Programme Director
Former Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa, our leader, Reverend Stofile
Mrs Nambitha Stofile, the Stofile family and friends
Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa the Honourable Gert Oosthuizen
Ministers and Deputy Ministers present here this evening
Members of Parliament and Provincial LegislaturesMECs present here
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation, Mr Butana Kompela
The Director-General of Sport and Recreation South Africa
The President of SASCOC, Mr Gideon Sam
Leadership of the different federations
Sportsmen and sportswomen
Distinguished guests and fellow South Africans
Today, the Sport and Recreation community in particular and South Africa in general, bid farewell to the stalwart of the struggle against apartheid colonialism.
We are doing this because of your enormous contributions in the history of Sport and Recreation in South Africa and we believe that your selfless contribution should be recorded and be shared with many generations to come.
Son of the soil!Leader and stalwart of the ANC!You have made your mark, we are not wishing you retirement, but, as a reservoir of knowledge we look forward to tapping from your fountain because our struggle is about memory and against forgetting.
Ladies and gentlemen
Normally people say good things about you when you are no more, but, we felt it befitting to honour you whilst you are still alive and we say your tremendous contribution have not gone unnoticed.
Comrade Oom Stof, when the President of the Republic announced changes to cabinet recently, you did not sulk, but stood by and congratulated your comrades.
We want to re-affirm, this evening, that you served unselfishly in-and-out of Sport and Recreation Ministry in particular, and in all our government challenges.
On the occasion when you handed over the baton to me in Cape Town, you said words that will forever remain in my mind and heart for as long as I live. And that day you had this to say, “I am pleased to hand over that baton in your able hands.My dreams of being succeeded by a young African have now been fulfilled.Always remember I am in your corner.”
We were moved by your modesty, we felt it is a story that cannot go unnoticed. We feel duty-bound to thank you for the most detailed, blow by blow handover report you graciously presented to us.
To us, you will continue to be counted among the foremost revolutionaries of our struggle. You have shown us that these positions are not ours; we are all called upon to serve the people as commanded by our movement – the ANC.
May the future generations learn from your noble deeds and the humility you displayed.
Comrade Reverend Stofile, as this new administration and generation of young leaders prepared and nurtured by the likes of you in the mass democratic movement and in the crucible of the struggle, we pledge ourselves in and outside government to:
- Redefine and intensify the transformation of sport and ensure that there is a fresh, vibrant and directed discussion with clear outcomes.
- Our message is loud and clear to all federations that we will not tolerate corruption and chaos. We want federations to comply and to promote good governance, accountability, to fast-track equity, equality and access.
- We have signaled our intention to the department to strengthen the recreation component of our ministry so that we can see tangible results in communities especially the disadvantaged and neglected communities.
- We have started conversations with the universities and the federations to assist with the programme for skills audit in sport with view to create a training regime and platforms in order to produce the requisite skills and human capital.
- We have noticed the disjuncture in the way we have positioned the delivery mechanisms for school sport and community sport. We will in the immediate future meet the Ministry of Basic Education to thresh-out a delivery mechanism and cooperation for school sport.
- In addition we have started a process that will result in the strengthened mass participation business unit in order to increase community and local involvement in sport and recreation.
- Our minds are ceased with the urgent task of resolving funding and infrastructure challenges and we engaging the relevant stakeholders with a view to create viable funding models for all our priority programmes.
- We have designated international cooperation and communication as platform upon which we will launch our developmental and growth strategies.
To this end we want assure you and the nation that, when we report of the successes and shortcomings of our ministry “we shall tell no lies, we will claim no easy victories and we will mask no difficulties,” as Amichar Cabral once said.
A leader and an effective political strategist!
An activist and an organiser in his own right!
A sportsman and a sports activist!
An educator and mentor!
A reverend and theologist!
On behalf of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation South Africa, I would like to unwaveringly join in biding farewell to you, Comrade Honourable, Reverend, Doctor Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile.
“Nyawuza, Tahla ka-Ndayeni, hlamba ngobubende amanz’ ekhona.
Mfundisi, Mntwan’ omgquba, Nyawontle, Gqala Lo Mzabalazo! Sisele senyathi!
Siyakuhalelisa. Huntshu!
Thank you very much!
