Sports Coaches’ Outreach (Score), Sports for All, and Playing for Peace: briefing

Meeting report

SPORT AD HOC COMMITTEE
22 June 2004
SPORTS COACHES’ OUTREACH (SCORE), SPORTS FOR ALL, AND PLAYING FOR PEACE: BRIEFING

Chairperson: Ms N Ntshulana-Bhengu (ANC)

Documents handed out:
SCORE presentation
Sports for All presentation
Playing for Peace presentation

Summary
The Chairperson said the purpose of this meeting was to start a process that should lead to a partnership between government and various sports NGOs. They all needed to create one consistent vision for the development of sport in South Africa. Sports Coaches’ outreach (SCORE), Sport For All, and Playing For Peace, briefed the Committee and all expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of working together with government.

Minutes
The Chairperson was displeased that the National Lottery Fund had failed to act upon a facsimile invitation to present to the Committee. The Lottery Fund had been created by the government and thus had a responsibility to share information with Parliament. The Committee would reissue the invitation, but if the they failed to appear again, a Parliamentary summons would be issued. Professor D Hendricks, Head of Department, suggested that in the future, attendances should be confirmed telephonically before the meeting.

The Chairperson said there was a backlog in the provision of sporting facilities. Sport could be used as an agent of moral regeneration, especially among the youth. NGOs and private sector organisations had access to other funds and there was a need for co-ordinated partnership with government, so that limited resources could be used to maximum effect.

Mr P Roberts, SCORE Manager of Facilities Programme, was excited by this prospect. His organisation aimed to be an international leader in community development and volunteerism, utilising sport as a powerful medium to bring about sustainable development, empowerment, and international and intercultural understanding. However, their donors’ perception of South Africa as a country in need was changing, and thus sponsorship was drying up. SCORE was thus at a perfect juncture to discuss collaborative possibilities with government.

Ms Akhona Ngcobo, Director of Playing For Peace, said her organisation used basketball to bring about social interaction and development for children from diverse communities, while bridging divides among cultures and developing leaders.

Mr Wayne Phillips, Director of Sports For All, said there were obvious synergies between the organisations. For instance, the Laureus Sports for Good Foundation financially backed all three organisations. He focussed on possible ways to co-ordinate the efforts and resources of government and NGOs, so that funds could be better used, and problems like the duplication of sporting facilities could be avoided. Sports for All could play a major role with training, project management and fundraising. He saw the government as a potential funding partner, and international organisations like the Australian Sports Commission and British Council as potential suppliers of training material and resources.

Professor D Hendricks, Head of Department, said he was satisfied that a suitable groundwork had been laid for the four-day workshop starting on 14 July, which would influence the drafting of the medium-term economic framework. He saw an opportunity for hosting a conference to be attended by all sport NGOs. The co-ordination of sport organisations and the government had been a neglected issue, to the detriment of sport at a grassroots level. A co-ordinated approach would result in a sophisticated marketing division to attract corporate sponsorship. This was important as perceptions of South Africa as a disadvantaged country were changing, and international aid organisations were re-directing their money elsewhere.

Discussion

Mr T Louw (ANC) asked why Playing for Peace had limited their scope to basketball.

Ms Ngcobo replied that they used this sport as a means of communication. It did not matter what sport was used, as long as it was popular.

Mrs D Morobi (ANC) asked who funded Playing for Peace.

Mrs Ngcobo responded that the organisation had two main sponsors: the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Laureus Sports for Good Foundation.

The Chairperson bade farewell to the Committee, as this was her last meeting as Chairperson

The meeting was adjourned.