To support and assist communities that cannot afford to go to stadiums during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Department of Sports Arts, Culture and Recreation (SRAC) has set aside R2 million to purchase tickets for deserving people.
This was announced by the MEC Nelisiwe Moerane when tabling department's budget vote speech at the Gauteng legislature on Friday.
"The tickets will be distributed primarily by municipalities via established relevant structures within Gauteng. The beneficiaries will be transported to and from the matches," said Moerane.
She said that government was ready for the world cup in terms of infrastructure and associated resources including health, safety and security, disaster management and services and tourism.
On the readiness of emergency services for the world cup, Moerane said: "Hospitals emergency centre, courts and correctional services have been constantly inspected and dry runs have been conducted to check the ability to master the pressures associated with the soccer event and are ready to discharge their responsibility with efficiency".
The MEC said the department was still committed and would focus on developing and enhancing skills of youth talent as well as elite coaches, technical officials, athletes, and sport officials.
"The establishment of sports clubs that are affiliated to federations where they participate in structure leagues, as well as enhancing of skills of players, coaches and technical officials through various capacity building resources are amongst department priorities," she said.
She affirmed that this year the department had partnered with five tertiary institutions by allocating funding for bursaries to 45 students that had "participated nationally as well as internationally in a range of sporting codes".
From the R338 million budget allocated to the department, an amount of R500 000 has been set aside to support public viewing areas in the context of the Gauteng Gateway strategy to extend exposure and reach during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In addition, "the department has allocated an amount of R851 000 towards the geographical names change process or correcting wrongly spelt names on the province's streets".
Issued by: Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Gauteng Provincial Government
24 May 2010
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za/)
