Honourable Chairperson
Cabiner colleagues
Honourable members
This is the first budget vote from our department after successfully hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
I have no doubt that our successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup changed the thinking of many South Africans, regarding the enormous social and economic values of sport to a country.
There is no doubt that the World Cup has changed South Africa’s international profile, affirmed its potential and manifested our capacity to host world-class events.
In terms of nation building, social cohesion, and leaving a legacy, no other event has ever or could come close to this.
The event has proven once again that sport is big business making substantial contributions to national, regional and local GDP.
Our department fulfilled its mandate by monitoring the construction of stadia to ensure that they complied with FIFA standards and ensuring that the deadlines were met.
Further, we facilitated the training of volunteers; and mobilised South African and African support.
Another key area of responsibility of the department was to oversee the delivery of the 17 guarantees signed by government departments with FIFA.
This was done successfully and all 24 projects emanating from the guarantees are now part of our proud legacy.
The challenge now is to take the 2010 World Cup experience forward; to invest in this experience for the future of our children and of our country. The tournament has ended, but the legacy must live on and inspire us and the way we work.
After the 2010 FIFA World Cup there has been increasing interest in the potential contribution of sports to inward investment and economic regeneration in communities, cities and regions.
Globally more and more policy makers realise that sport and recreation is more than fun and games. World leaders increasingly acknowledge that sport and recreation touches virtually every aspect of a nation’s ethos.
If the department and the country are not embracing the potential benefits of sport and recreation for the entire nation we will do an injustice to every South African.
To fully benefit from the social and economic opportunities of sport it is essential to have an integrated sport system in place that is effectively coordinated, aligned, functional and performance oriented. Our Department’s publications “A Case for Sport”, our updated White Paper, The Road Map to Optimal Performance and Functional Excellence, our 5-year Strategic Plan and the envisaged National Sport and Recreation Plan will pave the way for such a sport system.
National Sport and Recreation Plan
The department successfully completed the development of our Strategic Plan and the Road Map.
As a next step we have started the process of developing a National Sport and Recreation Plan.
This Plan will be developed in wide consultation with all relevant role-players. To have a national impact, it is important that all sporting entities in the country align their strategic planning with the national framework.
The success of sports development in South Africa is dependent on the smooth operation of a system with clear definition of authority, responsibility and accountability combined with seamless progression.
There must be one driver and one direction which must be consistent with government policy.
Underpinned by the White Paper and The Road Map to Optimal Performance and Functional Excellence the National Sport and Recreation Plan will contribute to addressing the key strategic issues that can take South African sport to the next level.
The draft National Sport and Recreation Plan will be discussed at nine provincial indabas scheduled for 16 July 2011. Feedback from the Provincial indabas will be evaluated and the National Sport and Recreation Plan will be updated accordingly.
Transformation
One of the key components of the National Sport and Recreation Plan will be the finalisation of a transformation charter and score card.
After 17 years sport’s efforts to ‘transform’ has been largely unsuccessful.
In its attempts to ‘transform’ and re-invent itself the concept of ‘transformation’ and the motivations for and against the need thereof have been oversimplified, often emotional, not clear and sometimes misunderstood.
This has lead to confusion and at times confrontational situations between different stakeholder groupings, which spilled over into the public domain with damaging consequences for sport’s image and reputation.
A greater sense of urgency, pro-active and coordinated engagement with the problem is long overdue.
The Transformation Charter and Score card has been developed and will be finalised against the policy framework of Government with regards to transformation.
Without a level ‘playing’ field - such as access, opportunities and support - transformation cannot be realised.
At the heart of the Transformation Charter is the prerequisite to ensure that the ‘playing field’ is leveled.
As a department we are committed to correct this and to ensure that our national teams are representative of the total South African population.
To have a real and lasting impact on our nation we cannot compete with the exclusion of certain parts of our population. With true transformation, as a country, South Africa could become an even greater force in world sport as more people will have the opportunity to compete and excel.
To implement, manage and monitor sport’s transformation, a multi-dimensional Transformation Performance Scorecard will be used.
The scorecard will enable the sport system to measure where it is in its transformation journey and whether it is improving.
It is intended to reflect a balanced and timely view of sport’s performance in implementing transformation strategies in each of the proposed dimensions.
At our strategic workshop earlier this year, the department resolved to:
- finalise a transformation audit in order to get a clear picture of transformation progress
- draft a Transformation Charter with clear deliverables
- develop a transformation perspective informed by the Transformation Charter that will incorporate transformation action plans, programmes and service level agreements
- reconfigure the institutional and budgetary mechanisms to achieve transformation priorities.
The first drafts of the National Sports and Recreation Plan, Transformation Charter and Score Card is completed. We will now embark, in Partnership with the Provinces on an extensive consultation process.
We are on track to finalise the National Sport Plan as well as the Transformation Charter at a National Sport and Recreation Indaba towards the end of the year; the planning is August/September 2011.
The envisaged theme of this indaba is from “From policy to practice” and the tagline: “More than just playing”.
Without a coordinated, integrated and aligned sport system within which all component parts are focused towards a common set of goals and objectives, the potential value of sport to the South African society cannot be fully realised.
All sectors must buy-in and commit to the strategic direction that will emerge from the national sports indaba. To this end, the responsibilities of all role-players are substantial.
It is clear that this will never be adequately realised without formidable partnerships in place.
Furthermore, it is important to recognise that sport on its own cannot fulfill all the sports development needs.
The aim is to establish strategic alliances ensuring the appropriate coordination and alignment of programmes, structures, strategies and funding.
To this end our department will liaise with other government departments and sectors.
SRSA Administration
Finally, I am happy to report that;
Taking cognizance of the audit findings on our 2009/10 Annual Report, we have tightened our internal control systems to ensure optimum and impeccable accountability underpinned by our commitment to good corporate governance.
We shall not rest until we can present to you a report that is not only unqualified but also completely clean!
As we present this budget vote, we are proud to intimate that this year we will be reporting expenditure in excess of 99% of our allocated budget.
It is clear, we are on the march to maximise the potential of Sport and Recreation in South Africa!
I thank you.
