The speech of the Free State MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Mr Dan Kgothule, on the occasion of the opening of community gym, 9 July 2011, Qibing/Wepener

Programme Director
Colleagues
Honoured Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Comrades

We are gathered at this occasion to officially open this community gym which must benefit the community of Qibing/Wepener. This community gym has been built in partnership with the national Department of Sports and Recreation to the tune of over R1 million and will allow access to this community of Qibing/Wepener to engage in physical training and wellness. Other communities within the Free State to benefit from such community gyms are: Heilbron, Warden, Virginia, Kutloanong and Wepener. I must on behalf of the residents of Qibing thank honourable Minister Comrade Fikile Mbalula for this venture. I am sure you will agree with me that Comrade Mbalula has rolled-up his sleeves to ensure the total transformation of Sport and Recreation in the country. This joint venture of opening community gyms is one of the expression of his commitment to the development of Sport and Recreation in the country at large.

As the province we are indeed proud of this initiative. It is part of our programme for the building and development of infrastructure across the province, particularly in those small and rural towns of our province which for a long time have been on the margins. Following this official opening of this community gym we will be proceeding to Van Stadensrus where we will be opening a Multipurpose Sport Court. The opening of the Multipurpose Sport Court in Van Stadensrus also follows immediately the opening of such facilities in other areas of the province which include: Vredefort (4 June 2011); Heilbron (11 June 2011); Petrus Steyn (18 June 2011) and Luckhoff (25 June 2011). Other areas in the province where these facilities will be rolled out are: Diyatalawa, Makgolokweng and Tweeling.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is clear that our commitment towards the development of sport and recreation in this province is unquestionable.

Amongst other infrastructural developments that we have undertaken across the province we can mention the following: Local Talent Development Centres; District High Performance Centres and Boxing High Performance Centre. These facilities are being built across the length and breadth of our province to benefit all communities. This is service delivery at its best.

Alongside these sport and recreation infrastructure projects are concrete sport and recreation activities which we have in recent times elevated to the highest level. These sport and recreation activities that are also taking place across the province include the following: Motlalepule Ntsala Soccer Games; Sipho Mutsi Sport Tournament; Dr Irvin Khoza Soccer Tournament; O.R Tambo Games; Rural Girls’ Games; Disability Games; Elderly Games and so on. We have also been distributing sport attire and equipment to ensure that our sport persons and communities are able to engage in sport without any obstacles.

We are all aware the provincial government has committed itself to developing the lives of the people in the province for the better. The communities of these towns are no exception in this regard. As part of our pledge to ensure a better life for the people of the Free State and these small and rural towns of our Province, the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation has embarked on a campaign that ensures broader participation by our communities in programmes of sport and recreation.

The above programmes, projects and activities that I have just outlined speak to this fact. Through Sport and Recreation my department continues to ensure that mass participation in sports penetrates every corner of our communities.

We have committed ourselves to build on the positive outcomes realised in the last financial year. We have been able to introduce a new strategy for sport and recreation in all 82 towns in the province.

I wish to urge the community in Qibing/Wepener to value and cherish this facility. We are confident that this initiative will enable to produce future sports legends and help us to support the aspirations of young and talented sport athletes.
I thank you.
        
Source: Free State Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation