Question NW3750 to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
24 November 2023 - NW3750
Siwisa, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
Whether his department is responsible for local amenities in ward 23 Emadadeni in Phelandaba in the Newcastle local municipality, Kwazulu-Natal; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (a) are the reasons that the swimming pool has remained closed for such a long period and (b) timeframes have been put in place for the specified pool to function properly?
Reply:
In term of Schedule 5B of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, (Act 108 of 1996), provision, maintenance and operations of local sport facilities are a mandate of local sphere of government, and therefore a first point of accountability in this regard is the municipality, and in this case, Newcastle Local Municipality.
In the main, the role of National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) is formulation of a National Policy and Norms and Standards for the sport sector, including Norms and Standards for provision of concomitant infrastructure. While the department is a stakeholder and role-player in the provision of sport facilities, this function remains a mandate of the municipality, hence grants intended to fund this mandate are allocated to municipalities and not the department.
For this reason, my department is not responsible for this facility but the mentioned municipality. However, my department is responsible for the development and promotion of sport in the country, which is an endeavor that includes both provision of facilities and
implementation of programmes, it therefore should have an interest to ensure that facilities are made accessible and maintained by municipalities, and intervene where possible, that is its position.
(a). My department is not aware of the reason for the closure of the mentioned swimming pool and has requested an explanation of this unfortunate situation from the municipality.
(b). Since the operation and maintenance of this swimming pool are a function or mandate of the municipality, and my department was not aware of this situation raised by the Honorable Member, my department is not able to provide timeframes regarding the opening and functioning of this pool but has liaised with the municipality to establish these facts and required actions and interventions to get this facility operational.
At this point, we are still waiting for information from the municipality, and update will be given in future following our engagements with the municipality.