Question NW1476 to the Minister of Sport and Recreation

Reply:

(a) The National Training and Olympic Preparatory Centre (NTC) emanates from the South African Sport Academies Strategic Framework and Policy Guideline. In 2013, the South African Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) having earmarked the Free State Sport Science Institute (FSSI) approached the Free State (FS) Provincial Government to develop the FSSI to be the NTC. The Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) further made a commitment to the project and looked at a number of funding options to fund the establishment of the NTC. In 2014 five percent of the Conditional Grant was ring-fenced for the development of the NTC. This occurred after further engagements with the National Treasury to amend the Conditional Grant Framework to provide for construction of sport infrastructure. A project management company with a team of consultants was appointed to develop a Master Plan, which was approved by the NTC Steering Committee (represented by all provinces) overseeing the development of the NTC.

The first assignment was to establish the additional high-performance training facilities that can complement the current facilities. The Table below represents the list of proposed facilities to be constructed, with a phased-guide.

List of Facilities	sub-project  Number	Phase of Development
		1	2	3	4	5	6
NTC Entrance Gates	1	X	X
High Performance Training: Athletics	2	X	X	X	X
High Performance Training: Swimming	3	X	X	X	X
High Performance Training: Martial Arts	4	X	X
High Performance Training: Basketball	5	X	X
Accommodation Facilities & Sports Hotel	6	X	X
High Performance Training: Squash	7	X	X
High Performance Training: Hockey	8	X	X

After consultation with the NTC Steering Committee it was decided to commence with the construction of the indoor swimming and athletics facilities, because South African athletes are stronger and more competitive in these two-sporting codes. However, since this decision, the Central University of Technology (CUT) approached the Free State Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation with an offer of exchanging land earmarked for the FSSI that was planned for the development and construction of the NTC for Cecilia Park, which belongs to the CUT.

The Department (SRSA) considered the offer of the CUT and resolved that the Free State Provincial Government should accept it with the condition that it be Cecilia Park land with the replacement cost of all the existing buildings. The CUT agreed to the land swap and an additional R112 million for the replacement of the existing infrastructure. The exchange of the land is currently underway and is in its final stages. We have adjusted the original master plan to fit the new sit. As soon as the exchange of land is finalised we will immediately commence with the construction.

 

(b) The development and construction of the NTC is through the conditional grant. In 2015/16 to 2016/17 five percent of the grant was made available for the purpose which amounted to R24 million and R23 million respectively. In 2017/18, the conditional grant was increased to ten percent of the total grant allocation, which amounts to R58 million a year.

(c) National Lottery Distribution (Lotto) funded SASCOC to the tune of R10 million, which was for upgrading of the existing accommodation facility.

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