Question NW865 to the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture
04 October 2019 - NW865
Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture
(1) What (a) action has his department taken to ensure television exposure for sports practiced by women and (b) types of sports practiced by women are being televised; (2) what action has his department taken to make football and rugby more accessible to women’s participation at school, national and provincial level; (3) whether his department sponsors any provincial and/or national women’s sports tournaments; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) whether his department has implemented any developmental programmes to train (a) referees, (b) players and (c) administrators in any type of sports practiced by women in each province; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (5) whether his department pays any financial allocations to provincial governments for the promotion of sports practiced by women; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. There is a direct correlation between broadcast coverage and commercial funding of sports codes from the private sector. Without broadcasting hours sports codes have no or little chance to become financially self-sufficient. Financial sustainability required for the survival and development of sporting codes is to a large extent a function of broadcasting coverage. The Department has an on annual basis had discussions with the public Broadcaster and the Pay TV broadcaster to negotiate the coverage of a basket of sport events. On a yearly basis Sport and Recreation SA identifies a code of Sport that is the Federation of the Year. Additional resources are provided to those codes in profiling and growing the sport towards professionalisation. Television broadcast is also negotiated on behalf of those codes. Sport and Recreation SA played a leading role in ensuring that all matches in the Netball Premier League which was initiated in 2013 was televised live with repeated broadcasts every year since inception. The live broadcast of matches in the Premier Hockey League which caters for both men and women. The inaugural Open Boxing League catering for both men and women was televised.
The broadcast of sports events is regulated by the Sports Broadcast Service Regulations. In December 2018, The Independent Communications Authority (ICASA) published the draft Broadcast Services Regulations to amend Broadcast Services Regulations of 2010.
In order to ensure a long-term sustainable broadcast solution regarding sport broadcast rights, ICASA in consultation with Department of Communications and Digital Technologies conducted public hearings so that it can undertake amendments to the Sports Broadcast Service Regulations of 2010 and concluded the public hearings process in May 2019.
As provided by the Act, ICASA will communicate with the two Ministries Sports, Arts and Culture and Communications and Digital Technologies prior to publishing the final regulations, giving the Minister an opportunity to make recommendations.
2(a) The funds that the Department transfers to SAFA are meant primarily for Women’s Football with a portion for Schools Football.
(b) The Department has made special additional allocation to SAFA for the National Women’s League.
(c) In terms of rugby the funds allocated to South African Rugby are specifically meant primarily for Women’s Rugby and the Get into Rugby programme which targets development of Women’s Rugby.
(3) Yes, The funds referred to in question 2 above are used by SAFA and South African Rugby for National Women’s Tournaments.
(4) The National Federations implement the development programme targeting (a) referees (b) players and (c) administrators utilizing the financial support provided by the Department.
(a) This is in line with the National Sport and Recreation Plan which places the responsibility of developing referees, players and administrators on Federations and that of providing an enabling environment and support on the Department.
(b) Within the conditional grant provision is made for building the capacity of people delivering the school sport programme, club development programme, community sport and active recreation and academies. The allocation includes the development of (a) referees (b) players (c) administrators and coaches
(5)
(a) The Provinces are beneficiaries of the Mass Participation and Sport Development Grant. There is no ringfenced amount for Womens participation in Sport, but in terms of the conditions, programmes must cater for men, women, boys, girls, people with disabilities and on rural areas.
(b) In the 5 years up to 2018, 51% of participants in the National School Sport championships were girls. Other programmes like the youth Camps, Golden Games, National Recreation Day have catered for more women and girls than men.