Question NW3068 to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture

Reply:

a) My Department in its effort to nurture and support the development of athletes particularly from the disadvantaged communities has an Athlete Support Programme. Each athlete on the programme receives support towards coaching fees, tournament fees, medical and scientific support, attire and sport equipment. In addition, the Department has a Bursary Programme, which caters for athletes who are identified at the School Sport Championships. These athletes are placed at the Sport Focus Schools in their respective Provinces where they receive sport specific support. Through this programme, the athletes receive support towards tuition, coaching, equipment basic subsistence costs.

There is also a Mass Participation and Sports Development programmes, wherein Provinces receives conditional grant to implement this programme in partnership with other stakeholders. The main objective is to provide access and exposure to all school going children and members within those communities. Norms and standards in partnership with stakeholders have been set.

Again there is Active Recreation Programme were the youth from different races participate in National Youth Camps which include indigenous games tournaments. The Department has also identified the Club Development Programme that promotes participation in sport activities as well as the identification of talent at grass roots level through the formalisation of sporting communities. A platform for the identification of talent is therefore generated, with emphasis on marginalised communities, providing the necessary mechanisms to channel talented individuals into mainstream sporting opportunities. Local leagues are supported by providing clubs with equipment has and or attire and Club coordinators are remunerated.

In response to the needs of youth living in rural and township areas, DSAC lobbied Parliament to ring-fence 5% of the Sport Infrastructure in the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) to ensure that local sport infrastructure is catered for by the local municipality. The purpose of this intervention was precisely to respond to the needs of young people living in rural and township with talents and aspiration that need to be supported and nurtured by providing adequate sport facilities.

(b). In line with its performance indicator on provision of technical and managerial support to municipalities, the Department has a dedicated Infrastructure Support Unit that provides support to municipalities during implementation of these sport infrastructure projects, including monitoring and ensuring compliance with applicable Norms and Standards.