Question NW136 to the Minister of Sport Arts and Culture

Reply:

As the new Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, I want to be clear that I would like to change the approach, because if we just keep doing the same things we’ve done before, then we are just going to get more of what we’ve been getting to date.

There has been an overemphasis over the years of focusing on what I might call “equality of outcome” when it comes to transformation in sport, meaning that our society tends to look at the demographic profile of people who succeed at the upper and professional levels of sport, but by then it is already too late. What matters more is “equality of access”, which speaks to young people being able to participate and train in various sports from an early age on. Many professional tennis players, for example, started at the age of five. The game becomes second nature to such players.

We see people from underprivileged communities succeeding in sports that don’t require a large investment in resources. To learn to play soccer, you just need an open patch of ground and a ball. To become a cricket bowler, you just need a ball. However, to be a batter, you need pads, a bat, a helmet, gloves, groin protector, and more. This is why we see our system producing many black bowlers of talent, but few batters.

Equality of access if therefore the critical challenge.

Already I have started the discussion with the department around building sporting facilities that can be located within accessible distance of clusters of schools, in such a way that we begin to turn around a statistic that shocked me when I first took on this role, and that is that only one in 10 school children are participating in sport.

Some of the historical background I can offer is that the Department held the National Sport and Recreation Indaba of 2011, where the sports sector adopted the National Sport and Recreation Plan as well as the Transformation Charter for South African Sport.

To implement the Charter, the Department, SASCOC and nineteen targeted National Federations signed Agreements wherein the National Federations committed to meeting self-set transformation targets. Through an Independent Transformation Committee referred to as the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) the Department has been monitoring and evaluating progress made by these nineteen National Federations in terms of their self-set transformation targets. The assessments have been based on a multi-dimensional scorecard and the following are the key dimensions of transformation being assessed:

1) Access

2) Skills and Capacity Development

3) Demographics

4) Performance

5) Contribution to government priorities

6) Good Governance

The EPG Reports have highlighted common areas that require attention to fast-track transformation in sport. These areas cover:

1. Revival of Physical Education and the School Sport System

The Department has attempted the implementation of a School Sport Programme in partnership with the Department of Basic Education through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). However, this MoU expired last year, in May 2023, and underwent a review, which culminated in the hosting of a national School Sport Indaba. It was clear at the Indaba that there has been little to no progress in establishing sustainable school sport leagues in less privileged communities, which constitutes the vast majority of where our children are affected. A new MoU is currently being discussed between the two departments that will see intensive focus on the establishment of school sport leagues and setting of structures to manage those leagues.

Currently the School Sport Programme offers competitive playing opportunities for learners at Under-15 Rugby and Cricket for the Under-17 from district, provincial and national level. These competitions are there to ensure that learners, both male and female, from Quintile 1-3 schools, are given an opportunity to showcase their talents and ensure that the Federations can have a talent pool from which to identify and nurture their skills. The Department meets with the structures to monitor the talent development programme and encourage further identification of learners from the School Sport Programme to be considered. So far, through the SA Rugby Union, a school rugby programme has been developed that aligns the School Sport programme with the Development Programme of Rugby, to ensure there is progress from this programme to Grant Kgomo Rugby Development up to Craven Week, including franchise rugby. This system assists to see how government initiatives are being aligned to Federation development programmes and the intake thereof.

Similarly, with Cricket, there is a consideration through the league programme to ensure we increase the number of Cricket Hubs. Where hubs exist, the number of clubs and schools affiliated there are increased. Through the KFC mini-cricket programme, which is led by Cricket SA, we intend to expand the quality of opportunities and ensure that schools and clubs from rural areas are actively involved in the mainstream of cricket.

On the other hand, the Indaba also resolved that the DBE must ensure that Physical Education is revived in schools.

2. Revival of the Club System

The Department is currently reviewing the Club Development Programme, post the pilot study which was undertaken in 2016 and piloted in two provinces. This programme mainly focused on two sporting codes, Football and Netball, in both rural and urban areas. The result of this programme indicates a serious need of building capacity and addressing the infrastructure needs of clubs. The discussions, between Rugby and Cricket, have centred on creating a conducive space for township and rural clubs to be brought into the mainstream of their clubs. The Club Development Programme is meant to be a bridge between informal to formal and mainstream sport. It is meant to address the impediments and obstacles that limit the participation of rural and township clubs from affiliating into mainstream sport. This initiative will help the established and existing clubs to participate in the same competition that provides all rugby structures an equal participating opportunity.

3. Provision of Sport Infrastructure (Facilities)

The department uses a portion of 5% earmarked for sport infrastructure in the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and allocates this funding to municipalities, through the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCOG), for the development of sport facilities that are required to broaden participation opportunities and ensure transformation.

The adoption of the Charter meant that the sector moved from a quota-based system to a target-based system. The EPG Report, which details the findings, recommendations and whether the National Federation has passed or failed, guides the Department on corrective measures to be undertaken.

Failure of a National Federation to achieve at least 50% of self-set targets could lead to the imposition of one or more of the following penalties: -

1. Revoking authority to bid for staging or participating in international tournaments.

2. Suspension or withdrawal of funding or support from government.

3. Withdrawal of rights to award national colours.

4. Withdrawal of recognition as national federation in terms of National Sports Act.

I am still making a determination on whether I believe the above approach will be sustained, going forward, given my opening comments on focusing on equality of access over equality of outcome.