Question NO92 to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture

Reply:

The Outcome 14 sets out five long-term nation building goals for South Africa. For the sports sector, what is key is the promotion of social cohesion across society through increased interaction across race and class. Therefore, it is without question that the NDP and the sectoral National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP) that is aligned to (NDP) recognise sport as a way to foster nation building and social cohesion.

To give expression to the visions of these plans over the medium term, Department of Sports, Arts and Culture intends to:

• continue broadening the participation base in sport,

The Department will therefore continue to work for transformation in the sports fraternity by ensuring equitable access, development and excellence at all levels of participation, thereby improving social cohesion, nation building and the improving quality of life of all South Africans.

The NSRP reminds us that “no country can expect to achieve and sustain success at the elite level without a strong participation base in the community, because that is the beginning for every champion”. It is therefore not by accident that the greater part of our budget is allocated to the Active Nation Programme. This Programme provides mass participation opportunities for participants from different walks of life.

Being a winning nation has very favourable spinoffs for nation building and social cohesion.

Therefore, the Department’s daily work contributes directly towards the achievement of Social Cohesion. This, because the work of the Department is about bringing people from different sectors, and demographic profiles, together to share common spaces and experiences. To ensure that physical activity and sports becomes a vehicle for social cohesion, the Department does among other things, the following (in no particular order):

• Consult the sector during its strategic planning to ensure that its plans go beyond just playing.
• Deliver the Youth Camps in all 9 provinces. The National Youth Camp provides a platform for the youth of our country to interact across race, class and social backgrounds. The youth Camp includes young learners from urban rural, the disabled sector and across race groups. The content of the Youth Camp includes, Leadership skills relating to Social cohesion and Nation building, Community Services, Sport and indigenous games and Entrepreneurial skills.
• Encourage communities to organise sporting events, leagues and championships – by making available, the Mass Participation and Sport Development Grant to further facilitate the delivery of sport and recreation through partnerships with relevant delivery agents such as provinces.