Budget address by the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation, Mrs WG Thusi, on the tabling of the Sport and Recreation Budget in the Provincial Legislature

Madam Speaker
Honourable Premier and colleagues in the Executive
Deputy Speaker
Honourable Members
Distinguished guests, business leaders, members of the sporting fraternity, media,
Ladies and gentlemen

“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else can.  Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair” (Nelson Mandela, Laureus Sports Awards Ceremony, 2000).

It is an honour and pleasure for me to present the 2011/2012 budget speech for the Department of Sport and Recreation. The phenomenal success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted amidst the vibrancy of Africa and the colour and diversity of South Africa gives credence to sport as a tool with the power to inspire and unite people and, create happiness. South Africans from all walks of life joined in the celebration of our hosting of the largest event in the world.

Pride became a powerful incentive towards uniting our people. The more sport is encouraged at every level of participation and the better the performances of our national teams at international level, the greater the impact of sport on social cohesion and nation building.

Let us fly our flags high and observe the Magnificent Friday’s campaign. Let us rally behind the Proteas (Cricket and Netball), and Springboks as they go out to conquer the world. The department launched the Provincial Magnificent Friday campaign at the King Zwelithini Stadium, Umlazi recently and it proved to be an overwhelming success. Through this campaign, we are building a movement of excellence and success stories. Let us wear our favourite jerseys and rally behind our sporting heroes! We welcome the hosting of the 123rd edition of the bi‐annual International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Durban from 1 to 9 July 2011, where the winning bids for upcoming editions of the Olympic Games are announced.

In the same vein the department will launch its first Women in Sport Indaba scheduled to coincide with Women’s Day celebrations in 2011. This will allow us to highlight women’s successes in sport and recreation and afford them an opportunity to bring to the fore the challenges they face in succeeding at the highest level. The department will aspire to identify female sports ambassadors who will serve as role models to motivate and inspire women and girls participating in sport and recreation.

I am immensely proud of our success in creating a single unified KwaZulu-NatalFootball, Legends Association free from any discrimination and bringing together all former footballplayers,administrators, technical officials and other interested parties from the former National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), National Soccer League (NSL), Federation Professional League (FPL) and National Football League (NFL). This was the culmination of a number of consultations and deliberations concluded at a KZN Football Legends Indaba in held in Durban from 26 to 28 November 2010.

I would like to pay tribute to football legends who passed away in the last year Reginald Shelembe (ex BushBucks and African; Wanderers), prolific goal scorer Henry Mtofi Khumalo (ex‐African Wanderers and Orlando Pirates) and Steve Maseko, popularly known as Brixton Tower (ex‐Moroka Swallows, Martizburg City). May their legend live on! I note, in particular, the sudden passing  away  of  the Chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation, Mr John Mchunu. We remember with fondness his self‐less sacrifice in serving his people and for the role he played in ensuring sport and recreation delivers on its provincial and national mandate. May his soul rest in peace!

Let us rejoice in the plethora of success of our provincial stars and teams as they continue to dominate on the world stage – amongst others; Jennifer Khwela (Silver medal in Artistic Gymnastics at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India), Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir (starring at the ICC Cricket World Cup), Siyabonga Sangweni and Thanduyise Khuboni (both from Golden Arrows and key members of Bafana Bafana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup), Jordy Smith is busy setting the surfing world alight.

Zama Cele (Real City) was a new addition to the Banyana Banyana squad to play against Zambia in January. Memory Makhanya and Sanelisiwe Mavundla (Durban Ladies) have been included in the Banyana Banyana training camp in Stellenbosch.  Justine Palframan from Eshowe  was  placed  sixth  in  the  200 metres  semi‐finals  at  the  IAAF  World  u19 Championships in Canada.

Chad Le Clos with his gold medal performance in the 200 m Butterfly at the Commonwealth Games. Sibusiso Camagu and Thokozani Sithole were members of the bronze medalling SA Rugby 7’s team at the Commonwealth Games.

Today’s young people are facing a range of more complex situations than those experienced by their parents and many are in desperate need of help. Using sports, technology and the arts, the Department of Sport and Recreation aims to help young people (ages 7‐25) through programmes in schools, communities, secure units and young offender’s institutions and prisons. The Sport for Life Framework adopted by the department intends to use sport and recreation as a means to develop citizenship values in young people and to teach them how to make a valuable contribution to their communities.

The Sport for Life Programme is designed to reach broad sectors of youth populations, including marginalised groups, and affording them access to participation and a share in the wider sport community. This Programme recognises that sport is a significant part of any nation’s culture, leisure time, health, economy and education. Youth directly involved will benefit from a significantly enhanced quality of life.

The physical activities youth engage in, how they are integrated into community life, the values expressed through them and how they are celebrated; will help define individuals, groups, communities and a nation. The sum of these activities makes up a nation’s physical culture – play, fitness, sport, dance and so on. As the department has integrated this Framework into a broader framework of development goals, we anticipate that sport will constitute an additional vehicle, mechanism or tool for advancing sustainable development amongst the youth.

Informed by a rapidly changing sport and recreation scenario in the province and a new strategy in place, the department embarked on review of its organisational structure. The organisational structure has been approved by the DPSA and implementation set for 1 April 2011. Whilst our services have always been delivered as per the municipal demarcation boundaries, the organisational re‐structuring and re‐alignment process undertaken during the period under review, has ensured that we align the structure and operations of the department to the Provincial Spatial and Economic Development Strategy and to delivery of services at the ward level.

Towards an active and healthy nation

A budget of R 24,225 million as a Conditional Grant will be committed to the Siyadlala  Mass  Participation Programme which  is  a  national  flagship programme aimed at getting the nation to play in an effort to address the country’s lifestyle challenges, and risks to people’s health ‐ spread of HIV and AIDS, crime, drugs, diseases, including high blood pressure, heart attacks, and TB. This programme seeks to address these modern day ills facing the youth and the broader community. The programme will also focus on government nodal
points, rural and poverty stricken areas and also seek to reduce levels of poverty by employing youth aged between 18‐35 years.

At the core of the programme is an activity HUB that provides skills and opportunities for participation and which is the nucleus that encourages the youth to engage them in an active and healthy life style. The programme will be delivered through 106 Activity Hubs established in prioritised wards. The Hubs render life skills support to the youth in their communities. Each new Hub will receive the necessary equipment to sustain its programmes with each Hub headed by a hub coordinator with nine activity coordinators responsible for implementation of the programme.

The sport specific training of these hub/activity coordinators will be supplemented with specialised training that will  involve understanding adolescent and reproductive health, prevention of the spread of HIV and AIDS and treatment of TB, prevention of teenage and unplanned pregnancy, care for orphans, disabled and senior citizens, road safety, fighting domestic violence, substance abuse, crime prevention and promotion of nation building and understanding government services to refer community members for service delivery. These contract workers will thus be tasked with reinforcing positive attitude in our youth thereby bringing about behavioural change through sport and recreation. Each of these hub/activity coordinators will be employed on a one‐year contract receiving a monthly stipend of between R2, 072 – R3, 500.

As these contract workers exit the system they will be replaced with those youth that have already received the Youth Ambassador training through the Office of the Premier. The  department  will  also  deliver  on  the  mandate  of  inculcating  healthy lifestyles  in  people  through  its  recreation  programmes of  Work  and  Play, Active Seniors, Recre‐Hab, Learn and Play.

Integrated Development  as  a  legacy  of  the  2010  FIFA World Cup

In a debate on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the KwaZulu‐Natal Legislature on 28 July 2010, the Honourable Premier of KwaZulu‐Natal, Dr Zweli Mkhize pronounced on the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He emphasised the need for a sustainable legacy programme to be implemented as part of the
2010 and Beyond Strategy. At the 2010 Core Organising Committee, the Premier  pronounced  that  the Department  of  Sport  and  Recreation  must assume the leadership role in developing and implementing sustainable legacy programmes to ensure that the benefits of the 2010 FIFA World is cascaded to all our people.

With this in mind the department has formulated an Integrated Development Strategy as a Legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and whose objectives are to establish:

• An  effective  and  integrated  talent  identification  and  development programme embracing all sectors of the population and in particular, the youth, disabled, women and rural communities.
• An accessible high‐performance programme that has provided for the needs of the athletes and coaches.
• Effective and proactive partnerships with schools, sport federations, key non‐profit structures, local government, provincial and national government departments, tertiary institutions and volunteers.
• Invest  in  the  promotion of  disability sport  via  Disability Sport  South Africa (DISSA) and support of organizations and clubs promoting sport for the disabled.
• Promote research and scientific testing and monitoring of athletes in partnership  with  the  Provincial  Academies  of  Sport  and  identified tertiary institutions.
• To provide the strategic management, resources, and advice to assist sport   federations  to  manage  their  talent  identification  and  high performance programmes throughout KwaZulu‐Natal.
• Encourage an increase in the standard of coaches in KwaZulu‐Natal and encourage   the  provision  of  opportunities  for  improved  coach development and career pathways.
• Encourage the delivery of quality athlete development programmes that are focused on the holistic development of the athlete and creating genuine high performance opportunities.
  

 The department’s Grassroots Football Development Programme will take cognizance of the fact that the continued development of football in the club environment is necessary in order to meet the increasing demands of player development.

The programme will develop on‐going football leagues in the Under12 – Under 19 Age‐Groups. The programme is based on the premise that the cornerstone for player development lies within the club system. Clubs must organise and structure themselves to serve the evolving needs of players taking into account that within any club there are a variety of levels and needs. The organisation, planning and administration of a club cannot be detached from the players and the game itself. 

The programme is designed to address these needs and will put into place a strategy for the further sustainable development of identified talented players and coaches. The programme is planned in partnership with SAFA and other role players. Over an identified period of time we will ensure that all football coaches at an amateur level in the province will have appropriate qualifications. In the promotion of youth and school development programmes the Grassroots Football Development Programme will identify football schools and ensure coaches with appropriate qualifications are employed at this level. The football legends will form a cornerstone in the delivery of this programme and will act as role‐models to illicit positive behavioural patterns amongst the youth.
The department is making steady headway in conceptualising and establishing a Premier’s Football Cup competition for professional teams in the province. Amazulu FC, Golden Arrows, Thanda Royal Zulu, Martizburg United and Nathi Lions will be allocated bases in different regions to generate the vibe and enthusiasm in our communities. This Premier’s Cup will be the culmination of our programmes aimed at the development of football and the nurturing of talent from ward through to provincial levels.

The department is committed to significantly raising the bar as it integrates the province's post 2010 plans and activities into existing initiatives that dovetails with a number of our province's shared economic growth and development initiatives. It serves the dual purpose of successfully leaving a Legacy for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and enhancing longer‐term sustainability of the province, creating job opportunities and contributing to the tourism industry.

From talent identification to high performance

The department’s investment into an Integrated Development Strategy strives to create an enabling environment for sport starting from a base of mass participation in communities and in  schools. It provides a framework that guides all of our activities to ensure that sport is at the heart of efforts to improve the lives of all citizens in the province. It provides for development programmes to identify new talent both for competitive school sports and for representative sport as well as for coaching, technical officiating and administrative capabilities.

Our high performance programme then sustains our competitive sports strategy. A significant implementation mechanism of our high performance programme is the establishment of Academies which aims to invest in talent identification, development and high performance programmes.

The Department of Sport and Recreation has made a vast contribution in improving the quality of life, encouraging excellence, and contributing to the development and transformation of communities. We will continue to forge meaningful partnerships with the sport federations and recreational agencies in support of the programmes they offer and the communities clubs and structures that we can assist. In the last financial year we have transferred R6 million to  35  sport  federations  in  support  of  their  developmental  and  high performance programmes. In 2011/2012 R8.6 million is to be transferred to non‐profit organisations and provincial sport federations to support empowerment  and  sustainable  development  programmes,  transformation and, talent identification and optimization towards meaningful high performance programmes.

This Integrated Development Strategy aims to ensure federations, non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) and local government delivers on the following in disadvantaged communities through:

• Clear programmes of talent identification, which must indicate how the rural and marginalised youth, are to be included.\
• Federations taking direct responsibility for school sports programmes under their disciplines in the interest of ensuring integration from talent identification to elite performance.
• Federations formulating and adopting policies on selection of teams which must be aligned to their National policies. This will ensure an effective transformation and development plan is in place, balancing the imperatives of merit and development.
• Federations implementing competition strategies to allow for access to competitions by talented athletes at all levels of the development continuum, starting with competitions from school levels, tertiary, provincial, national, zonal, continental and international. In this context the department will clarify the role and function of the Provincial Sports Council as a watchdog body.
• Support for the Club Development Programme funded through our Legacy Programme (Conditional Grants). Club Development is a national programme aimed at increasing participation in sport and recreation at grass roots, at the simplest level of organisation, the club. Club development nurtures talented athletes that have been identified from the Mass Participation Programme. The programme will target 249 clubs in disadvantaged areas and also entails job creation, training of technical officials and the provision of equipment to all participating clubs. Club Development is an essential part of the Mass Participation Programme.

Our main focus will and should remain the creation of a platform of excellence that focuses specifically on women, the youth and people with disabilities. The department will target prioritized groups to benefit from major developmental and high performance programmes. The department will become an active and willing partner in promoting equity by investing in the National Youth Run in partnership with the Comrades Marathon Association and KwaZulu‐ Natal Athletics, Women’s 10 kilometres challenge, provincial and national disability games and, empowerment programmes. We will continue to support the sport federations in hosting major sporting events in KwaZulu‐Natal ‐ the Comrades Marathon, Dusi Canoe Marathon, SA National Aquatics Championships, Midmar Mile and Amashova Durban Cycling Classic, amongst others. We will continue with our efforts to ensure that athletes from disadvantaged and rural backgrounds are able to access and excel at these major international drawcards.

Providing opportunities to excel through support for developmental games

The SA Games will be hosted in the Limpopo province in the latter part of 2011. These games have been budgeted for in the Conditional Grants and R6 million has been set aside for the selection, preparation and support of Team KwaZulu-Natal. The SA Games is presented as a sound mechanism geared towards maximising our efforts to produce world‐class sports stars, and as a development programme that is set to revive the fading sporting spirit and culture amongst the youth.

The Games will afford the youth from different backgrounds an opportunity to participate in a multi‐coded event and to showcase their talent and sporting skills. The core to the development and implementation of the games has been to ensure full integration of sports for athletes with disabilities and sports in general. Fundamental to the successful delivery of this programme is the linkage and integration with programmes of the Provincial Academy of Sport, Sport federations, youth structures and schools.

The department has become an active partner in the preparation and presentation of the Kwanaloga Games. We have become fully involved in all aspects of these Games and have committed our resources towards ensuring the successful implementation and sustainability of the Games.

These are developmental games aimed primarily at promoting the youth in the province from grass roots to world‐class level and to encourage partnerships and coordination with relevant stakeholders. The vision of these Games is to nurture sports potential in all KwaZulu‐Natal Municipalities and the games serve as a crucial point of entry for the youth into various provincial, national and international competitions. The Games provide an ideal opportunity for established structures and those from the non‐established sectors to participate on an equal footing.

Both the developmental games provides the department an ideal opportunity to implement its Sport for Life Programme and the department will use the opportunity to unleash its newly trained youth ambassadors to positively influence the youth to try to bring about behavioural change.

Investing in academies to optimise youth development towards sporting excellence

The investment in an Academy System as part of the Legacy Programme is expected to yield huge dividends as the department falls in sync with Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) and South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) in pursuing excellence in preparation for international competition. There is an urgent need for the department to work closely with tertiary institutions in an effort to ensure that disadvantaged athletes  can  access  their  programmes  thereby  enjoying  the  benefits  of scientific testing, medical screening, competition and nutritional support, high performance training and competitions.

The establishment of Academies is aimed at addressing the challenge to systematically identify, develop and retain young talent that must eventually represent not only the school or sport club, but also KwaZulu‐Natal and the country at national and international sporting competitions. The Programme will carry a budget of R10 million from the Legacy Programme (Conditional Grants).

For years we have been challenged by the lack of accessibility by many from disadvantaged and rural backgrounds to sport science, proper  nutritional plans, research and management of injuries. Whilst the province has a Provincial Academy of Sport it does not have a Training, Development and High Performance Centre that can be accessed by talented athletes selected through the Academy System. The programmes and services developed at the Academy will be decentralised and available at five identified Regional centres.

We anticipate opening this Academy in collaboration with the following partners: the provincial sport federations, district and local municipalities, Provincial Academy of Sport, Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges, provincial, district and local sport councils, corporate partners, national and international partners.

The establishment of an Integrated Development Strategy is in response to a demonstrated need for our provincial athletes to overcome many of the social, financial, and cultural barriers they confront. At this stage, what appears to be missing most, are appropriate facilities and holistic support to athletes. We see low levels of standardisation and a lack of highly qualified personnel. In this context, the academies will act as support centers, foster transfer of skills between sports and provide the necessary focus to rally existing resources.

Providing mentorship and role models, generating more opportunities to train and compete, providing a stable and predictable environment, as well as generating access to the media, will all help to create a more conducive environment for our athletes to perform better.  Football Legends will be crucial to the successful delivery of this programme. The department will employ ex‐professionals and forge a partnership with the KwaZulu‐Natal Football Legends Association to deliver on coaching, empowerment and life skills programmes.

Revival of school sport

The department will commit a budget of R30,550 m towards the revival of school sport. The budget will be collectively made available from Conditional Grants School Sport Mass Participation Programme (SSMPP/Legacy) and the Junior Sport Sub‐Programme.
We have embarked on an intensive programme to revive the culture of school sport, especially in rural and township schools. I am a firm advocate of re‐instating physical education in the school curriculum but we will need to put this on the agenda of our deliberations with the Department of Education. The remodelled School Sport Mass Participation Programme is to be implemented in this financial year as a special intervention to revive school sport by dividing clusters of schools into school sport structures and leagues. We will rekindle competitions and tournaments from district through to national levels. The programme will work hand‐in‐hand with our junior sport programmes of providing support for competitive school sport, development and high performance programmes for learners.

The overall aim of the school sport programme is to increase the percentage of 5 to 16 year old school children in the province who spend a minimum of five hours each week on high quality sport training and development and, school sport within and beyond the curriculum. The Department of Sport and Recreation in developing the provincial strategy to revive school sport expects to  play  a  central  role  in  supporting  the  Department for  Education  in  the delivery of this strategy. I have instructed the department to ensure critical partnerships are forged with key stakeholders – Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA), Department of Education (DoE), provincial sport federations and school code structures and to synergise our approach towards integrated delivery of school sport.

This programme will incorporate the following:

• Review  and  adopt  the  school  sport  framework  currently  being developed by Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA).
• The School Sport Mass Participation Programme will be remodeled and delivered in 440 schools in identified wards. Each of these schools will be equipped with R25 000 of basic sporting equipment and attire to sustain the programme. This programme will create 63 jobs for unemployed youth as Cluster Coordinators as schools will be grouped in clusters to ensure sustainable leagues are established and functional.
• The delivery  of  effective  school  sport  programmes  will  become  the responsibility of sport federations and the department will begin to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their delivery.
• The department will place special emphasis on the formation of viable school sport code structures from school based through to national levels. Establishing on‐going leagues with special focus on specific codes thus ensuring that Wednesdays and Fridays become synonymous with learners engaged in meaningful play.
• Educators will be empowered to deliver physical education and sport in schools. They will form the core of these school sport structures and this will firmly place the sustainability of this programme on the educator.
• Club  Links  ‐  Developing high  quality  links  between  schools  and community clubs to help young people continue to take part in sport outside of school hours.
• Coaching ‐ The implementation of a specific targeted coaching programme that places coaches into school settings and helps develop skills in young people in specific  sports.  The department will use ex‐professional players (KZN Legends) as role models to deliver this programme.
• Continuing Professional Development ‐ Providing the opportunity for teachers and other  professionals to gain valuable  experience  by attending training courses and developing accordingly.
• Disability ‐ Increasing provision to sport for people with disabilities by providing local clubs and sports development within school and community settings, increasing the inclusive nature of the community. This deliverable will also look at the playground to podium initiative of identifying high quality athletes with disabilities.
•  Gifted & Talented ‐ Developing talented athletes and providing them with the necessary support and development that they require to become potential stars of the future. The department will assume the responsibility for the preparation and delivery of selected provincial code specific teams to national tournaments.
• Learners who are selected to represent the country at International Age‐Group Tournaments will be supported through our Junior Sport Sub‐Programme.
• Infrastructure ‐ Improving the infrastructure of schools to help widen opportunities that young people have to sport.
• Leadership and Volunteering – Develop innovative programmes to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of youth engaged in volunteering and leadership, with subsequent benefits to schools, clubs, the community and the youth themselves.
• Introduction of the Farm Schools Rural Development Programme in partnership with the Department of Education. Provision of equipment, empowerment, festivals and tournaments will be delivered to uplift these communities.
• The department will lobby civil society structures for support of the “Revive School Sport” Strategy.
  

Transformation

Transformation in sport is a subject that has been debated and debated at length ever since we became a democracy. Imposing quotas was seen as a way to speed‐up the process but this is clearly not working. Change has to take place from the ground up and that means that it has to start at school level. We need a review of transformation policies that deal directly with issues of equity, equality, excellence, access, organisational culture and good corporate governance.

The department’s key focus areas in addressing transformation shall be to:

• Make  sport  and  recreation  accessible  to  all;  providing  sports facilities; empowering young persons with requisite skills and, of course, evaluate progress made in the transformation of sport and recreation in particular.
• Support  the  current  review  of  the  Transformation  Charter  by Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA), South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) in consultation with sport federations and other key stakeholders in sport. My department will need to make its input in the formulation of such and then embody it as part of its “Provincial Sport and Recreation Turn‐around Strategy”.
• Ensure that transformation is implemented at school/youth levels and this will lead to the identification of talent in preparation for participation at higher levels.
• Accelerate  transformation by  making  more  funds  available  for sustainable development programmes especially in disadvantaged and rural areas.
• Ensure  that  all  athletes  have  equal  opportunities  to  excel  by implementing well researched and outcome driven development programmes through provincial/national sport federations and academies of sport.
• Establish close working relationships with sport federations and the   subsequent  support  of  their  development  and  high performance programmes to ensure that identified talent is optimised in the pursuance of sporting excellence.
• Task  our  Monitoring &  Evaluation Unit  with ensuring that  our agreed‐upon transformation agenda with the sports federations is achieving against pre‐determined indicators and targets.
  

My department is committed to a financial investment to ensure that transformation occurs from the “bottom‐up”. Successful sporting nations are those  that  have  perfected  their  talent  identification  mechanisms  and combined them with an integrated, holistic, well‐resourced and advanced athlete support system for their country.
 
Infrastructure development

The lack of sporting facilities will continue to provide a hindrance towards progress in ensuring that transformation in sport is fast tracked. We need to ensure that sport and recreation facilities are incorporated in new housing developments and new schools are built with sports facilities, as physical activity plays a strategic role in the holistic development of the child.

The department’s development of sport and recreation infrastructure will be realised by constructing basic facilities, multi‐purpose courts and, renovations to existing facilities in partnership with schools and municipalities. The programme aims to look at strategies and different approaches we may use to sustain the existing facilities. The department is engaging all stakeholders to try and look at better ways of re‐sourcing the maintenance of the existing facilities and prepare our communities to assume responsibility for their sports fields and fight against vandalism.

The sports facilities projects’ launch and handing  over  ceremonies  are  community  engagement  and  consultation sessions aimed at creating awareness for interventions of government in addressing their needs. The department has handed over facilities at Nkandla (eQhudeni, swimming pool), KwaDukuza (Chief Albert Luthuli sports complex) and Ndumo, Ingwavuma. In the next few weeks we will be handing over Ezakheni, Ulundi Stadium, Vulindlela (uMhlathuze), Kokstad, Umzimkhulu and Ingwe.

Recently we have entered into a formal agreement with the South African Breweries (SAB) for the construction of sports fields that can be utilized by communities to implement sustainable programmes of fitness, development and promotion of healthy life styles. SAB will contribute R650,000 per facility to be built at Mbumbulu, Mzumbe/Mnamfu, Nongoma/Nyokeni, Umvoti/Chief Albert Luthuli and Mbabazane/Hlathikhulu.

The  infrastructure  development  programme  aims  to  integrate  the department’s existing programmes such as Mass Participation, School Sport Mass Participation with these new and upgraded facilities. This will ensure that these facilities are utilised and that viable programmes can be implemented to sustain the communities.
 
In 2011/2012 the department will initiate plans to speed up the process of providing infrastructure for sport and recreation in partnership with municipalities and schools. Our infrastructure development programme will yield 16 Sports Facilities, 11 Combination Courts and 15 Futsal Courts.

The department will provide 4 community gyms to promote youth development and healthy and active lifestyles. To date the department’s investment in infrastructure has yielded 150 sports facilities at a cost of R 180 million. The challenge is to maximise resources and develop the skills necessary to help athletes perform at the highest level. It certainly will have to include development of infrastructure and funding to bridge skills gaps in administration, coaching, public and media relations.

I support the National Minister’s call for funding currently under the Municipality Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and which is directed towards sports facilities to be diverted to the Departments of Sport and Recreation and, Education.

Sport for life

The department’s Sport for Life Programme will adopt a holistic approach to education of the youth that includes technical skills, life skills and preparation for work. On health and well‐being issues that need to be tackled include, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), HIV and AIDS, substance abuse, suicide, disability and crime and violence. Opportunities will be made available for young people to affirm their worth and draw on the resources of the cultures with which they identify. The focus on education and job creation will be increased to discourage young people from adopting risky patterns of behaviour such as crime, substance abuse, and potential exposure to HIV and AIDS and unplanned pregnancies. Following from this standpoint then, the purpose of this programme on Sport for Life is not the creation of new sporting champions and the development of sport and recreation but rather, the use of sport and recreation in the broader development of the youth.

In 2011/2012 my department will establish a Youth Club System to aid and enhance the personal and social development of young persons through their
voluntary participation in sport and recreation, and which complements their outlook to life – It will look at what is needed in terms of a new strategy to change ideas, self‐defeating traditions, and negative role‐modelling behaviour.
It is envisaged that these Centres will be established in prioritised wards in all 11 of the districts though which the department delivers its services. These Centres will be based either at churches, schools, FET Colleges and/or existing sport facilities and will need to be accessible to the community. The budget of R 121m for the Sport for Life Programme will be funded from the voted fund programmes and conditional grants.

The strategy is to use the positive environment that is produced around sports as a means to address significant social issues, such as HIV and AIDS, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, crime, violence against women and children, etc. A Life Coach will be central to the Centre and will act as role model and facilitator and who is in the best position to assess needs of individual and groups. The important role of women will also be explored, and we will look at how collaboration between networks and organisations supporting women’s leadership in and through sports can foster youth development and help develop effective responses to HIV and AIDS and other lifestyle challenges.

The Sport for Life Programme aims to also empower the contract workers associated   with  our  Mass  Participation  Programme  as  Youth  Sport Ambassadors and in this regard to implement the Office of the Premier (OTP) Youth Ambassador Training Module as an essential part of their accreditation.

Job creation

The department has initiated strategies to support employment creation and we have budgeted R 60,4 million to finance job creation initiatives. The key job drivers within the department are infrastructure development through various projects to build and renovate sport and recreation facilities, the employment of contract workers to sustain the Mass Participation and Sport for Life Programmes, and employment of ex‐professionals (Football Legends) as talent scouts, facilitators, coaches (clinics), match analysts, coordinators of leagues in the grassroots football development programme and Academy System and, permanent staff as per the vacant funded posts on the department’s organisational structure.

Increasing recreation opportunities for all to lead healthy lifestyles

The department is firmly committed to the principle of "providing positive recreation opportunities for all". Recreation can be harnessed to promote ethnic harmony, leadership opportunities and the development of a healthy nation. Recreation is an important contributor to participation in sport.

Recreation has a strong potential to contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and new jobs through its positive effects on social inclusion, education and training, and public health. It helps limit the rise in social grants and health expenditure by improving the health and productivity of the population and by ensuring a higher quality of life through old age. It contributes  to  social  cohesion  by  breaking  down  social  barriers,  and  it improves the employability of the population through its impact on education and training. Voluntary activity in recreation can contribute to employability, social inclusion as well as higher civic participation, especially among young people.

More broadly, well‐designed sport and recreation programmes are also a cost‐ effective way to contribute significantly to health, education, development and peace and, a powerful medium through which to mobilise societies as well as to communicate key messages. The department delivers on this mandate of inculcating healthy lifestyles in people through its recreation programmes of Work and Play, Active Seniors, Recre‐Hab, Learn and Play and, it’s Siyadlala Mass Participation Programme. 290 000 People in 301 Recreational Service Delivery Sites at the ward level are expected to benefit from these initiatives. The department will commit R 9.5 million towards developing active and healthy communities.

The department’s investment in recreation will seek to:
 

• Empower  communities  to  participate  in  the  planning, implementation and evaluation of recreation programmes, so that they   can  be  responsible  and  accountable  for  their  own development.
• Ensure  the  affordability  and  accessibility  of  recreation programmes and facilities to all communities through development and support of recreation clubs and groups. Recreation programmes must be accessed by all irrespective of gender, age, race, language, culture, political persuasion, affiliation, disability or status.
• Give priority to disadvantaged and rural areas in the provisioning of new programmes.
• Create opportunities to deliver effective and efficient recreation programmes  by  forming  partnerships  with  public  and  private sector organisations.
  

Improving the skills of our people through empowerment programmes

Time spent on sport and physical activity in education could be improved at low cost both outside and inside the school curriculum. The lack of physical education programmes and the qualifications of teachers involved in life orientation remain a concern in a number of public schools. The department will allocate resources towards improving the sport capacity of educators through improving the cooperation between sport federations and educational institutes  and  which  must  be  supported  by  tertiary  institutions.

The department cannot overemphasise the importance of ensuring that young high‐level athletes are offered quality education in parallel to their sport training. Young athletes, in particular those coming from rural areas to train and compete in the city face multiple risks linked to their vulnerability. The quality of sport training offered by sport federations/academies should be sufficiently high in order to safeguard the athletes' moral and educational development and professional interests. The department will commit its monitoring and evaluation unit to ensure that quality programmes are offered and supported.

The strategy of the department’s programme is to develop a coordinated skill development programme that involves an audit of existing resources, using quantitative and qualitative methodologies, determination of training requirements, and development of training programmes and formulation of implementation plans. The programme aims to implement accredited training interventions (National Qualifications Framework ‐ NQF) to promote an acceptable standard of service delivery, thereby protecting the participant and facilitating possible migration into other industry sectors.

The department’s proposed programmes in this category will focus on capacity building programmes for:

• Capacity building to prepare women for leadership/decision making roles in sport organisations.Specialist coaches to work with youth teams/ squads and senior teams in the province.
• Technical officials in the field of refereeing, instructors and assessors.
• Administrators in club management, sponsorship, event management, team management, recreation and other relevant areas for both amateur and professional teams.
• Offer comprehensive life skills programme to all squad/team players and officials to enhance their performance in consultation and partnership with KZN Academy of Sport and other identified structures/Associations.
• Youth contracted to the Mass Participation  Programme  with  sport specific and behavioural change training programmes.
• Educators involved in the School Sport Mass Participation Programme.
• The department will invest in 10 internships and 19 learnerships through its Human Resource Development Unit.
  

The department will target 12 000 individuals to undergo the various capacity building programmes at a cost of R 27,513 million. In an effort to ensure that formal educational opportunities are available to those youth who have the ability but lack the financial means to achieve on their potential, the department will make R500 000 available for external bursaries from its Outreach Programme. This will be an add‐on to the R300 000 it has budgeted for internal bursaries to fast track staff development. The above bursary system will be implemented through the department’s Human Resource Development Unit.

Promoting social cohesion and national identity through the indigenous games

The Indigenous Games provide insight into cultural practices of various groups in the province and reinforce community values, customs, and symbolise the beauty of diversity. The Games is a flagship of the African Renaissance Programme. The department intends to carry this momentum from local communities  to  national festivals. Participation in Indigenous Games emphasizes physical development, skill training and maintenance, reinforcement of the community’s values and interaction between communities. The challenge is to trace and bring this rich Indigenous heritage to life for everybody to share and actively join in games like Lintonga, Morabaraba, Jukskei, Dibeke, Ncuva, Khokho, Ugqathhu and Kgati.

The department will implement its Indigenous Games programme through:

• Introduce eight Indigenous Games in 56 service delivery sites.
• Presentation of 11 district festivals involving 5 500 youth.
• Presentation of a provincial festival involving 1 500 youth.
• Participation of Team KwaZulu‐Natal in the National Indigenous Games Tournament.
• Facilitate the formation and functionality of district councils for each of the 11 districts and associations for each of the eight prioritised games.
• Introduction of Indigenous Club Championships in all wards
  

These athletes are to be drawn from across all wards/districts and will be representative in terms of gender and transformation. The department’s goal in presenting the Indigenous Games is to promote healthy leaving and to unite people from different cultures and backgrounds.

Conclusion

The department has taken cognisance of sport and recreation as an effective developmental tool and thus has identified the need to ensure that sport and recreation is available to everyone in our communities, regardless of their background. We will ensure a greater emphasis on development of sport and recreation programmes in disadvantaged and rural communities and on programmes aimed at creating more opportunities for the youth, especially women and the disabled.

We need organisational capacity, and the quantitative and qualitative human capabilities and capital to ensure that we have effective and efficient systems in place to deliver on sport and recreation. Our technical capacity will include our capabilities to plan, monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes through a sound integrated approach and fostering strong partnerships between government departments, non‐government organisations, sport federations and community organisations. The department has consistently committed to supporting the development of a sustainable and diverse sport and recreation system in KwaZulu‐Natal that encourages participation, develops talent and contributes to the health and wellbeing of individuals and groups throughout the length and breadth of our vast province.

Finally I wish to thank the Honourable Premier, Dr ZL. Mkhize for his leadership and guidance over the last year, and the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Mr NL Mkhize and members of the Portfolio Committee for their commitment and support for the programmes of the department. My gratitude goes to Senior Management and the rest of my staff for the manner in which they have handled the challenges experienced by the department.

We are indeed grateful to the members of the sporting fraternity and the media for all their efforts in ensuring that our sportsmen and women continue to develop on their path towards national and international prominence. I would also like to place on record my sincere thanks and gratitude to the ANC Women’s League for their continued support and encouragement. Malibongwe!

Last but not least I express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to my family for their kind understanding and the many sacrifices they have had to make.

Source: KwaZulu-Natal Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation