Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation Programme First Term 2012

Meeting report

The Chairperson emphasised the need for transformation to take place in South African sport. The primary responsibility of the Committee was policy making. The Committee could not perform the Department of Sport and Recreation’s function. The Department had the task of implementing policy. Sport in SA needed to undergo transformation. He also pointed out that development in rural areas was non existent and there were no sports grounds to speak of. Development and transformation were issues which the Committee needed to address. Transformation in sport was taking place at far too slow a pace. The ideal situation should be that the pool from which non white players were chosen by coaches was so large that coaches had a tough time deciding which non white players should be chosen.  The youth in many areas especially in rural areas had no sports facilities and hence would engage in social ills. There was agreement amongst political parties in SA that the policies were correct, it was only their implementation that was the problem. The solution was that everyone should work together to implement policies and the consequence would be improvement in sport. He felt that Minister Fikile Mbalula must address the Committee on the issue of transformation in sport in SA. It was apparent from an earlier speech of the Minister’s that he wished to look at the issue of transformation. The real issue was both development and transformation.

Committee Programme – Draft 1 (17 Jan 2012)
The Chairperson encouraged members to give input on items which appeared on the Draft Committee Programme as the Committee Secretary took the Committee through the Draft Committee Programme.

24 January 2012 - Cricket South Africa on development plans, implementation of indaba resolutions and governance towards transformation and national unity
Mr G MacKenzie (DA) referred to the current enquiry into Cricket SA and asked if it was not too soon to schedule the briefing for the 24 January 2012.

Mr M Dikgacwi (ANC) asked if Cabinet indaba resolutions would be completed by 24 January 2012. He suggested the Committee postpone the Cricket SA briefing to a later date.

Mr T Lee (DA) supported the suggestion.

The Chairperson confirmed that the Cricket SA briefing would be postponed to a later date. He expected Minister Mbalula to present a report to the Committee by April/ May 2012; if sooner, it would be better for the Committee. The Minister was after all accountable to the Committee.

7 February 2012 - consideration of the Indaba Resolutions by the Committee
The Committee Secretary, Mr Lichakane Phori, said that the meeting could be postponed to a later date if the Committee wished.

The Chairperson felt that there was no need for postponement. He suggested that the Department be invited to brief the Committee on the indaba resolutions. 

Mr Dikgacwi asked where oversight visits fitted into the Committee’s Draft Programme. Oversight entailed two phases, the first was a school sport study tour overseas and the second was oversight across the country to check on facilities. The Committee had thus far not had time for oversight visits.

Mr Lee agreed that the Committee’s Draft Programme did not make provision for oversight visits. Oversight visits were an integral part of the Committee’s work.

The Chairperson stated that the Committee Secretary had informed him that oversight visits by the Committee were being considered.

21 February 2012 - Horseracing SA on transformation in administration, coaching and jockeys
The Chairperson asked whether the Committee should not request the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), the mother body of sports in SA, to address the Committee before receiving a briefing from Horseracing SA.

Mr Dikgacwi agreed that SASCOC should be called first.

The Chairperson stated that SASCOC should give the Committee an overview of sport in SA. The Committee should not get involved in in-fighting. The Committee must not administer the affairs of sports organisations.

Mr Van Der Linde (DA) said that the Committee tended to deal only with the bigger sporting codes like cricket, rugby and soccer. The Committee should also deal with the smaller sporting codes such as netball and hockey. Different sporting codes should be invited to address the Committee.

Mr Dikgacwi said that if different sporting codes were to be invited meetings should be properly planned. Organisations representing sporting codes should be given enough time to interact with the Committee.

The Chairperson said that SASCOC would be called first and thereafter the different sporting codes organisations would be called. They each would have to provide the Committee with information on development and transformation.

Mr Lee said that the Secretariat of the Committee should provide members with a list of the different sporting codes. Thereafter members could decide on whom to invite.

The Chairperson asked the Committee Secretary to provide members with a list of sporting codes.

6 March 2012 - Budget Vote hearings on Budget Vote 21 of Department of Sport and Recreation
The Chairperson pointed out that there was certainty in Parliament’s Programme. This certainty provided an opportunity for the Committee to draft a yearly programme. The Committee should plan for a year in advance. The Committee also needed to deal with its Budgetary Review and Recommendation (BRR) Report. The issue was about how to manage the BRR Report.

Study Tours and Oversight Visits
The Chairperson said that the Committee’s planned study tours to London and Argentina had been turned down by the House Chairperson. The Committee accepted the decision as there were valid reasons for it being turned down. The reasons had been explained to the Chairperson.

Mr Van Der Linde said that the issue which necessitated a study tour was school sport. On sport, SA was not on a par with the rest of the world. There was also the upcoming Olympics in London in 2012 which needed to be considered by the Committee. The Committee had to plan around the event. He noted that local oversight trips were also important. The Committee needed to decide whether the focus of the Committee was still school sport given the recent sports indaba that had taken place. Perhaps issues of focus for the Committee had changed.

Mr S Mmusi (ANC) said that he was not happy that the international study tours had been cancelled.

The Chairperson assured Mr Mmusi that the Committee would plan another study tour.

The Committee Researcher, Mr Mphumza Mdekazi, said that for local oversight visits the bias was for districts and municipalities in rural areas. The final decision on oversight visits had not been finalised as yet.

Mr J McGluwa (ID) thought that the focus for oversight visits should still be school sport.

The Chairperson said that oversight visits were part of the Parliamentary Programme and should be included in the Committee’s Programme. Provision should be made for an international study tour as well as local oversight visits to facilities. The planned overseas study tour was deferred rather than cancelled.

Ms M Dube agreed that oversight visits were important. The Committee should plan to do more oversight visits in 2012. 

The Chairperson stated that the Committee itself should decide on what oversight visits it wished to undertake. Members should also apply their minds on where they wished to undertake an international study tour. Input by members should be forwarded to the Committee Section.

Committee Minutes
The Committee considered and adopted the minutes of 31 May, 14 June, 23 August, 30 August,
6 September, 1 November 2011.
 
The meeting was adjourned.