Ministerial & Department of Sport & Recreation, SA Institute for Drug Free Sport, SA School Sports Association, Sports Trust: Strategic Plan & budgets 2009/13

Meeting report

Department of Sport and Recreation (SRSA) Strategic Plan and Budget 2009-2013
The Chairperson noted that the Department of Sport and Recreation (SRSA) had produced two outstanding reports, and their most recent Annual Report had already been adopted. Some of the issues were related to this presentation.

He raised the particular issue of the edited form of the national anthem that was played at South Africa’s opening match at the Confederations Cup. The Federation of international Football Associations (FIFA) had apparently said that it should be shortened. Television viewers might become bored if the entire anthem had to be played. If this was the case, then the anthem should either be played in full or not at all.

Gen B Holomisa (UDM) noted that there seemed to be a problem with the documents distributed to Members.

Mr Vernon Petersen, Director General (DG), SRSA, clarified the documents that should have been in the possession of Members. 

Mr Z Luyenge (ANC) asked if there was an operational plan.

Mr Petersen replied that operational issues would be addressed in the budget presentation.

Deputy Minister’s briefing
Hon Gert Oosthuizen, Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation, introduced the SRSA delegation. Several of the delegates were also occupying acting posts due to the number of vacancies in the Department.

He said that the Strategic Plan (SP) was informed by the President’s State of the Nation speech. There were six areas addressed by SRSA’s programmes for the period. Innovative management was needed to overcome the constraints of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) budget.

The Deputy Minister said that the shortened anthem played at the Confederations Cup match was not due to a FIFA request. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the South African Football Association (SAFA) had been equally surprised at the short version since SAFA had provided the event organisers with the normal anthem,  and no-one knew what had happened. There was no malice intended nor any FIFA prescript.

Mr M Dikgacwi (ANC) concluded that the shortened anthem had been played without the knowledge of the stadium management. He asked what had been done to ensure that this would not happen again. It was an embarrassment.

Mr Luyenge said that this matter should be deferred until the Minister was present at the meeting.

The Chairperson said that there seemed to be confusion internationally as to what South Africa’s anthem was. The latest was the third such incident. He and the Committee were not keen to continue to bear with SAFA’s inefficiency.

Deputy Minister Oosthuizen said that the Ministry had already sent a strongly worded letter to SAFA.

Mr Petersen resumed the presentation. SRSA had taken into account matters raised during engagement with the Committee the previous year, and so the SP was the product of earlier work. There had been some difficulties. As it was an election year, the Department could not plan with certainty as its officials were unsure of what the political mandate of the new government would be.

He said that work had already started in November 2008. Some issues had been updated. There had also been engagement with the Heads of Department from the provinces. There had to be a sense of ownership and commitment. The most recent State of the Nation address delivered by President Zuma had forced the Department to revisit the SP. On 4 June 2009 SRSA had delivered a final draft to the Minister, who had made some inputs. SRSA was now facing the deadline of having the SP and budget published at least ten days before the budget vote and was already in the process of printing these to meet the deadline.

Mr Petersen, referring to a statement by former President Mandela, said that sport had the power to change the world, to inspire and unite people and to awaken hope. The United Nations (UN) had made a statement that sport was a human right. SRSA would be focussing on encouraging increased levels of participation. The development process should lead to success in high-profile events.

SRSA was aware of the constitutional imperatives imposed on it. Sport had to be used to contribute to inclusivity and the promotion of unify in diversity in South Africa, and to transform and to develop all parts of the country. There were still development challenges. The Department also had an obligation to support the two entities under its control, namely the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) and Boxing South Africa (BSA).

Mr Petersen said that since 2004 there had been a main mandate for broader participation. The Department had enjoyed some success, particularly amongst the youth. It had to move on now and strive for holistic development. It needed to build a bridge between the Mass Participation Programme (MPP) and the High Performance (HP) programme. Sport should also make a contribution to rural development. SRSA would have to concentrate on developing skills and human resource (HR) development in the rural areas. Sport could also play a role in the creation of employment. It could help to develop a positive health profile and contribute to nation building. The country also had international obligations and agreements of co-operation that were to be honoured. In an indirect way the growth of sport could contribute towards peace and security.

He said that SRSA needed to have a direct impact on certain areas. The first was the 2010 FIFA World Cup. A second area was school sport. The Department needed to identify the impediments that were retarding the development of school sport. Thirdly, facilities had to be provided. There was an imbalance between those facilities provided in rural as opposed to urban areas. Lastly sport had to contribute towards the development of the social infrastructure and national identity…The Department of Public Service Administration (DPSA) had an eight-point plan to achieve gender equality and SRSA had to fall in with this.

Mr Petersen said that Government had a Programme of Action for 2009. A new system of clusters had been adopted to group the various Departments. SRSA had been assigned to the Human Development cluster but would play a role in the other clusters. There had been a lack of co-ordination in the various documents issued by the Department, but they were now moving towards synergy.

Other challenges included the ability to determine if SRSA was making any impact. The process of monitoring and evaluation could be improved. In future the Auditor-General (AG) would be assessing Departments on a performance evaluation basis. This could well result in SRSA receiving a qualified report.

Mr Petersen said that SRSA had a legislated mandate to operate both within the Department and with other spheres of government. Fundamentally SRSA was to play the role of a facilitator and a mentor. He was impatient with the pace of transformation but a shortage of resources made this difficult. The Department acted through national policies and guidelines. There was a need to strengthen the relationship with the different spheres of government. Service level agreements needed to be put in place, which would make it easier for SRSA to pin down provincial and municipal authorities as well as sports federations. Appropriate resources should also be put in place, but this was easier said than done. The Department’s budget had grown radically but there was never enough. The Department had engaged with the National Lotteries Board (NLB) for funding. For direct services funding should be consistent with the achievement of objectives.

Mr Petersen said that inputs for the final strategic goals had been provided over the last year. The sports indaba held in Durban in late 2008 had produced some resolutions. Work on the Case for Sport initiative had been completed. SRSA had conducted its own strategic review. SRSA had a role in implementing policies and in providing oversight.

He said that SRSA needed to elevate the status of sport in the country. Its role had to be clarified. The creation of service level agreements would empower the Department’s stakeholders. He presented the Department’s vision, and asked if the structures supported this vision. He had not seen the kind of transformation from the federations that he would have liked. Greater emphasis was needed. A possible strategy was reducing the allocations to federations so that SRSA could pursue their objectives directly. Many federations were still stuck where they had been.

Mr Petersen said that there was ongoing debate around the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) funds. Municipalities were not using these funds to develop sports facilities. It did not help to increase participation levels if there were no facilities to accommodate these people. SRSA had consulted with National Treasury (NT) and the new Department of Co-Operative Government and Traditional Affairs (formerly the Department of Provincial and Local Government).

SRSA was following good governance practices but faced serious challenges. It could not simply complain that there was no money to achieve its goals. It was a known phenomenon that success follows success. There was an ongoing debate over team names and national symbols. More compliance was needed. There was not an option for federations although there were still some traces of resistance to change. Transformation issues had to be taken seriously.

Mr Petersen asked if the vision of SRSA was still appropriate. It wished to create an active and winning nation. Its mission was to maximize activities and development.  He listed the important values and the framework of actors.

He went on to outline the main objectives of SRSA for the period 2009-2013. Objective 1 was the achievement of high-level goals. SRSA wished to contribute to a healthy nation. This could be achieved by increasing the number of participants in sport. Talent had to be identified and developed. The federations had to be supported in their efforts and a healthy club structure was to be promoted. Assistance would be given in developing the HR base. Basic facilities had to be provided for communities. Cohesion was needed. There were already some initiatives to use sport as a means of combating crime, such as the Sport for Peace campaign. Academy systems had to be developed.

Objective 2 was to promote the image of a winning nation both on and off the field. The success rate of teams and individuals at high-level competition had to be increased. One tool in this was the development of a scientific support structure in order to develop successful athletes. Sports legends had to be honoured as role models. A code of ethics had to be followed, and in this the efforts of SAIDS were important.

Objective 3 revolved around issues of national importance. These included the ongoing promotion of the Case for Sport initiative. There had to be a contribution towards the satisfaction of government’s priorities. The country had a role to play in continental and international programmes, especially in Africa. Support needed to be given for certain events. Finally, sports tourism was becoming an increasingly important contribution to the country.

Objective 4 was the streamlined deliver of sport and the creation of efficient systems. A model of business excellence had to be followed. A legislative and regulatory framework had to be developed. Proper reporting was needed. A dispute resolution mechanism had to be in place.

Objective 5 was ensuring that the 2010 World Cup would be the best ever. Government had signed seventeen guarantees to FIFA. There were exciting developments. The base of football support needed to be developed. Human resources had to be developed and a number of volunteers would be trained. The World Cup had to be marketed as an African event and would have to leave a meaningful legacy.

Discussion
The Chairperson said that the SP was the direction in which SRSA wanted to move while the budget represented the resources needed to achieve their goals.

Gen Holomisa congratulated the Minister, Deputy Minister and Chairperson on their reappointments. This would provide some continuity to the portfolio. He observed that all Strategic Plans by all Departments seemed to follow the same formula. He asked if there was a separate document, aside from the Annual Report, which addressed the progress of transformation since 1994. If there were specific targets, then the Committee could engage with the document and assess progress.

He noted that link between the development of sport and the Department of Tourism. There were leaders in codes such as soccer, cricket and rugby, but government had to own the process of transformation. He said that there should be some co-ordination between visiting sports teams. It often happened that two or more major events in different codes were scheduled on the same day. If there was proper co-ordination there could be a continuous flow of sports tourist. SRSA had to stamp its authority on to federations.

Mr G MacKenzie (COPE) strongly recommended that SRSA should position itself with the Economic Cluster of government, owing to huge amounts of revenue from sport. He was pleased that President Zuma had spoken about school sport and facilities in his speech. This was a noble and crucial initiative, particularly in the rural areas. He asked if this would be catered for in the budget.

The Chairperson was sure that SRSA had done this.

Mr J McGluwa (ID) wondered why there was no provision for a Parliamentary soccer team. Another challenge was the lack of assistance for supporters. The Confederations Cup match in Rustenburg had left the country embarrassed, due to the emptiness of the stadium where the match had been played. The total economic meltdown experienced internationally was a factor in the lack of overseas fans. Government should have considered giving tickets to children to fill the stadium and companies should have bought tickets for their workers.

Mr Luyenge accepted the commitments made by SRSA but needed to hear what the next step would be. Municipalities had not responded to questions of facility development and there was a need to ensure that resources were used correctly. The Committee needed to know how existing facilities were being utilised. It needed a clear programme from SRSA in order to exercise its oversight role. Legends could be used to promote the wellness programme, but a budget would be needed for that to happen.

Mr L Suka (ANC) reminded the meeting that transformation was a serious issue for government. He asked if there was any way that up and coming stars could be tracked. While they were given a chance to develop at junior level he feared that it was a different story at the top level. SRSA needed to monitor the activities of academies. He asked if they were fixed to one area, as he felt they must be moved to the disadvantaged areas. Progress needed to be benchmarked. SRSA needed to assist poor communities.

Mr D Lee (DA) congratulated the Minister and his Deputy on their reappointment. This kind of continuity was needed in sport. A critical issue was creation of an environment of access. Currently, people had to pay to attend events, but something must be done so that children, especially the poor, had the same opportunities to take part. Sporting success must not be dependent on money. The Department had to address this issue seriously. It was a challenge for all. The Department was failing talented children who were unable to participate through lack of funding. He observed that MIG funds were being spent on anything but sport. There was no explanation for this. Government must ensure that money was spent correctly and act strongly against defaulting municipalities.

Mr B Dhlamini (IFP) also congratulated the Ministers. He had hoped that municipalities would show their goodwill by building sports facilities, but this was a forlorn hope. The ANC had made a positive resolution at their Polokwane conference about returning sports funding to SRSA. Under the Building for Sport and Recreation Programme (BSRP) over 100 facilities had been built per annum. Since the funds had gone to the MIG this number had fallen to just two or three. There was also a lot of competition for funding from the lottery. Engagement was needed with the Department of Trade and Industry (dti). There was still a debate on funding but there was a need to enforce decisions.

Mr J van der Linde (DA) echoed Mr Dhlamini’s opinion on the MIG funds. The BSRP had worked. Funds were needed to build structures. Much had been said about the federations. School sport was however the problem. School sport was not spoken for when national sports events were organised. They must be included in the MPP. There was progress on the ground for the MPP but little support. A lot of the work depended on the efforts of clubs. There were no resources. The SP did not mention the national school sport structures and he asked where the problems lay.

Mr Suka said that when new human settlements were built, these would not include sports facilities and more interaction between departments was needed.  The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SRSA and the Department of Education must be reactivated.

Mr Dikgacwi noted that this exercise was taking place at national level. He asked if the same process was followed at provincial level, where it was needed. BSA had made a presentation to the Committee the previous week. Recommendations had been made since 2006 but none had been implemented. BSA had reported another loss of money and was asking for more. It was like a bottomless pit. The boxers were complaining but BSA was still guilty of fruitless expenditure. There was no leadership and the current situation would prevail. Good money was being thrown after bad. There had been problems at SAIDS, but the recommendations of the AG had been implemented and the organisation was now running perfectly.

He bemoaned the lack of school sport in African and Coloured schools. The white schools enjoyed the services of sports co-ordinators and had staff to cover each code they offered. This was not the same in other schools. In regard to the lottery, the organisations were missing each other, and needed someone to bring matters together.

Address by Minister of Sport and Recreation
Rev Makhenkesi Stofile, Minister of Sport and Recreation, revealed that he had been excused from the Cabinet meeting in order to visit the Committee. He congratulated the new Members on the Committee. This was a vibrant Committee and he was impressed by their inputs.

He was not exaggerating to say that South Africans were passionate about sport but did not actually know very much about it. South Africa was the sum total of its municipalities. SRSA regularly requested data from the municipalities regarding sports facilities but the response was poor, and effectively SRSA would have to collect the information. He agreed that there must be an assessment on the contribution of the sport industry to tourism.

The Minister agreed that some co-ordination was needed in scheduling events. This also applied within codes. He had gone to watch the British and Irish Lions match in Port Elizabeth the previous day but had noticed another rugby match being played before a large crowd at another venue. The Premier Soccer League (PSL) was dealing with this. A problem was that the rigid seasons for the different codes no longer seemed to apply.

He said that co-ordination with the economic sector was not just about revenue streams. The real challenge was the distribution of resources. SRSA needed to respond to the challenge, which was not unique to sport but applied to the overall economy of the country. On the matter of lottery funds distribution, this Committee needed to spend some time with the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry. Section 25 of the National Lotteries Act needed to amended. He did not think that benefits to sport, nor to arts and culture, should be subject to the Department of Trade and Industry, as this was not their core business, but should rather be in line with national prerogatives.

Minister Stofile said that he had thought the debacle over the playing of the national anthem was due to a recording problem, and he did not think that it had been a deliberate tactic to shorten the anthem. The Minister of Arts and Culture agreed this was an unacceptable situation. No one had the right to abridge the anthem.

He agreed that there was a lack of assistance for teams. It was correct that spectators needed assistance. He had spent some time in the North West province trying to motivate the mines to buy tickets for their workers. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) was addressing the issue and there had been some response.

The Minister agreed that the MIG was not being properly managed. The formerly-named Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) had issued a guiding document in 2006. A percentage for sports facilities had been embedded in the agreement. He had noted that although people would stage marches over electricity, water and roads, they did not do so for sports, and the local authorities would reallocate funds to those matters causing the most public concern. It had been said that the money must be returned to sport or at least ring fenced for sport facilities, but this had never happened. The current situation was a free-for-all. The responsible Minister had agreed to review the situation. The matter had been raised at a high level. The funding for the BSRP had been in the form of a Division of Revenue Act (DORA) grant. A better formula was needed. There had been some disagreement at NT level, but the issue had been raised to Ministerial level.

He urged the Members to remember that they, during their constituency work, also had a responsibility for recreational facilities. Issues of wellness and social cohesion also had to be addressed. SRSA was trying to rectify the demarcation of the MPP. The hubs were not related to municipal boundaries. Sub-councils must be aligned with hubs. There had been separation in the past between community and school based MPP. The Department would focus on this during the current financial year.

Minister Stofile said that transformation was non-negotiable. The question was still how to realise this ideal. It was a sacrosanct objective. He had doubts over the current situation. He noted that although Eastern Cape produced some of the best athletes, they disappeared at senior level; for instance a marathon runner by the name of April had finished second at a major event in Algeria, but now seemed to have disappeared. The Department was working with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC). Each code needed to identify talent, but a lot of money was needed to identify and develop talent.

He said that SRSA disagreed with SASCOC on the prioritisation of codes. They were focussing on 25 codes at present. He felt that some focus areas were wrong. For example, there was no potential in shooting, but in angling South Africa was producing world champions.

The Minister said that the term “quantification of academies” had never been used. People did not know what they were talking about. The HP programme had to be continued. In fact it should be spread to all provinces if possible. There were already two academies in small towns. There were good HP centres spread throughout the country, but there was a need to support areas not served by these centres.

He acknowledged that there was a policy that no child should be excluded from opportunities because of a lack of money. This policy had been partially implemented only. The Ministry received many requests and tried to help where possible. It was an economic issue. It was not just the responsibility of the Department or the private sector to help. All sources had to be used.

Minister Stofile fully agreed that there was a need to go back to the BSRP. Cabinet was debating this. Better use should be made of lottery funding. At a conference during 1991/1992 it was anticipated that there would be challenge to the fiscus under the new dispensation. This had been the spark for the institution of the lottery. Sport had lost out due to inarticulation in bidding for funds.

He said that the organisation of school sport was crucial. If it was to be revived there had to be an element of predictability. There must be a schedule of activities. All provinces had a problem in this regard, and African schools in particular suffered from an absence of organisers. Teachers had to be the major cog. He had asked the MECs to take action. This had been discussed at a MinMEC meeting. He wanted to see government officials meeting with teachers.

The Minister stressed that schools must be united under a single organisation, as had been the case in the past, but there should not be a return to the same situation that had prevailed before. The United School Sports Association of South Africa (USSASA) had been formed to liberate children. Control of school sport had been passed on to civil servants, but this was not correct and he appealed to the Members not to allow themselves to be lobbied. There had to be a collective view of school sport. Teachers had to be the nucleus although there was a role for the federations. Efforts had to be synchronised.

He said that the MPP was the most supported project of the Department. The problem lay at provincial level. The provincial departments returned money every year. Limpopo was the biggest culprit, returning 30% of allocated funding. Funding was provided for all levels, but control was handed over to consultants. The money was there, but in Limpopo there was no Director for Procurement. The province was therefore unable to spend the money granted to it.

Minister Stofile said that there were two Ministries involved with the planning of human settlements, namely the Departments of Human Settlement and of Higher Education. The Minister of Education was not very relevant to the process as planning was conducted at provincial and municipal level. There was no need for a MoU as it was all one government.

He said that BSA had made changes, but all for the worse. He did not know what was going wrong there, but the Committee needed to take some action. Legal advice had been received that BSA could not be summarily closed. The body had been created by Parliament and it would take a legislative process to disband it. This would be a long process. He wanted to suspend BSA but did not have the Constitutional authority to do so.

The Minister said that school sport in black areas must be prioritised. The party manifestos and the President’s State of the Nation speech all called for action during the current MTEF. Government would be compelled to legislate to make things happen.

He said that people would still turn out to support weak teams. South Africans must support their team, as had happened in the past, but planning must look forward and not back. It was essential to make sports facilities available. The focus should not only be on the cities. Sport must happen in a democratic fashion.

Discussion
Mr Dikgacwi had not heard any progress on the implementation of the resolutions taken at the Sports Indaba in 2008. A particular concern was the question of the single emblem for sports teams. This was also the subject of a resolution of the ANC conference at Polokwane.

Mr Dikgacwi pointed out that there was evidence that some local coaches could do better than the foreigners which some clubs thought were essential. SuperSport United had won the PSL for two years in a row under the guidance of a local coach. Club owners ran the PSL but there should be an independent body to manage the league. Clubs said that there were no local coaches. Foreigners had to be employed within the labour legislation. Players had to have earned a number of international caps before they could be contracted to a club. It might be necessary for politicians to become unpopular by doing the right thing.

The Chairperson asked what progress had been made with the regulations that would be proclaimed under the National Sport and Recreation Act (NSRA). Some codes seemed to be doing their own thing regarding national colours. Regulations had to be drawn up to cover this. He agreed that foreign players and coaches were subject to labour law. Permission for the appointment of coaches should be left with the Minister. Soccer bosses were saying that there were no local coaches capable of managing local teams; the Department was not on top of the process and a meeting was needed in this regard. No sports body was above the law. The Minister was responsible for implementing the law.

He said that some decisions taken by sports people about transformation had not been implemented. He would engage in discussion with his counterparts in the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) regarding the lottery by the end of the week. Decisions taken during the week had been deferred. There was a conflict of interest in that the President of SASCOC was also the head of one of the NLB’s Distribution Agencies. This meant that all the decisions made were by and large irregular. If all the members of SASCOC excused themselves from Distribution agency meetings there would be no quorum. The Committee would deal with this, although again the Minister might be unpopular in the way he would have to enforce the law.

Minister Stofile replied that Mr Petersen should supply the Committee with an audited account of the proceedings of the Sports Indaba. Probably only one or two of the recommendations had not yet been attended to. He agreed on the need to establish a transformation management committee. A criticism had been made that while this was a good concept, SRSA lacked the capacity to manage the process. This committee should be in place by July 2009.

He said that the regulations for the NSRA had already been sent back twice. The Committee would have sight of these once they were completed. The national emblem had been the subject of an agreement reached in 1991, ironically at the Springbok Hotel. The indaba had reaffirmed the position taken then. Rugby was the contentious code. The king protea had been endorsed as the only emblem, but rugby had asked for and received a special five-year dispensation to retain the springbok as a marketing emblem for the 1995 World Cup. The South African Rugby Union (SARU) had then successfully requested a further conditional extension for the World Cup in England in 1999. All these conditions had been broken. The Minister had met with SARU in February 2009, at which SARU had reaffirmed its intention to adopt the king protea. SARU had not reverted officially to SRSA as they still had to consult with the SARU Presidents’ Council.

The Minister said that SAFA were still displaying the king protea emblem on the wrong side of their jerseys; although it was correctly displayed in the green shirts worn when playing against Poland, it was not so on the yellow shirts used in the Confederations Cup match against Iraq. An education programme was needed for the various brand managers. He had raised the matter with Mr Hack, who had blamed the manufacturers.

He had met with the new Minister of Trade and Industry who was contemplating a round table meeting of all NLB stakeholders. This meeting would reconsider the current system of allocations. Organisations had until 19 June 2009 to submit their requests. The Minister would have to deal with these.

Mr Suka asked if there was a specimen of the correct colours, which federations could use as a model.

The Minister replied that there was not a specimen. However, there were regulations regarding the correct colours and emblem specifications. SASCOC had stipulated what these should be and all federations should be aware of the regulations. Many passed the blame for non-compliance with these standards to finished goods being imported from China and Japan.

The Chairperson said that President Zuma had raised several topics regarding sport in his State of the Nation address. Personally he had been impressed by the 2010 facilities. He had overheard some foreign visitors expressing their appreciation of the venues for the Confederations Cup. Initial impressions that South Africa would not be able to deliver a world-class product were being proved false. No foreigners had yet reported a negative experience.

The Chairperson reiterated said that school sport needed urgent attention. The Committee had received by many letters regarding self-styled governing bodies. A proper structure was needed. While the intentions of the various bodies involved at present were good, changes often upset good aspects that were in place. He wanted to know what the current infrastructure was. He asked why human capital resources were being rejected and why 70% of the organisers of school sport were not teachers. School sport was the cornerstone of transformation. Allied to this was the need for facilities and a rethink on the MIG funding model.

The Chairperson announced that the Committee would table a proposal for the dissolution of BSA. The opportunity for extended engagement with the AG did not help. The body was non-functional, and the Committee must play a role in guiding the Board.

Minister Stofile said that this was a valid decision by the Committee. SRSA was working on seconding a manager to BSA.

Mr Petersen said that the Department of Arts and Culture agreed with this approach.

The Chairperson said that there were different views on SASCOC. He asked why they were forming sports councils, and what their mandate was. The provinces were being left with no role to play and the role of the federations was being limited. All of these councils were being given R4 million. He had raised the issue with Mr Petersen. It was dangerous terrain. SASCOC should only be concerning itself with the HP programme. The Durban indaba had passed a resolution that sports councils were political institutions. The majority of representatives on SASCOC were white. The bigger federations were not represented and the smaller federations formed the majority. The mandate to the sports councils was misplaced. The organisation of effective school sport rested with the sports councils.

Minister Stofile replied that he had administered sport while still playing it. Some developments seemed strange to him, although he was perhaps old-fashioned in his thinking. His experience was of the South African Council of Sport (SACOS), the National Sports Commission (NSC) and regional and provincial councils. Local federations had to be involved with sports councils and leadership mandates were needed. There could not be a confederation for elite participants. SRSA must go to every region to assemble the local federations. He had made these comments at a MinMEC meeting in Bloemfontein. SASCOC had a mandate to prepare national teams and elite athletes. This had to be done at ground level. In particular, SRSA commissioned SASCOC in writing to prepare the Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams.

The Chairperson advised the Minister that his presence would not be needed for the next session of the meeting. The budget speech would be presented in the National Assembly on 1 July 2009. A report had to be submitted to the ATC and the Committee would consider the budget proposals for the rest of the day.

Minister Stofile announced that he had been asked that day to be a consultant to the Minister of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities.

Mr MacKenzie asked if it was true that SARU had entered into an agreement to move the springbok badge to the other side of the jersey and display the king protea on the left breast.

Minister Stofile denied that there any such agreement. Mr Rautenbach of SARU had apparently worn a jacket like this, and had asked if this would be acceptable for the blazer, but the Minister had refused to enter discussion, saying he would only discuss the single national emblem, which was the king protea, to be worn on the left breast. Basketball was a code that wore the protea on the left breast and some other symbol on the right, as was also the case with SAFA. The government was guided by heraldry standards. All animal images were owned by the State, either through SRSA or the Department of Arts and Culture. SARU had was a contractual custodianship of the emblem, not ownership.

Mr MacKenzie asked if it would be acceptable for a national team to wear any other symbol as long as the king protea was displayed on their kit.

Minister Stofile refused to discuss this issue further. He wished South African teams would united under one symbol. Anything else would be moving backwards.

The Chairperson said that there was a need for unity and cohesion. Divisions were still entrenched. It was a contentious situation, and it was correct for the Minister not to get involved in the debate.

Department of Sports and Recreation(SRSA): Presentation on Budget
Mr Petersen said that the budget cycle started in June or July. NT would provide indicative figures on the amount of money available and the Departments would submit their proposals. Although it contained alignment of measurable objectives, the SP was a fresh document which did not capture the current budget. Adjustments were made during October.

Mr Petersen said that SRSA had six programmes. Programme 1 involved administration and no details were provided. Programme 2 was the Department’s Sport Support Services. The goal here was to increase the number of participants by 12%. Assistance was needed to federations to form new clubs especially in the disadvantaged and rural communities. SRSA planned to increase the number of athletes in the HP programme by 10% over the four-year period of the MTEF, and it wished to see good corporate governance in the federations.

Programme 3 was the MPP. The activities were funded mainly through conditional grants to the provinces. SRSA had a responsibility to see that funds were spent correctly. The goal was to see participation increase by 20% and for more festivals to be held. Legacy aspects were to be supported. SRSA had defined 45 mass mobilisation projects.

Programme 4 was international liaison and events. The Department wished to increase the probability of success of South African teams and individuals in international competition. Ten bilateral exchanges were planned for the 2009/10 FY. This would be a way to contribute to peace and social cohesion. It was hoped to increase the number of sports tourists visiting the country. Assistance would be provided for four national federations in terms of logistics and finance and four international events would be supported.

Programme 5 was facilities co-ordination. SRSA would lobby for facilities and provide aid for 100 municipalities. Five mobile gymnasiums would be provided.

Programme 6 was the 2010 World Cup. A major task was the completion of stadiums. SRSA would play a direct role in ensuring building standards were followed. Consultants had been appointed for this purpose. All the outstanding stadiums were to be completed by December 2009. SRSA was co-ordinating the efforts of other Departments, and linkages between Departments would be maximised.

He then presented a number of general goals. SRSA would support 58 federations with funding and oversight. The target for the identification of junior athletes was 150 and for elite athletes 1 157. SRSA would train 13 500 people in various technical aspects. The Department would support 600 clubs. The MPP would see four million participants, although the quality of the events would not always be the best.  SRSA wished to construct twelve new sports facilities. It would conclude 30 service level agreements. SRSA was the custodian for seventeen 2010 guarantees although the work was generally the responsibility of other Departments. Regular progress reports were table at inter-ministerial meetings. Some 500 sports events volunteers would be trained. This was lower than the target for 2008/09 but the figures excluded the 19 000 volunteers for the World Cup. SRSA would assist with the staging of 48 development tournaments and fourteen South African title events. It would also assist with 21 international tournaments. Some 84 training partnerships would be established. In terms of doping control, the target for doping tests was 3 1000. Ninety doping control officers would be trained and three thousand handbooks would be distributed to athletes.

Mr Makoto Matlala, Chief Financial Officer, SRSA, said that SRSA had had a budget of R436.8 million, which had increased to R4.9 billion in the 2008/09 FY. This was an increase of 124% but was mainly due to World Cup preparations. The building of stadiums was a significant cost. Other programmes had enjoyed a 25.8% increase. This was based on increased conditional grants for purposes including school sports and legacy projects. During the MTEF the budget would decrease to R771 million as the various 2010 projects were wound up.

He said the growth of the conditional grant from 2005/06 to 2008/09 was 475%. To date transfer payments of R4.6 billion had been made. This would be reduced to R452 million in the 2009/10 FY. A sum of R15 million had been budgeted for the 2009/10 FY and R40 million in 2010/11 to honour agreements with FIFA on Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds. The budget for international liaison and events had increased from R6 million to R425 million. 2008 had been an unusual year in that the Department had had to make funding available for the Olympic Games and Zone VI Youth Games, which had been held in South Africa. The budget for 2009/10 showed a decrease of 57.6% for 2009/10 but would then increase by 20% annually during the remainder of the MTEF period.

Mr Matlala said that the total budget for 2008/09 had been R4.9 billion. Of this R4.8 billion had been spent which represented 99.2% of the total. The budget for 2009/10 was R2.8 billion. SRSA had asked NT to make some of the funds not used available as a rollover. An answer was expected in October or November.

He outlined the expenditure for each programme. The budget for Programme 1 was R86.9 million, R99.8 million for Programme 2, R449.4 million for Programme 3, R18 million for Programme 4, R6.4 million for Programme 5 and R2.1 billion for Programme 6. he presented the Members with a detailed breakdown of the budget. The R15 million refund to FIFA was for VAT on tickets for the Confederations Cup.

Mr Matlala presented a breakdown on the conditional grant. Legacy projects were allocated R187 million, school sport MPP projects R108 million and the Siyadlala project R107 million. This was a total or R402 million. He also presented the costs for each of the 2010 stadiums.

Mr Petersen added that, for the first time, the transfer to 2010 host cities included provision for an operational grant. This would be used to prepare for the World Cup. Projects such as volunteer training and fencing would benefit from this funding. The rollover was requested for volunteer training. This had not been completed before the end of the FY and some of the invoices had still to be presented.

Discussion
Mr Dikgacwi questioned the stadium grants to municipalities. He asked why the grant for Cape Town was so far different to all the other host cities. This was not the only new stadium. Money tended to go where it had been directed already, and not where it was really needed. A city like Cape Town had access to other revenue streams not available to an area like the Northern Cape. The administration of boxing was in a mess. This had been coming for some time and it was clear that the Board members could not manage. He noticed that the provinces who were unable to spend their grants were those which suffered the most unemployment. He said that it was not necessary to have experts to manage MPP projects. He asked what mechanisms were in place to monitor projects. If SRSA had to wait until the end of 2010 to realise that nothing had happened the projects would be a failure.

Mr MacKenzie asked if the figures for 2008/09 were actual figures, or if SRSA was expecting and adjustment. He asked if the budget for 2009/10 included an allowance for inflation. He asked who would make up the difference if there were any cost overruns. Each school should have playing fields and coaches but he saw no massive increase for this purpose. He suggested that the level of funding for 2010 be continued with the funding being used to bolster school sport.

Mr Suka noted that there were no detailed figures for Programme 1. In Programme 2 SRSA spoke about a 12% increase in participation but there was no baseline to measure it. In terms of Programme 4, he asked if the planning was aimed at probable or possible success at international level. He asked for progress reports and examples of the training. He asked what the criteria were in selecting the 100 municipalities for assistance, and for the location of the mobile gymnasiums. Under Programme 5, he asked how much money was allocated to projects in the rural areas. He wanted more detail on the transfers and subsidies.

Mr Lee had the same question as Mr MacKenzie. The word “school” was not mentioned anywhere in the budget. He wanted to know who was in charge of school sport, noting that the President had spoken about it, and he was concerned that the Department was now shying away from it. If nothing was done then sport would not materialise. He asked who was responsible for payments if the transfer funding was overspent. At the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the press had reported a big shortfall. He asked if SRSA had budgeted for such eventualities. Some authorities could use this situation to blackmail the government while there was such a need in other fields.

Mr McGluwa asked if there was any supporting documentation for the programmes. He wished to see targets and indicators. SRSA referred to community facilities and gymnasiums. He asked where these were located. The Minister had made a valid point regarding the white athletics team from North West. The event had been held in March while the politicians had all been campaigning for the elections. He would investigate this matter. He wanted reasons for the disparate funding of the stadiums. Money was allocated to municipalities and had to be used where the games would happen. He wanted clarity on who was responsible for security. Finally, he asked for an elaboration on sport’s contribution to LoveLife. This was a crucial matter.

The Chairperson said that the President had spoken on school sport. The Department must isolate school sport and separate it from other cloudy issues, including separation from the MPP.  It must see how interventions could be made.

Mr Lee had not interrogated the Education budget. He asked how this department had budgeted for sport. A joint meeting was needed.

The Chairperson said that the Committee needed to know who was funding school sports. The Department of Education had made three visits to the Committee regarding school sport. Fruitful meetings had been held. There was a problem with inactive children. He said that there were different costs for the stadiums in eThekwini and Cape Town. The latter had said that they had to complete an environmental impact assessment (EIA). The noise would interfere with bird life in the area and so special soundproofing measures had to be incorporated into the design. He asked if Durban had the same problem. NT needed to do some work to explain the situation. He noted that the Western Cape had signed the bid document at the very last moment.

Mr van der Linde said that money had to be allocated for transport. There was talent in the rural areas, as was shown by a lady from Beaufort West being named as player of the tournament at a recent international hockey tournament. However, there were not enough funds available for young talent from the rural areas to attend trials. Rural areas also lacked the sophisticated facilities to allow the residents to develop their skills. He agreed that the elevated funding levels for 2010 should be allowed to decrease on a sliding scale rather than be cut off abruptly.

Mr Petersen said that a dedicated reply would be needed. He had the details of the spending on the stadium in Cape Town. The builders faced unusual challenges. The site chosen was subject to seismic activity not found at the other venues. This had required thicker and deeper concrete. It was a different project altogether. If the municipalities had to fund the astronomical overruns then they would either have to compromise service delivery or raise their rates. There was a danger in doing this shortly before local elections. Part of the initial allocations was for proper planning and accounting. Cost limits had to be accounted for. Some host cities had done this while some of the coastal venues had failed. In contrast, a fine stadium had been erected in Mombela within the budget. The upgrade at the stadium in the Manguang municipality had achieved a cost saving. Some of the host cities had negotiated fixed contracts while other were subject to open-ended contracts with variable prices.

He said that money had been used to negotiate favourable deals and to contain expenditure. Some host cities would use the stadiums to generate income after 2010 or to bid for future events. Overruns were not due to FIFA requirements. With the support of NT they had agreed that municipalities could approach the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) for favourable loans. Some cities had already taken up this offer. SRSA would pay the interest on these loans for the first two years. Parliament was unhappy about the ever-increasing costs. Strong performance criteria had been set. The stadium grants were not inflation-related. In fact, the prices of cement and steel were falling. He wondered if the host cities would be able to save some money as a result.

Mr Petersen acknowledged that there had been some security problems at the Confederations Cup. Some stewarding functions had had to be shifted to the South African Police Services (SAPS). There had been a problem with procuring stewards and the SAPS had been forced to take over the security arrangements in three of the host cities. In Manguang there was no problem as the security company hired was the same company that provided security for rugby matches at the stadium. It was the duty of government and the SAPS to ensure security at the event. This matter would be raised at the LOC. It had cost the SAPS R3.5 million in allowances for its members for one day at Ellis Park.

The Chairperson said that after a meeting on school sport SRSA had been required to engage with the various role players. According to his information this engagement had never taken place.

Mr Petersen replied that there were muddied and confusing issues around school sport. A Director had been appointed in February 2009 with instructions to co-operate with SASCOC.

The Chairperson asked if this was Mr Biyela.

Mr Petersen said that Mr Biyela had left the Department’s employ in January. He was now taking responsibility for the process and a base document was being developed.

The Chairperson said that all concerned needed to be involved with this process.

Mr Lee asked if there was a new person in this post.

The Chairperson told him that there was, and that Ms Lulu Sizani supervised that person.

Ms Lulu Sizani, Chief Director, Corporate Services, SRSA, said that SRSA supported the provinces in executing the MPP. The grant for this had started at a small amount but there had been a steady increase. The problem was the inability of the provinces to spend the money allocated to them. SRSA had asked NT for assistance in developing capacity, and authority had been give for up to 5% of the DORA grant being used for this purpose. This amount had now been increased to 6%. The size of the grant was proportional to the size of the province and so the amount allocated to a province like Kwa-Zulu-Natal was much larger than to other provinces. It was correct that there was only reference to the MPP. In fact, there were two Directors who fell under the MPP. These were for community sport and for school sport. The presentation was at a high level and not all the detail was shown. It was included in the business plan, which showed all phases of the consultation. She did see school sport as a separate entity.

The Chairperson reminded her that because of the remarks of President Zuma, spending on school sport had to be visible in the budget.

Ms Sizani said that the budget allocations were grouped as they were in the Estimates of National Expenditure (ENE) document. She asked if recreation spending was not listed.

Mr Matlala said that one of the functions of SRSA was to assist the entities under its control. The situation regarding BSA was a challenge. Ms Alison Burchell had been delegated to the BSA Board. Corporate governance at BSA had been a challenge and there were also operational issues. SRSA was busy trying to source a service provider to assist with the compilation of the Annual Report. The figures provided for the stadiums were final figures. No further adjustments would be requested. The DORA allocations were drawn up on a per province per project basis. He could separate the school sport and community MPP figures. LoveLife had been raised as an issue before. SRSA had approached NT for permission to reallocate the funds, but they had been warned that they would lose the funding if they reallocated it.

Mr Petersen said that evaluation was performance related. The Department’s business plan went into minute detail. In regard to the baselines, he said that these had largely been based on the figures achieved in the previous year. He agreed that this presentation was a summary of the budget, and the full detail was in the ENE. Performance was tabled in the Annual Report. The absence of Physical Education teachers was one of the biggest challenges to school sports programmes. The budget included R108 million for school sport MPP projects.

Ms Alison Burchell, Chief Director: Liaison, Events and Facilities, SRSA, said that the Programme 2 baseline was based on the number of clubs that had been established or revived and the current number of participants. An aspect of Programme 4 was to develop coaches. If necessary SRSA would bring in coaches from overseas to train local coaches. SRSA was focussing on rural areas. Municipalities had been requested to provide information but not all had responded. DPLG had categorised municipalities. The assistance given would be to those below Level 3 municipalities, which represented the more disadvantaged areas of the country. It cost R5 million each to establish the mobile gymnasiums. In fact they were not very “mobile” as they were built into shipping containers. Heavy duty lifting equipment was needed to relocate them. An imbizo process had been used to determine where they were most needed. The municipalities involved had to sign agreements with SRSA and they could be removed if they were improperly used.

Mr Petersen commented on the provision of transport for children. The Department expected provincial and local authorities to cover the cost for this. SRSA would intervene in specific cases. The same applied with the promotion of access to facilities.

The Chairperson noted that this engagement was a short and compressed process. The budget hearings had of necessity been squeezed into a single day where they would normally be held over four days. He asked which four federations would be aided in the staging of international events. The policy question facing government was the alleviation of poverty. The Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of a municipality should inform the decision on the level of support to be received. SRSA should see what the situation was in each municipality. Another session was needed with the Department to further the discussion.

Mr McGluwa said that he was most surprised at some of the explanations. As politicians the Members should know where the needs where in the communities they represented. Ventures were being hijacked.

Mr Suka requested a copy of the detailed document for the Committee. He asked if the funding of federations was making a difference, or just maintaining the status quo.

The Chairperson said that the formula for funding was one of the key elements that had to be brought into the Committee’s discussions.

Presentation by South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS)
Dr Shuaib Manjra, Chairperson, SAIDS, observed that a podium finisher at the Tour de France cycle race had made a statement that if athletes did not dope then they would not enjoy equal opportunities in the echelons of international cycling. This cyclist was not surprised to have been caught. He was using a modified form of Erythropoietin (an endurance boosting hormone) (referred to as EPO) doping and had undergone several blood transplants in the period leading up to the tour. He said that most of the top athletes were doping. The Tour of 1989 had been a debacle. Only one cyclist was caught in 2008 so it was important that a more comprehensive programme be followed.

He said that SAIDS focussed on testing and education, but there was a need to go further. The Institute conducted about 2 500 tests annually with funding from SRSA. The Department’s target was to conduct a minimum of 3 000 tests at a cost of R1 000 each. EPO testing was more expensive as samples were sent to a testing laboratory in Germany. It was a challenge to conduct more tests but SAIDS was compelled to do so. South Africa was a signatory to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Convention and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code. In particular there was a need to increase out-of-season testing, as this was where most doping took place. The International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) suggested that there should be three to four times the number of out-of-season tests compared to in-season tests.

Dr Manjra said this involved a number of elements. A registered test pool had to be established. Identified athletes had to make their whereabouts known on every day of the year. They were required to access an electronic database to update this information. It was an expensive system as the testers had to travel to wherever the athlete was to conduct a test.

He said that a third challenge facing SAIDS was that of investigation and intelligence. He likened the way the Institute was currently working as akin to the Police trying to combat organised crime by setting up isolated roadblocks. There was a whole illicit trade involved. Doping authorities needed to catch users and to break the supply chain. Australia had advanced investigative tools. Investigators had been seconded from government agencies. These officials came from customs, police and taxation backgrounds. They had allocated 10% of their budget to investigation, which had led to a 25% increase in the number of cases.

Dr Manjra said that the same was not happening in South Africa due to costs and a lack of infrastructure. It was known that the doping industry was active in the country. Dopers were developing new techniques. EPO doping boosted the number of red blood cells in the body and allowed the athlete to exercise harder. Budget constraints prevented SAIDS from testing effectively for this. Another new technique was the use of human growth hormone (HGO). Blood tests were necessary to trace these activities and urine samples were insufficient. To combat HGO effectively an athlete should be tested at least ten times so that a biological profile could be compiled.

He said that new elements to the Institute’s strategy were an increase in its education and outreach programmes. There were huge new issues surrounding therapeutic use exemptions. A new paradigm was being developed. SAIDS had calculated that it needed a 5% increase in funding just to maintain current levels. This would not be enough to allow the Institute to fulfil its mandate. There were many unforeseen changes in the fight against doping which made it impossible to predict requirements over a four-year MTEF period. A greater mandate was needed.

The Chairperson said that it was a worrying situation. SAIDS had been responsible for brilliant accounting, perhaps because of the low level of funding allocated to it. Its Annual Reports for the last five years had been excellent. He asked how SAIDS proposed to overcome their challenges.

Mr McGluwa asked for more emphasis on the reason for tests.

Dr Manjra said that a multi-pronged approach was needed. If between 2 5000 and 3 000 tests were performed only 1% of these would be positive. The international norm was between 1% and 2%. He knew this was not a true reflection. The testing methods available were not sophisticated enough. There was a whole network behind the doping athlete. Without being able to expose the network, only the individual athlete could be prosecuted. When athletes of sixteen years old were caught they had been offered a plea bargain if they revealed the source of the drugs, but refused to co-operate. Testing was an important part of the struggle as it gave a sense of what was happening. There were many whistle blowers who provided information. An integrated approach was needed.

He said that athletes knew they would be tested during competition. Most doping was therefore carried out out-of-season. Anabolic steroids and EPO were generally used out-of-season while short-term stimulants might be used during competition. It was suspicious that the Russian runners who dominated the Comrades Marathon arrived only a day or two before the race and tested clean. He wondered what was happening at their training camps. It was a violation if an athlete was not at his reported whereabouts. A third such offence was seen to be as serious as an actual positive test.

Mr Khalid Galant, Chief Executive Officer, SAIDS, presented the budget. SAIDS had only been allocated R5.7 million for the 2009/10 FY. This was a shortfall of R4.3 million. This would necessitate cuts to the Institute’s work. The number of tests conducted would have to be reduced and it would miss the target set by SRSA. There would have to be cutback on its educational programme. There was a possibility of using grant funding but this was not sustainable. No scientific research could be conducted.

He said that costly elements were blood tests, EPO tests and results management. The Institute also faced legal fees when an athlete challenged the results of a test. SAIDS had held a daylong meeting with the Medicines Control Council (MCC). South Africa was now regarded as part of the international doping network. Doping was being used in schools but SAIDS faced legal constraints in conducting tests on minors. There was a broader responsibility because of the health risks associated with prolonged use of these substances. The practice was widespread amongst junior rugby players.

Mr Khalid Gal, ant said that another challenge was external audit fees. The AG rates had been increased to R450 000 this year. Risk management now had to be conducted in-house. There were some solutions. One was for government to commit itself to supporting SAIDS in its core business activities. A second solution was lobbying for increased grant funding. Sponsors could be requested to sponsor the work of SAIDS as part of their risk management. The reputation of some sponsors had been badly damaged by the doping activities of cyclists in particular. The third solution would be to cut costs and to strive for greater administrative efficiency.

Discussion
Mr McGluwa admitted that the presentation had caused him great concern. He asked if there was any provision for rehabilitation of offenders.

The Chairperson was puzzled that a small organisation like SAIDS had to pay such a high audit fee.

Mr Matlala explained that the AG used rates approved by NT. These were based on the hours worked and the number of people involved. Audit fees had been increased by 32% in order to retain expertise.

The Chairperson asked why SAIDS was being charged a separate fee when it was an integral part of SRSA. The same must apply to BSA. As the parent body he felt that SRSA should pay these fees.

Mr Matlala said that the entities were autonomous in terms of the Acts that established them. NT had set the increase to the budget at 5%.

Dr Manjra said that prosecution of offenders was not a SAIDS responsibility. In some cases rehabilitation was recommended but not in others. It was a sad situation.

The Chairperson said there was a need to speak on informed information.

Mr Petersen said that it was important to preserve the integrity of the Institute. There was now a perception that South Africa could no longer manage its affairs. The NT decided the budget allocations. All Departments submitted bids to the Budget Committee, which had to consider all the requests on a prioritised basis. SAIDS had to put its case to this body. The NT was looking at how entities could improve their revenue streams.

Mr Lee said that NT must decide what South Africa’s good name was worth. For the want of R4.3 million the country’s reputation could be destroyed, and he would have thought that paying what was needed was a worthwhile investment. The Committee had to table such a request.

The Chairperson reminded the meeting of the contribution of sports tourism to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Doping was like a leaking valve and had to be fixed. SAIDS must present its case and the Committee would support it. Things would work differently in future.

Dr Manjra said that SAIDS had pursued every revenue avenue with mixed success. Five years ago he could have said that SAIDS was within the top ten such organisations internationally but this was no longer the case. It was still respected but was falling back due to their lack of resources.

Presentation by South Africa School Sports Association (SASSA)
Ms Martha Stroom, President, South African School Sports Association, said that the presentation by SRSA confirmed the SA School Sports Association (SASSA) frustrations. School sport had not been mentioned in the document. She asked who was helping on the technical side. The school sport element of the MPP had not been mentioned. Ten prioritised codes had been identified. However, equipment was locked up in storerooms due to the lack of facilities.

She said that SASSA was a national body, which had come together in 2008 and had been taken on board by Ms Burchell. It had drawn up a school sports policy. It must be distinguished from NACOC. Policies had been written, which should have been distributed to the provinces in March 2009. These were part of the national calendar which had been sent out in January 2009.

Ms Stroom said that the officials had been told at a meeting the previous Friday that SASCOC and national federations would be running tournaments. SASSA was no longer recognised by SRSA. SASSA worked with their constituents and honesty was needed. The ten codes identified were not all played at community level. There were no facilities for children and they had to train in the streets. There was also a lack of safe transport.

She said that some special schools events had been held in the Eastern Cape. The Minister had attended a workshop during these events.

Ms Stroom said that there was no reference in the SRSA presentation to farm schools. SASSA had a programme for them. An event had been held in the Dimbaza area. Farm transport had been provided. A farm schools tournament would be held in the spring. There would be three teams from each province. The event would be marketed.

She asked how the federations would support events for people who were not already members of clubs. The school sport codes relied on teachers and volunteers to drive the programme at hub level. SASSA was training students to officiate at events, but transport was a problem. Selected codes had been chosen.

On international liaison and events, Ms Stroom said that SASSA codes were affiliated to the International Schools Federation (ISF). There were relations with the World Olympics Federation and COSASA, and a desire to bring Olympic programmes to the country.

She said that SASSA used facilities in the townships. There were many community halls but access was difficult. These were administered from offices downtown and fees were charged. Safety was also a concern. One of the SRSA indicators was the support to national federations. She was concerned that golf was supported, but not netball. She agreed that SAIDS could not get to everywhere to test. Junior athletes from the school sport structures progressed to the former Model C and special schools, and were then taken on by clubs. She asked if enough noise was being made at junior level. Netball was a priority code but their sponsorship had been last. Sponsorship was needed for overseas training. It was not up to clubs and schools to carry the burden. She concurred on the lack of facilities.

Ms Stroom said that the 48 development tournaments mentioned in the SRSA presentation had been cut from the previous year. Under the new leadership the SASCOC federations would run these tournaments. SASCOC worked through clubs. Schools volleyball was now run by an office bearer from the national federation. Thirty teams from each province should be taking part in tournaments. She asked if the 21 international tournaments in South Africa included participation by COSASA teams.

She said that a management meeting would be held the following weekend. She requested SAIDS to conduct doping testing at international competitions. School sport needed to have a say in expenditure. The non-Olympic codes must not be forgotten. Children at Model C schools could not be described as disadvantaged. Recreation was needed for the masses. School sport should be part of the budget process.

Discussion
The Chairperson asked if the 13 000 trained officials mentioned by SRSA included those from the school sport structures. He asked if SASSA was doing its own development. He asked why there was no convergence between the programmes. There was a detailed programme of events, which even went down to Wednesday afternoon sports events. It was signed off by the two Directors General. However, events did not happen as planned. He asked who was responsible for implementation. It could not be SRSA or the Department of Education. It must be the teachers. Both Departments needed to evaluate the impact.

Mr Dikgacwi said that SRSA and SASSA should sit down and meet with each other.

Mr Suka said that analysis showed that the Department should lead the process with inclusive consultation. Monitoring tools were needed. He agreed that farm schools were left out ,as were teams in the rural areas. There was no reference to indigenous sport in either the SP or the budget. Access to venues was problematic. It was critical not to ignore COSASA countries. It was strange that SRSA was so silent on the issue. He would like to have access to the school sport policy. He said that the sports indaba had been a valuable exercise and asked if there had been any assessment on the outcomes. He was not comfortable with the issue being referred to a Director.

Mr Lee asked if the organisation represented both primary and high schools.

Ms Stroom replied that it represented Grades R to 12 as well as some of the FET Colleges.

Mr Lee thought that the school sports structure should reflect the new dispensation in Education. Volleyball South Africa had disbanded the school structure. It looked like a family from Durban had taken over schools volleyball. It was bad to control the sport in this way. There was so much to be done. He was glad that the Minister had been open and honest. The issues of teachers had not been properly addressed in the past. There were some teachers who would work from 06h00 until 18h00 in winter and summer seasons. They received no extra payment for their work and in fact had to pay their own expenses when taking teams on tour. It was time to address this problem. He did not know how SASSA had been formed. A legitimate structure was needed. Retired teachers should be allowed to participate. In the past there had been a separation between primary, secondary and tertiary structures. It was perhaps time to return to that dispensation.

Mr McGluwa said it was a heart-rending issue. He asked to see an organogram showing how schools were represented. This would help to make a sound decision.

The Chairperson said that the Committee needed funding information, and added that SAIDS had the mandate to conduct tests in schools. There were hidden factors. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) had a responsibility to manage events, yet there had been a fiasco with the COSASA games. He urged Ms Burchell to find ways to assist with the safe transport of learners, especially those with disability. He was excited about the games being arranged for the farm schools, saying that this was a first-time event.

The Chairperson said that the subject of SASCOC kept cropping up. Decisions had to be taken. SASCOC had nothing to do with school sport. The fiasco at the Beijing Olympics still had to be explained. School sport must avoid anything to do with SASCOC, and rather deal with SRSA. SASCOC was confusing the issues and meddling in the business of other organisations. The input of SASSA had enriched the discussion.

Mr Petersen was grateful for the SASSA input. He was hearing some issues for the first time. He felt that perhaps it was a case of too much talk and too little consolidation. The issue had to be dealt with rationally. International best practice and past experience should guide the process. There was a primary role for physical education. Engagement was needed on the specifics.

The Chairperson said that Mr Petersen was making a fine approach. School sport would have a critical impact on the budget. The issue would be a serious matter on the Committee’s agenda. He noted that there was a need to have a strong stance; Government would no longer tolerate inefficiency. SRSA must share their responsibilities with their entities. The question of unused equipment must be addressed.

Presentation by Sports Trust (ST)
Mr Xanthi Lamani, Board of Trustees, Sports Trust,  apologised for the absence of the operations manager of the Sports Trust (ST). He presented an overview of the activities   There were some major sponsors representing several aspects of the sports industries from broadcasters to major team sponsors. Not all the federations were members. The ST did have a disability desk. Its membership included indigenous games. It was working to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas.

He said that the ST had spent over R40 million on approximately 200 projects. There were two types of projects. General projects which involved amounts over R300 000. Criteria for approving these applications included sound management and sustainability. The Operations Executive could approve discretionary projects involving lesser amounts. The ST did not fund travel and accommodation. It reacted to calls from the public and federations. There were insufficient funds to extend a general invitation to the public. There were approximately 250 applications annually from all provinces.

Mr Lamani said that the ST faced challenges. One was of identifying the target market. Youth of school-going age were one of the target groups. It had similar challenges as SRSA regarding equipment and insufficient funding for all that it would like to do. Volunteers were remunerated by a small stipend. This contributed to job creation. The Trust was aligned to the MPP and its members had the necessary expertise.

He acknowledged the contribution of the trustees. Ms Burchell served on the Committee. Lottery funding was also received. A more co-ordinated approach was needed for all sports development. A more detailed description would be provided as he had compiled the presentation at short notice.

Discussion
Mr Lee noticed that the list of donors was stagnant. He did not think that only the six named organisations were supporting the Trust. Some time previously Mr Dennis Bruyns had addressed the Committee with some brilliant ideas for golf. The Professional Golfers Association (PGA) was looking to find money and facilities for the poor, and he suggested that Bruyns should be approached. He was noticing an increased interest in golf recently by men and women of all races.

Mr McGluwa was satisfied with the report-back but requested the possibility of receiving a list of the ST’s beneficiaries.

Mr Suka said there should be better documentation. The Trust had been established in 1994. He asked what changes it had undergone. He was impressed by the donations received.

The Chairperson asked what the relationship was between the ST and SRSA in performing its core business.

Mr Lamani said that the Trust enjoyed good relations with Ms Burchell. The impression of donor stagnation stemmed from the history of the Trust, where it had been seen as an elitist organisation. The first head was Mr Bruce Fordyce and there was a perception that the emphasis was on Comrades runners. The Trust had been responsible for such diverse projects as a clubhouse in Manenberg in Cape Town and a boxing gymnasium in Mutate. He undertook to provide a detailed report.

Mr Lee said that credit must be given where it was due, saying that in the past Deputy Minister Oosthuizen had approached the Sports Trust for assistance, and was seldom disappointed.

Mr van der Linde said that he had corresponded with the Trust in the past without success.

The Chairman said that the Committee needed to compile a draft report on the budget, which would be circulated to Members for their inputs. The strengths and weaknesses of SRSA had to be assessed. He reiterated that some unpopular proposals may be made. The report needed to be adopted the following week.

The meeting was adjourned.