Department's Budget & Plan of Action for 2002

Meeting report

EDUCATION AND RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE
19 March 2002
DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET AND PLAN OF ACTION FOR 2002

CHAIRPERSON: Ms C Nkuna (ANC)

DOCUMENTS HANDED OUT
Documents handed out:
Sport and Recreation South Africa: Business Plans 2002/3
Funding, Policy and Liaison
Building for Sport and Recreation
2001/2002 Budget update

SUMMARY
The Minister of Sport and Recreation accompanied by his departmental officials briefed the Committee on Sports & Recreation SA business plan and strategies for the forthcoming year.

Briefing by the Minister
The Minister, Mr Ngconde Balfour, said it was a privilege to report to the Committee about what is happening in sport. He congratulated the South African cricket team for winning the final four-day cricket match against the Australian team and wished Bafana Bafana well for their forthcoming match against Saudi Arabia. He also told the Committee that transformation was non-negotiable in his department.

Briefing on Department Business Plan
Prof Denver Hendricks, Head of Sports & Recreation SA (formerly Dept of Sport & Recreation) briefed the Committee (see document).

Briefing on the Budget
Ms E Cloete, SRSA Financial Manager briefed the Committee on the department budget (see document).

Briefing on Facilities
Mr Solomon Pango, Director: Building for Sport & Recreation, presented (see document).

Briefing on Funding, Policy and Liaison
Mr Greg Fredericks, Director: Funding, Policy, Monitoring and International Liaison spoke on these issues (see document).

Discussion
Rev M Chabaku took the opportunity to thank the Minister and said she had not before come across a minister who is so knowledgeable and committed to his department. She raised the point that she was concerned about the lack of sponsorship for the women's national soccer team.

Mr N Raju (DP) said that they should not delude themselves by the achievement of the cricket team in the final match and commented that what is going on in soccer is a mess and he was not referring to the players but to the administration.

The Minister thanked Ms Chabaku for the comment and said the amount of work he is doing is for the cause of the transformation process. He mentioned that Banyana Banyana has managed to get sponsorship from Sanlam and the Department has allocated
funds for the team. In relation to the soccer issue, he had written a letter to the National Soccer League and the South African soccer federation, SAFA, the previous day and he will be meeting the sporting bodies next week. The Minister promised to report to the Committee of the outcome. He added that the national teams should be selected from 100% of the population and not just 13%.

Mr J Tlhagale (UCDP) noting the ideal of building sporting facilities in marginalised areas, said that in the North West there are two facilities which are not being utilised to the maximum and they are rotting.

Ms J Vilakazi (IFP) commented on the SRSA's anti-crime campaign which discourages youth from committing crime. She said that crime takes place mainly in urban areas yet the department is seemingly focussing on rural areas where facilities are minimal. She added that she was fortunate to have visited Australia where promotion of recreation is high on the government's agenda.

Ms L Jacobus (ANC) wanted to know the percentage figure allocated to Programme 2 dealing with HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Raju asked why there was a zero budget for facilities in the year 200/1. Regarding funding and monitoring, he was pleased to note that something substantial was being done in that area. He recalled that when the Blue Bulls was "taken as an industry", they had been allocated a sum of R1 million. He asked if there is any report as to how the money had been spent. He asked if the department was going to usurp the role of local government in building sporting facilities.

Prince B Zulu (ANC) noted that the department wants to develop an active lifestyle for the people but he said that people in rural areas have their own lifestyle which is not funded. The department was busy building facilities - but in the rural areas these are non- existent.

Ms E Gouws (DP) noted that the department had sent students to Cuba but she pointed out that there is not a single one from the Eastern Cape.

The Chairperson wanted to know the department's programme in relation to the Human Rights Day.

In response to the question on sport facilities, Mr. S Pango said he has visited North West Province recently and agreed that there are two massive sporting facilities which are not being utilized or even maintained and he does not know why. However, he could not speak for the North West government.

Ms Vilakazi suggested that now that they have this information on the Budget and Plan of Action, they first peruse it before they ask relevant questions and will recall the department if they need some answers.

Due to time constraints, it was agreed that all the above questions and any others that the members needed answering will be replied to in writing by the department.

The meeting was adjourned.