Question NW1557 to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
17 June 2021 - NW1557
Van Dyk, Ms V to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
(1). Whether his department has reviewed the mandate of loveLife since its inception; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) what are the reasons that (a) his department continues to fund loveLife despite it has not having achieved its strategic objectives (details furnished) for over 10 years and (b) Love life is organising sport events given that sport is not its core mandate?
Reply:
(1). loveLife responded to indicate that having consulted the then Department of Sport and Recreation SA, the mandate of loveLife was reviewed in 2010.
From 2011, the loveLife mandate included the assistance the department in encouraging recreation at community and school level (for the schools not part of the Schools Sport Programme) by having loveLife ground-BREAKERs (youth implementers) organise sport and recreational activities that encompass youth health messaging to foster behavioural change among young people to steer them away from risky behaviour like alcohol abuse, gangsterism, violence, etc. and also encourage physical activity as a way to combat non-communicable diseases that are made worse by inactivity.
(2)(a). The strategic objectives referred to were from the inception of the organisation in 1999 to the 2010. These objectives ended with the “love to be there” campaign that was run by loveLife to encourage young people to be part of the history-making 2010 World Cup that was hosted by South Africa. A study done in 2012 shows that loveLife did achieve their strategic objective in that period which was to respond to the number of youth contracting HIV by increasing knowledge as that was what loveLife’s mandate was based on, the increased knowledge among young people about HIV, and all Sexual and Reproductive and Health related information. (SRHR)
(2)(b). The NSRP strategic outcomes advocates for the department to take a lead with regard to the implementation of the Mass Participation related programmes. As an active nation pillar, this programme is implemented together with the Federations and other NGO’s whose mandate is aligned to the strategic objectives of the department. The partnership with loveLife and NGO has been revised to ensure that it aligns to the mandate of the department. Of critical importance to this partnership, is the fact that loveLife mainly targets the Youth in school and out-of-school, to address among others, lifeskills and health and behavioural aspects. To do this they have a programme groundBREAKERS, who are themselves, young people who help deliver the programme. These groundBREAKERS, are skilled both in lifeskills and coaching, with the aim of ensuring that they can use sport to communicate positive value to the youth.
This loveLife as a strategic partner of DSAC, forms part of the NGO’s that are able to work with the Sport Stakeholders to roll-out sport and recreation activities in their centres.