The National Sport and Recreation Plan Vision 2030, Strategic Objective, Objective 11: indicates that to integrate the development of South African Sport at Provincial and local levels sports councils/confederations should be established in each province.  Among the key activities of the implementation of such, the provincial government through the provincial sport department guided by SASCOC should ensure that sports councils/confederations are structured and operational at local, regional and provincial levels. The Provincial department in this instance the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation should provide seed and incubation funding for the Provincial Sport Council/Confederation. It should also ensure that Councils/Confederations act as an interface to support the linking of hubs/clubs with federations, municipalities, civil society structures and NGOs to ensure integration of sports programs and to avoid duplication of resources.

It is against this background that the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation having been invited by the Gauteng Sport Confederation to their Strategic Planning Session held on Saturday, 12 October 2019 as part of its responsibilities of oversight and scrutiny on departmental programs. The Portfolio Committee calls upon the department to relook at the budget allocation to the Gauteng Sports Confederation as the current budget allocation is minimal for the confederation to adhere to its mandate as indicated on the National Sports and Recreation Plan Vision 2030. The Committee further calls upon the department to redirect the transfers that they are currently transferring directly to clubs and affiliates of the confederation to be redirected to the confederation for improved monitoring and evaluation by the confederation as highlighted by the National Sport and Recreation Plan. By doing such the department will avoid a situation where there are duplication of resources and previously disadvantaged sporting codes will also get an equal share of the transfers as the current system favours the previously advantaged sporting codes.

The Portfolio Committee Chairperson Honorable William Matsheke on behalf of the Portfolio Committee indicated during the Gauteng Sport Confederation Strategic Planning Session that the current budget allocation to the Gauteng Sport Confederation of R5,3 Million as part of the Conditional Grant allocation for partnerships with community structures for recreational activities and school sport structures amongst others is not sufficient compared to other Provinces considering the size of the population of Gauteng. The Chairperson further indicated that funding for sports in Gauteng is too fragmented as there is a lot of funding that goes to individual clubs or associations and therefore indicated that there is a need for these funds to be channelled to Gauteng Sport Confederation since they are experts in sport development.

The Portfolio Committee would further want to encourage the Gauteng Sports Confederation under the leadership of President Mr. Barry Hendricks and Secretary General Mr. Yaseen Lombard to continue to be champions of sports development in Gauteng as the Provincial Government depends on civic organizations support to continue to be Home of Champions.

The Committee wishes to congratulate Kaizer Chiefs football Club for winning the Annual Shell Helix Cup on Saturday 12 October 2019. On the International front the Committee would like to also congratulate Mr. Eliud Kipchoge who became the first man in human history to run a marathon in less than 2 hours and lastly Mr. Tyler Perry who opened the largest movie studio in history. These achievements are a reflection that black excellence does exist and it’s an encouragement to our previously disadvantaged sports and creative arts people that anything is possible in life.

ISSUED BY GPL’S MEDIA SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SPORTS, RECREATIONS, ARTS AND CULTURE HON. MEMBER WILLIAM MATHAFENG MATSHEKE

For enquiries please contact Mr. Aubrey Dikola 011 498 6321, 079 500 9256 or Adikola@gpl.gov.za