohesion. Together with school sport, community clubs
are also where the catchments of players for skills and transformation will
come from.

This is the rationale for us placing so many premiums in their proper
organisation and management of school sport and community clubs. Better mores,
a new positive value system that will contribute to a moral regeneration will
be born in our communities through these close-knit units.

We are not just putting together human beings who must just get fit and
entertain us. We hope to transform selfish and money-driven players and
managers to people of great integrity. Patriots who want to serve our country
more than they want to drive billions from participating in sports. The
classical example here is Roland Schoeman and his mother, for refusing the
millions of Qatar. I always mention his mother because she was much stronger
than Roland Schoeman on the issue of patriotism.

The first Minister for Sport and Recreation in our democratic country, the
late comrade Steve Tshwete, always emphasised that: children do not learn to
swim in their cots. They need a swimming pool. We fully agree with that great
patriot.

The provisioning of facilities and amenities to all South Africans is a
sacrosanct imperative for us. As such, we regard the accessing of sports
infrastructure to rural areas and townships as part and parcel of the
transformation agenda of our country. This is why the preparation for the FIFA
2010 is more for us than just preparing for a mega sport event.

Our preparations for 2010 have to be in synchrony with government plans for
the betterment of the lives of our people. This is why we opted for 10 match
stadia, for instance, instead of just 8. That is why we will also build or
refurbish practice stadia in smaller areas like Kimberley. The road
infrastructure, the technology and business opportunities must have an impact
on the lives of our people and on the economy of our country.

The mindset of our country must also change. This is why we are building
football stadia where they have never been built before, because, South Africa
is not just a rugby and cricket country. Swimming pools and tennis courts are
also for the rural areas and not just for the city. We hope our municipalities
will continue to co-operate with us in this respect and decease from selling
public facilities.

We also firmly believe in collaborating with other departments, like local
government, housing, education, health, correctional services, safety and
security and, indeed the national defence force. Because we believe that when
the guns go silent in Africa, a new psychosis must be built in the child
soldiers, a psychosis of peace and development.

Our transformation agenda cannot be complete without attending to gender and
disability issues. I believe that we are on trek even in this respect. On 13
August we will be hosting a national women in sport conference to which all
members will be invited, because although we in the progress we think there is
still much that can be done.

We appreciate the contribution of the private sector and non-governmental
organisation (NGOs); our department staff, led by our Director-General (DG) and
the Deputy Minister, Comrade Gerhardus Oosthuizen.

Please support our budget proposal so that we can help South Africa remain
at the top.

As my grandmother used to say, “There is nothing for nothing and very little
for sixpence”.

Thank you very much.

Issued by: Sport and Recreation South Africa
5 June 2006