Question NW3684 to the MINISTER OF SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE

Reply:

(a). As a matter of principle, the Department ensures that financial support provided particularly to the big federations is primarily for towards Women’s sport. To confirm this fact funding to South African Football Association (SAFA), South African Rugby (SARU) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) is strictly for the development of Women in sport and Women’s programmes. Funding to Netball South Africa (NSA) is for Women’s Netball.

My department has over in the past four years been providing special allocation to SAFA for the establishment of the Women’s Football League, R 5 million per annum. This year a similar allocation has been given to Cricket SA for the establishment of Women’s Cricket League, R 5 million per annum. The intention behind this support is that the Department together with the Federation concerned approach and engage the Broadcasters and potential sponsors to support the initiative. Once the Broadcasters and Sponsors are on board the Department scales down on the support and redirect the resources to another sport code.

For the current fiscal year, the total budget allocated by National Treasury (NT) for all Federations (about 65) is R 117 568 million only. Of this amount, a total of R 24 500 million is allocated to the above-mentioned Federations and earmarked for Women Sport Programmes. This translates to 20,9% of the total budget for sport and

recreation bodies. It must be noted that this is dedicated funding, for the rest of the Federations, all their applications must cater for both men and women equally, as a minimum.

Through the School Sport Programme all 16 priority codes that participate at the Championships, have a 50/50 representation of women. This is to ensure that there is an equal platform to participate and develop women. At the National School Sport Championships, provinces have been able to send at least 3 categories of participants which include male and female. We have also concluded the Club Development pilot study in Kwazulu-Natal and Limpopo, which has among sport codes caters for Netball, Athletics and Football clubs.

The Club Development programme is a dedicated programme to ensure the development of sport, including the participation of women in sport. This project is extended to rural areas through the Rural Sport Development Programme that currently focuses on organizing leagues and structures in rural areas.

(b). The programmes and initiatives mentioned above are all designed to level the playing field. From a policy point of view, the Department is currently engaging all provinces as we look to finalize the National Women in Sport Policy. A policy that seeks to ensure gender parity on and off the field of sport. I must state though, that these objectives will require active support from all corners of the society, government and in particular corporate investment to be achieved.