ATC150603: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation on the implementation of the National Sport and Recreation Plan in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, 2014, dated 3 February 2015

Sport, Arts and Culture

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation on the implementation of the National Sport and Recreation Plan in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, 2014, dated 3 February 2015.
A.         Introduction

 

On 24, 25 and 26 November 2014 a delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation conducted oversight in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, specifically Polokwane, Giyani, Tzaneen and Nelspruit, in order to:

  1. assess the use of Division of Revenue Act (DORA) grants allocated to the provinces for the implementation of sport and recreation programmes and providing sporting opportunities to the communities;
  2. explore whether provincial plans were aligned to the mandate of SRSA of implementing the National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP) vis-à-vis provincial outcomes;
  3. assess the impact of facilities built for sport and recreation through the assistance of the National Lottery and The Sports Trust;
  4. monitor the implementation of the bursary programme and model on sport focused schools in assisting talented athletes to achieve their potential; and
  5. monitor the feasibility of the model for club development that had been piloted in the two provinces (Limpopo and Mpumalanga).

The delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation included: Ms B N Dlulane, (Chairperson), Ms B Dlomo, Ms D P Manana, Mr S G Mmusi, Mr S M Ralegoma, Mr D Bergman, Mr S M Malatsi, Mr M S Mabika and Mr L M Ntshayisa.

 

The oversight exercise comprised meetings with stakeholders and site visits. The delegation met officials of the Limpopo department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the Limpopo sports confederation, school principals and staff at sport focused schools, sport clubs and coaches, players and managers, The Sports Trust and officials of SRSA. In Mpumalanga the committee was able to meet with the Member of Executive Committee for Sport, officials of the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, school principals and staff at sport focus schools and officials of SRSA.

 

The delegation was unable to visit academies and clubs in Mpumalanga, because members of Parliament had been called to attend a plenary sitting of the National Assembly in Cape Town on Thursday, 27 November 2014.

 

B.                  Information gathered during meetings and site visits, 24 – 26 November 2014

1.                   Limpopo province

1.1.           Meeting at Limpopo Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (24 November 2014)

 

The department provided a presentation about their provincial plans, expenditure report, club development pilot project, school sport and the provincial academy. The main issues raised during these presentation included the fact that the province was allocated a R49.6 million Sport and Recreation Conditional Grant in the 2012-13 financial year and managed to spend R45,7 million, 92%, and in the 2013-14 financial year when the allocation increased to R63,5 million, which included a roll-over from the previous year, it managed to spend R59,7 million or 94%. The department had improved spending patterns and had spent 66% if the allocation by 31 October 2014.

 

With regard to achieving 70% of targets and underspending, the department pointed out that the Limpopo provincial treasury required a motivation why money should not be paid back if a department had underspent. In the 2013-14 financial year underspending was on programmes that did not take place in March but in April, which resulted in a rollover of R60 million. The other occurrence happened because of salaries and disputes about appointing procedures. Remuneration of employees is not covered by rollovers.

 

With regard to dumping of funds, the department clarified that it had 4% in grant funding which had been earmarked in terms of the NSRP, especially with regard to federations, which the department supported via the confederation, not directly. The department had spent 66% of the 4% allocation, and gave the assurance that it would spend the entire 4% allocation

 

1.1.1.        Club development

 

With regard to club development the department measured its performance in terms of the number of people trained as part of the club development programme, the number of tournaments and or leagues established, the number of clubs supported with equipment and or attire, the number of athletes supported through an athlete programme and the number of provincial projects implemented. The province had managed to achieve 50% of its targets by mid-term in the 2014/15 financial year. 

 

During the first six months of the 2013-14 financial year the department had achieved the following performance targets:

 

923 persons were trained through the club development programme, which exceeded the annual target of 800 by 123 persons. 16 tournaments and or leagues were staged, 233 clubs were supported with equipment and or attire (target was 225); 936 athletes were supported through an athlete programme (annual target was 150); 4 sport coordinators out of a target of 7 were appointed, because of disputes with regard to the recruitment processes for three of the candidates, which had been referred to the Department of Public Service and Administration. The department had been informed that it could use the funds for the positions to carry on with the function. No clubs were affiliated, because the Mopani club audit had not been completed by 24 November 2014.

 

The department’s challenges had been noted and the need for a turnaround was acknowledged.

 

Since 2013 the province had maintained a manual database of established clubs, and reported that it was challenging to ensure that a GIS database of all clubs was established.

 

1.1.2.        Sport confederation programmes

 

The department highlighted the challenge that funding of sport confederations was not sufficient to meet all obligations. The provincial department had been providing funding to the confederations. A service level agreement was still to be signed to fund the structure directly in the 2015-16 financial year. The province had supported the Limpopo Boxing Association during the Elite Boxing Championships in Eastern Cape in July 2014.

 

The province had supported 12 Limpopo wrestlers (Limpopo Wrestling Association) participating in the International African Wrestling Continental championships in May 2014, and won 1 gold, 8 silver and 2 bronze medals. Terry van Rensburg, who had won silver, also participated in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

 

The province supported the Limpopo volleyball team when it hosted a national tournament in July and supported the Limpopo basketball team during the national championships in Gauteng in September.

 

1.1.3.        Hubs and volunteers:

 

Since 2013 the location of hubs had been audited and 62 had been identified for support. The department highlighted the challenge that inadequate staffing led to non-functionality of hubs. The department had not yet started to convert hubs into self-sustainable entities like community based organisations, NGOs or NPOs. The department was implementing outreach programmes for vulnerable and previously marginalised groups through hubs.  Inter-hub games activities were being implemented to sustain sport and recreation activities.

 

The department indicated that there was a problem with coordinators. However, there was no intention to eliminate hubs, but rather to appoint coordinators to manage the hubs. The department also did not intend to exclude volunteers, but rather to link nongovernmental organisations with the hubs eventually.  The volunteers were reported to be unhappy, since their stipends were not increased. Clarification was requested on how the department intended to improve the way they were managed. 

 

1.1.4.        LoveLife

 

The department reported to have a good relationship with LoveLife and that they had drafted a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with them which they aimed to sign in January 2015. They reported that they did not implement anything without LoveLife.

 

1.1.5.        School sport

 

The province had successfully hosted district school sport league competitions in all five districts, at which 11 741 learners participated; supported 18 school sport code structures during the implementation of the school sport leagues; identified 36 sport-focus schools for support; trained 797 educators in sporting codes such as chess, hockey, basketball, rugby, hockey and netball; supported 35 disadvantaged schools by providing equipment, and hosted the provincial school sport championships in all 17 prioritised sporting codes on 07, 09 and 14 October 2014; 3 040 learners participated in the programme; 1390 primary school learners, 1240 secondary school learners and 402 learners with special needs participated. The province had been able to access municipal and school grounds for sport activities, and intended to strengthen relations through service level agreements with municipalities to ensure this service was not compromised.

 

1.1.6.        Appointing of permanent sports coordinators to support clusters of schools at area, district and provincial offices

 

The province had appointed 21 school sport coordinators on a three-year contract since 2013 and intended to appoint sport coordinators on a permanent basis from 2016. The province reported that appointing permanent coordinators was challenging.

 

The department pointed out the challenge of inadequate funding for the annual provincial Sports Awards function.

 

1.1.7.        Sport-focus schools

 

The Department had entered into MoUs with 32 sport focus schools. The focus in sport focus schools was coaching and technical skills.

 

There were 3946 schools in the province (1586). Wednesday sport was reportedly taking place. The department did not work with schools directly, but rather through the Department of Education. Most schools focused on academics, and the department sometimes found that a school that had been registered did not come on board with regard to the sport programme.

 

1.1.8.        Equipment

 

In terms of the DORA grant and the conditional grant the department had to supply equipment to schools.  Equipment that was bought at the end of a calendar year was transferred to schools.  The department intended to require schools to register to participate in the school sport leagues, and to kick off with its school sport launch in January 2015, thus making sure the equipment would be useful to schools. The equipment would be delivered in December 2014.

1.1.9.        Challenges (Limpopo)

 

The province identified challenges with regard to:

  1. Full implementation of the intra and inter school sport leagues. The provincial department reported that intra-and inter-school sport activities were not found to be well organised and funded by the Department of Education;
  2. strengthening relations with service level agreements with municipalities to ensure shared school and municipal facilities was not compromised;
  3. appointing permanent coordinators to support clusters of schools at area, district and provincial offices from 2016;
  4. inadequate funding for the awards ceremony  and Sport Confederations;
  5. ensuring that a GIS database of all clubs is established (The province had maintained a manual database of established clubs since 2013).

 

1.1.10.       Findings and concerns: Limpopo

 

  1. The committee noted that different figures were provided by the national and provincial department of sport for training provided to educators.
  2. The department had been underspending.
  3. The departments were still struggling to implement the MoU that had been signed in 2011 (national).
  4. Many officials had been appointed in an acting capacity instead of in permanent positions.
  5. In view of the provincial department achieving 57% of targets with regard to school sport in the 2013-14 financial year, school sport was found to be most vulnerable in terms of delivery.
  6.    The committee expressed concern about how the gap between schools with equipment and schools without equipment could be bridged.
  7. Not all schools that had been registered participated in the school sport programme.
  8. The committee was concerned that gym gear (equipment) that had been delivered to the department might not be delivered to recipients timeously.
  9.    It was noted that only 36 schools had been identified for the implementation of the sport focused schools plan.
  10.    Service level agreements needed to be ironed out regarding the use and availability of school sport facilities.
  11. Municipalities were reportedly not all eager to allow the provincial department to use their facilities.
  12.    It was regarded as unfortunate that Limpopo did not have a rugby union since the union had been disbanded. Stakeholders indicated that there was a need to attend to the matter.
  13. The province did not receive equitable share funding for sport programmes, since the equitable share allocated to the provincial department was for compensation of employees (CoE). The province therefore did not support programmes through the equitable share. The department requested that the committee follow up on the matter of funding with the Minister of Finance.
  14. The provincial department had failed to meet its target for appointing coordinators.

 

1.2            Limpopo Sport Academy – Academy equipment at Department of Sports Arts and Culture - Polokwane (24 November 2014)

1.2.1.        Findings: (Limpopo Sport Academy)

 

The academy in Limpopo had been dissolved. The committee found that the gymnasium equipment that had been purchased for the academy was not being utilised, but was being stored at the office of the provincial Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. 

 

The national Department of Sport and Recreation did not visit the provincial offices in 2013, but visited Mopani and found the same position, after which they instructed that it had to be moved to a suitable location.

 

1.2.2.        Documents requested by the committee:

 

  1. The committee wished to be informed of the physical location of the academy.
  2. A report from the provincial department on progress with relocating the gym equipment to Capricorn High School.

1.3.           Meeting at Hanyani Thomo High School – Giyani (24 November 2014)

 

The committee visited sport focus school Hanyani Thomo High School in Giyani and met the school principal, teachers, local government officials, The Sports Trust, officials of Sport and Recreation SA and the Limpopo Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation.

 

Even though the principal of the school expressed grave concern that sport programmes had virtually collapsed, a colleague disagreed.  His colleague concluded by saying that the regression had not only taken place at Hanyani Thomo High School, but also at other schools that had become white elephants in sports.

 

A member of the school governing body informed the committee that the council had given land and gave the assurance that they would involve the council and use the Lottery funding that it had received in 2014 effectively. The Sports Trust proposed that schools must involve the community, engage the learners and develop learners to be leaders for codes at their schools, since it was often found that such learners remained involved even after they had left school.

 

Funding, Lotto, Sports Trust:

The school had been funded by National Lotteries Board and Sports Trust. In the 2002-03 financial year the school had received equipment of R 40 000, some of which had worn out, for instance, cricket bats. Most equipment was still at the school.

Equipment:

The Lottery allocation of R96 000 that had been received in November 2014 had been allocated for equipment only.

Human Resources:

The teacher who had facilitated cricket had left and his position had been cancelled.

Facilities:

The mayor reported that the community produced successful athletes year after year. The municipality had built a sport facility every year from the MIG allocation. There were approximately 95 villages in the Giyani district.

 

The Limpopo Department of Education required that 10% of schools’ annual budget allocation had to be used for school sport.  Money for sport (10% from the provincial Department of Education) had to pay for transport, catering and admission, and was reportedly not enough to cover all expenses.

 

Stakeholders reported that the lack of sufficient facilities contributed to athletes being recruited from Limpopo to other provinces. A member of the school governing body said that all sporting codes were played at the school, but the mistake that had been made was not taking care of what had been given.

 

1.3.1.        Findings and concerns: Hanyani Thomo High School

 

  1. Athletics programmes had not been received by November 2014 because the annual general meeting at which the programme would be refined had not taken place yet.
  2. Hanyani Thomo High School applied for R96 000 in Lotto funding, seemingly with no clear plan for utilising the funds.
  3. There was a marked lack of unity among the teachers responsible for implementing sport programmes at the school.
  4. Little information was given on mass participation or competition in Giyani. The problem seemed to be transport to and from sport competitions, keeping learners hydrated in the heat and feeding the learners.
  5. There is concern about whether the departments had verified that money had been used responsibly.
  6. No one took responsibility for organising cricket activities and teams after the teacher responsible for cricket had left.
  7. Money for sport (10% in terms of the Limpopo Department of Education (LDoE) “Prescripts for Financial Management in Public Schools” (2011) allocated for transport, catering and admission, was not enough to cover all expenses and coaches paid for expenses from their own pocket.
  8. The school sport programme at Hanyani Thomo High School was not functioning effectively; the cooperation between the provincial departments of sport and education was not translating into effective delivery at Hanyani Thomo High School. In terms of their mandate the department of Sport, Arts and Culture could not organise sport at schools.
  9. Schools found that receiving circulars in January or February meant that they did not have enough time to prepare athletes for competition. Clubs were expected to register in order to affiliate to the established leagues, however this sometimes inconvenienced them due to lack of funds to register their clubs.
  10. It was reportedly not easy to get schools to participate in competitions, even in soccer.
  11. The main problem was said to be the lack of facilities and limited accessibility to sport facilities which restricted sustained participation in sport and contributed to athletes being recruited from Limpopo to other provinces
  12. Little information was given on mass participation or competition in Giyani. The problem seemed to be transport to and from sport competitions, keeping learners hydrated in the heat and feeding the learners.

 

1.3.2.        Requests: Hanyani Thomo High School

 

  1. It was requested that, during provincial visits, SRSA should meet to discuss solutions for the impasse in school sport at the school, and that the Greater Giyani Municipality get on board. 
  2. A stakeholder requested that the province build a multipurpose court for the area for the use of all schools.

 

1.3.3.        Documents requested: Hanyani Thomo High School

 

The committee requested a list of facilities that had been built in the Mopani and Giyani districts.

 

1.4            Site visit at Thomo multipurpose court (24 November 2014)

 

The committee visited a multipurpose court at Thomo in the vicinity of Giyani. The open-air cement court was utilised by the community for ball games such as basketball. The convenor who spoke to the committee had not registered the basketball club, and informed the committee that the young players needed shoes, clothes and good quality basketballs. 

 

1.5.           Meeting at Greater Tzaneen District Municipality (25 November 2014)

1.5.1.        Background

 

The committee met stakeholders in club development at the office of the Greater Tzaneen District Municipality.

 

Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal had been selected for the launching of pilot programmes on club development. It was therefore crucial that all relevant information on progress with implementation, workability of time frames, challenges and proposals be communicated timeously, to inform the successful implementation of club development programmes in the rest of the country.

 

1.5.2.        Club development challenges and successes

 

During a meeting with clubs, a number of clubs within the club development programme raised a number of concerns about the programme. The departmental coordinator of the Club Development programme in the region gave a presentation about the development and achievements of the programme in the region. Dan Rugby Development Club, Majeje Netball Club, Luckity Basketball Team, Sister Football Club (women’s club), Thakgalang Volleyball Club and Dinoko Black Aces Football Club were represented at the meeting:. Whilst they commended the department for supporting them through the club development system, they also reported the following challenges:

 

  1. Lack of proper facilities, practice grounds, transport and funding, attire and equipment;
  2. Lack of support from the municipalities;
  3. Lack of funding to support learners to play in other districts;
  4. Poor quality of equipment;
  5. Difficulty applying for Lotto funding as a result of the inability to secure required documentation such as audited financial statements;
  6. Difficulty in securing funding for monthly transportation of players to Polokwane.

 

1.5.3.        Provincial and local government input on club development

Responses and clarification from Limpopo provincial department of sport:

The workshop aimed at equipping clubs to manage their affairs effectively, and which would include information on bank accounts and the tool kit on how to run the clubs, was to be held before the end of the 2014-15 financial year, even though it was meant to have taken place in the 2013-14 financial year.

SRSA clarification with regard to the Club Development Programme

 

Sport and Recreation SA clarified that the department was unable to implement the club development programme if it did not receive the correct information from the province. Sustainable clubs needed to be developed in order to have representative national teams. The national department therefore needed to be informed of when provinces had progressed to the next step in the pilot programme, or when a certain phase had not yet been completed; for instance, audit level, grading level, etc. The audit level was supposed to have been completed in 2013, after which the grading stage should have commenced. The monthly and quarterly reports of the provincial department did not reflect this information.

 

Appeal to the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation (Tzaneen club development)

 

The provincial and local government structures at the meeting at Greater Tzaneen Municipality appealed to the committee to inquire about the implication of National Treasury MFMA Circular No. 70, 4 Dec 2013 (page 18 – 19), that had been issued to municipalities, since it was found to be compromising the national mandate for sport development.

 

1.5.4.        Findings and concerns (Club Development, Greater Tzaneen District Municipality)

 

  1. The committee noted that the SRSA appeared to have insufficient information about the club situation; sometimes it was found they only provided information about district and provincial clubs, and the committee did not receive information on local clubs.
  2. It was not clear how many clubs had been or were being developed, how many codes were being played, or how the 35 clubs that were being developed over and above the targeted 55 had been budgeted for.
  3. Stakeholders in Tzaneen reported that they had received great support, but then proceeded to raising problems and asking the committee to help; indicating that those present at the meeting did not feel free to communicate all the facts, so that the committee was unable to glean the full extent of the problems and recommend appropriately.
  4. Facilities were not visible.
  5. The department and clubs reported that, in smaller municipalities, a lack of proper facilities which clubs and communities could use as competition and practice venues was still a problem..
  6. Despite good skills of athletes at soccer, rugby and netball clubs, most clubs played on gravel grounds, which was a strain on athletes’ bodies and increased frequency of injuries, in addition, equipment and kit wore out rapidly because of the abrasive terrain.
  7. The committee was concerned that all key stakeholders did not seem to know who the club representatives were.
  8. The portfolio committee was requested to assist in developing facilities including practice courts of local soccer, rugby and netball clubs, most of which were gravel fields.
  9. It was reported that the municipality received MIG grants for facilities and used the equitable share for maintenance, but they remained white elephants, because there was no money for soft projects (sport programmes).
  10. Municipalities were failing to support club development because of a lack of funding - it was reported by a club that all along there had been no support at all.
  11. A volunteer for Thomo club development programme informed the delegation when it visited the multipurpose court that the club had received no financial assistance.
  12. There seemed to be no clear club sport programme.
  13. Concern was expressed about the perceived lack of development activities and programmes for football, especially for young children.
  14. National Treasury MFMA Circular No. 70, 4 Dec 2013, (in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act, Act 56 of 2003) was interpreted to indicate to municipalities that sport was not their core function, but an unfunded mandate, and that their budget had been reduced.
  15. In terms of coordinating sport events it was reported that there were still gaps between the department and federation volunteers, who were skilful and knowledgeable.
  16. The committee was requested to ensure that financial allocations from Treasury to sport confederations at district level be improved.
  17. Monthly and quarterly reports of the provincial department did not reflect information about progress through the various phases of the club development pilot programme, for instance, the audit phase and grading phase.

 

Undertakings by the Provincial Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (Tzaneen club development)

 

The Provincial Department of Sport, Arts and Culture undertook to:

  1. concentrate on leagues, and to develop netball rugby, hockey, football;
  2. send a cost report and to make sure that it was sent;
  3. ensure synergy between stakeholders and in programmes.

 

Undertakings by the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation: (Tzaneen club development)

 

  1. A volunteer at Thomo multipurpose court (club development programme) informed the committee that the club had received no financial assistance. The committee undertook to speak on behalf of the club at Thomo multipurpose court.
  2. The chairperson and the portfolio committee member Mr Malatsi undertook to raise funds to assist two rugby clubs with kit. The committee would raise the needs of clubs with the entities that reported to the committee, and individual members of the committee would try to assist by raising awareness about the plight of clubs. 

 

1.6.           Ben Vorster High School - Sport Focus School, Tzaneen, Limpopo (25 November 2014)

 

The committee met with the principal of Ben Vorster High School and head coaches of netball and rugby at the school, and was accompanied by the MEC and officials of the provincial and national department.

 

The school specialised in netball and rugby. Ben Vorster High School was rated 5th in SA netball. All members of the first netball team were black African girls, and all had received bursaries. The school had produced 30 provincial players who had participated in the national championships. It was reported that the majority of black girls at the school played netball and the majority of white girls played hockey. The coach scouted for talented players at primary schools and asked them whether they wished to attend Ben Vorster High School.

 

The rugby team was first in the province and more than 30 players competed at provincial level. The school had won the Beeld trophy for under 14 players, and the under 17 team had won the provincial championships. The sevens team included four players from Ben Vorster High School. Since 2007 all the black players had received bursaries. The school had produced 39 professionally paid rugby players; one Springbok rugby player and two rugby sevens players.

 

The school offered other sporting codes such as swimming, soccer, tennis and cricket, but focused on rugby and netball.

 

The school reported good development of the rural learners who had been enrolled at the school.

 

The school’s programme for sport and development was excellent and they wished to expand it. However, it was expensive to have the right people at gyms.

 

The main concern was money, since Ben Vorster High School was a rural school. For instance, in netball it was important to see timeous payment of accounts. The school could not look after the learners financially, and felt obliged to do their best, since the mothers expected a certain job to be done. The department would inquire what administrative details were outstanding. The bursary fund had been moved to the department’s voted funds.

 

Infrastructure: All infrastructure had been established through the school, but much more had to be done to meet the standards set by the SRSA (national department of sport).

 

The school was sharing facilities with previously disadvantaged schools. The ablution facilities at the netball court were insufficient and additional facilities were needed urgently, because the two toilets were shared by other sport codes on the same practice days.

 

Price discrepancy with regard to testing fees: The school had refused to send a netball player for testing in terms of the provincial contract to the amount of R48 000, and obtained the service by the same company for R1800.

 

1.6.1.        Findings: Ben Vorster High School

 

  1. The main concern was money, since Ben Vorster High School is a rural school;
  2. A substantive price discrepancy charged by the same service provider was reported for testing fees for athletes.

 

1.6.2.        Challenges: - Ben Vorster High School

 

  1. The ablution facilities at the netball court were insufficient and additional facilities were needed urgently, because the two toilets were shared by other sport codes on the same practice days.
  2. Moneys that had been promised for a female learner who had been enrolled in terms of the bursary scheme had not been paid in full by the department.
  3. No money had been received for four male learners whom the school had been requested to admit because of their rugby talent. The learners had not been enrolled in terms of the bursary scheme. The school had carried all the cost up to that point, especially for the development aspect. The principal reported that the school could not afford to carry the cost of the learners any longer.
  4. All required infrastructure had been established through the school, but much more had to be done to meet the standards set by the SRSA (national department of sport).

 

1.6.3.        Request: - Ben Vorster High School

 

Ben Vorster High School requested that the committee support the case that 1% of the players be allowed to enrol at university.

2.                   Mpumalanga province

Meeting hosted by Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, (26 November 2014)

2.1.           Mpumalanga Academy of Sport

 

The academy had ceased to exist in 2012, and the equipment had been moved to a storage facility in Nkangala. Mpumalanga did not have an academy building and the gym equipment was in storage, but the officials reported that the academy system was in place. New academy staff had been appointed from 1 May 2014.  The manager was responsible for provincial programmes and three district academy coordinators, employed at all districts, were responsible for all district and satellite academy programmes. The Mpumalanga Academy of Sport operated within the Mpumalanga Sports Confederation and the office of the Chief Director of the Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation. The academy had two funding sources: R2 million from the grant in terms of the Division of Revenue Act (DORA), and R500 000 from SASCOC.

 

The academy coordinated medical and scientific support for athletes through the Lowmed Sports Performance Centre and mobile testing units would be bought in the 2015-16 financial year. The Academy also coordinated life skills and career guidance and developed a retention strategy for Mpumalanga athletes, since it had been found that the majority of athletes moved to Gauteng because academic opportunities were more favourable.

 

The academy also provided technological support for identified athletes, assisted in the preparation of provincial athletes and officials through the academy programme for national competitions and events, monitored the implementation of the LTPD, ensured that identified athletes were registered with the SAIDS testing pool, monitored and evaluated programmes of the district academies and ensured the establishment and functionality of the provincial academy commission. When the board was disbanded it was agreed that there had to be a provincial academy commission. It was not clear whether the commission had been formed.

 

It was SASCOC’s responsibility to monitor private academies, but the function was given over to the provincial department. The provincial department had met the private academies in 2014 to discuss compliance requirements.

 

Concerns: The department reported that when they started asking questions with regard to compliance in terms of South African legislation some (private) academies started ‘’running away’’.

2.2.           Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation

 

Officials of the Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation outlined the status of the Mpumalanga Sport and Recreation Plan and sport facility development programmes, and made brief reference to financial performance and reporting. The department reported that it was developing a Mpumalanga Sport and Recreation Plan to comply fully with the national plan. It needed to do a provincial baseline study first, and planned to engage all sport and recreation stakeholders in the province.

 

Voted funds covered capital payments for building multipurpose courts, transfers to sport and recreation organisations, and salaries. The delivery of sport and recreation programmes was funded solely through the DORA allocation. There was no voted funding for school sport; even the integrated plan was funded via the conditional grant.

2.2.1.        Sports facility development programmes

 

The province had received a special allocation in the DORA grant to build three facilities in the 2014-15 financial year. The province was not building through The Sports Trust, but through the official tender process. 

The department did not have funding for sport facilities, and the province had made an allocation for the building of multipurpose courts in schools, called combocourts. In the 2013-14 financial year the province had made an allocation for the building of six multipurpose courts (combocourts) at schools, and planned to build three combocourts per year.

 

Regarding 18 multipurpose courts (combocourts) built in 2013, there had been an agreement that the departments would build and then hand over to municipalities and schools responsible for maintenance. The new criteria were that the service provider built the facility and was responsible for maintenance for five years, after which the municipality would be responsible for maintenance.

 

The department had found that there was discord between what communities needed and what municipalities provided, which meant that the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) was not used for what it was needed for in each case. 

 

There was an intention to hold an indaba with municipalities to get the problem solved, however, at the time (November 2014) infrastructure development was being implemented through the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) system.

 

LoveLife

 

LoveLife was reported to be a critical partner.

 

2.2.2.        Boxing

 

The committee noted that the SA National Boxing Organisation and the ABC Boxing Club were in Mpumalanga. ABC was excluded from SANABO boxing activities because they did not have a boxing licence with Boxing SA. SANABO had alerted the provincial department about the ABC Boxing Club.

 

With regard to the Mpumalanga Boxing Association, ABC Boxing Club and the International Boxing Organisation (IBO), the committee was informed that, at the time when the provincial indabas were held, a directive was received from the national entity that the Mpumalanga Boxing Federation should not participate in the indaba. ABC was a commercial club, and the purpose of the province was to support up-and-coming boxers. The provincial department indicated that they recognised that boxing was experiencing problems nationally, and that they were waiting for direction from national level. Transport for boxers to boxing tournaments was paid for by the provincial department.

 

The committee was concerned about the risk posed to the province by boxing clubs operating outside the legislative framework. 

2.2.3.        School sport - Mpumalanga:

 

The department reported to have a good relationship with the Department of Education. The joint provincial technical task team and officials from all the regions met quarterly in order to deliver the integrated school sport plan for both departments.  All the annual performance plans and budgets for each item were indicated on the integrated school sport plan, and the plan to deliver both school sport and other activities had been approved. The two departments reported jointly to the joint technical task team school sport committee through their heads of department.

 

A contingent of 1020 participants, including coaches and extra coaches and trainers, was to be taken to December games week-end training camp at Secunda. The league system covered all the codes, and was reported to be running. The 1081 schools participated up to national level.  The department had a schedule of the dates on which the various milestones were taking place in the process of selecting athletes. Basic Education was responsible for first two levels and the department (provincial) took children forward from district level.

 

2.2.4.        Mpumalanga Sport Focus Schools

 

The province had identified 16 schools for the sport focus school programme. The department’s presentation focused on Rob Ferreira and Lowveld High exclusively. Rob Ferreira and Lowveld High had both signed service level agreements which had been submitted to SRSA.

 

Hoërskool Rob Ferreira did not have a child placed in terms of the sport focus school programme yet, but was assisting with hosting regional and provincial league championships at the school’s facilities. The school also has good gym facilities and the department considered it a good idea to combine the academy programme with the sport focus school programme.

 

Lowveld High had accommodated the ministerial bursary holder Doctor Nkuna from Bushbuckridge, who was supposed to be placed at Hoërskool Sybrand van Niekerk, but because it did not offer football, the two school principals negotiated and agreed that the child could be placed at Lowveld High. Some children may not cope academically because of language barrier, but in Doctor Nkuna’s case the school reported that he had adapted well.

 

Equipment:

 

The department offered a list of the equipment that had been donated. Four sport focus schools were being supported, and in terms of the Annual Performance Plan 200 other schools received attire and equipment. The department followed the Department of Basic Education’s demarcation for schools and regions.

 

The department was not aware whether schools had experienced problems with the equipment. Equipment was procured by the provinces in terms of a nationally driven tender. SRSA undertook to address the problem of inferior quality, to adjust the specifications and request that the suppliers do something about the durability of the equipment.

 

2.2.5.        Findings (Mpumalanga)

 

  1. The department reported that when they started asking questions with regard to compliance in terms of South African legislation some (private) academies started ‘’running away’;
  2. The committee was concerned about the risk posed to Mpumalanga province by boxing clubs operating outside the legislative framework; 
  3. The provincial department was waiting for direction on the status of Mpumalanga Boxing Federation from national level. It was not clear how long the department had been waiting;
  4. The Mpumalanga Academy of Sport does not have a physical location where the gym equipment can be utilised by athletes, and the gym equipment is in storage;
  5. The Municipal Infrastructure Grant allocation is not used appropriately by all municipalities;
  6. Some schools do not know how to apply for Lottery funding;
  7. Some schools did not want to waive their admission criteria to allow talented athletes who had been identified for placement, for instance when the deadline for admissions had closed and the child’s name was submitted late;
  8. Physical education: The department reported that the existing physical education programme was not working for disadvantaged learners. It was felt that the programme had to be extended to engage at least one school per circuit from 2015 onwards to develop sport focused schools.
  9. The absence of the sports council at the meeting in Mpumalanga was glaring.

 

2.2.6.        Conclusion: (Mpumalanga department of sport)

 

Mpumalanga Province is not on track with regard to school sport or physical education in schools. The provincial departments tasked with physical education and school sport are doing something different than what is envisaged in national policy.

 

2.2.7.        Committee request (Mpumalanga)

 

The committee requested that:

(a)     The Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (MDCSR) forward -

(i)      the baselines that the province had, the time frames for grants and the relationship between the MDSCA and provincial department of education (Mpumalanga);

(ii)     more detailed information on school sport and leagues, (intra- and inter-school leagues) and the roles played by the two departments. (Mpumalanga)

(iii)    more detailed information on the club development pilot programme., (Mpumalanga)

(iv)    more detailed information on sports councils and the relationship between the confederation partners at the various levels of government, and whether there is a provincial sports council that will put pressure on stakeholders to deliver on the sport mandate, (Mpumalanga)

(v)     more detailed information on the status of athletes who had been nominated by federations for the academy programme, the exact number of athletes who were affiliated to the sport academy and the levels of support given to athletes. (Mpumalanga)

(b)     The Department of Education forward information about the number of schools participating in sport programmes and at which level they participate in each case. (Mpumalanga).

 

2.2.8.        Undertakings (Mpumalanga department of sport)

 

The Department of Sport and Recreation will address the specifications for equipment to ensure improved durability, and would liaise with the supplier of the equipment to improve the product.

 

2.3.           Site visit at Rob Ferreira High School (White River)

 

Rob Ferreira High School in White River specialises in athletics. It accommodates 812 learners, 406 girls and 406 boys. The school has reserved 5 places for athletes who might be identified at the national school sport championships in December 2014, and indicated that the children would be very welcome.

 

The school had started an additional gymnasium to be able to accommodate all the children at the school, and had received equipment from the department. It has an abundance of practice fields and large grounds. The government had given the buildings, furniture and text books, whilst the school and the community had started developing the facilities in the early nineteen sixties; starting with the first pavilion and frames at the athletics track, planting grass on the sports fields, building a clubhouse. The additional buildings were built from funds raised by the parents, and a portion of the school fees was utilised for maintaining the grounds. The school raised funds by charging gate fees at sports event, hosting tournaments, charging for accommodation at the hostels, and selling food at events.

 

The school has the capacity to maintain its sports fields, for example, members of the school governing board have appropriate know-how and included as members the lawn keeper of the golf club and a successful businessman.

 

Request: Rob Ferreira High School

 

The school motivated strongly for a tartan athletics track, which would be the only one in the Lowveld. The school has the facilities to maintain the track, but could not afford to install and buy the tartan track. The school principal requested, in the interest of long-term benefit, that a tartan track be installed by the national department or Athletics SA, motivating that the school would be able to host the national school sport championships.

 

In addition, the principal requested two indoor netball courts, for which the school has identified a location for building and converting infrastructure, adding that the courts could also serve as indoor shooting facility. The courts would be used during provincial championships.

 

2.4            Site visit at Lowveld High School (26 November 2014)

 

The committee briefly visited Lowveld High School to view the facilities. The school has a large hostel accommodating 320 children; 140 boys and 160 girls, and the 1200 learners had been enrolled at the time of the visit.

Facilities:

 

The school had raised R200 000 and had resurfaced the tennis courts in January 2014. The school intended to resurface the netball courts in the 2015-16 financial year, at R247 000.  The junior cricket field doubles as a soccer and hockey field (grass field). The school also has a rugby field, pool and athletics track. The school had received a donation of used gym equipment for their gymnasium facility. Maintenance of the fields had been outsourced to Supercare.

 

Learners and participation in sport codes:

 

Four learners had reached the provincial tennis team and would compete at the national school sports championships in December 2014. The school has 2 girls’ cricket teams, 2 rugby teams and 2 soccer teams. One learner had achieved provincial colours for swimming. Swimming was reported to be growing in popularity, although it was not the most popular sport at the school at the time.

 

It was compulsory for teachers to teach extramural activities two afternoons per week.

3.                   Conclusion

 

SASCOC’s report at its briefing to the committee in November 2014 was confirmed during meetings with stakeholders in Limpopo and Mpumalanga who also perceived lack of funding as a hindrance to rapid implementation of long-term participant development (LTPD) which forms part of the Talent Identification and Development (TID) programme.

 

The Club Development programme in Limpopo has to be closely monitored in order to ensure that it is effectively implemented and the intended beneficiaries and outcomes are not compromised. The programme has been mostly welcomed and there is a need for it to reach more districts. Supporting the empowering of clubs with regard to management and applications for funding is essential for long-term sustainability of the club system/ club development/ the National Sport and Recreation Plan. Stakeholders identified the lack of sustainable tournaments, funding and facilities as well as. a lack of support by the municipalities.

 

The sport focused schools are a model for nurturing good talent whilst ensuring the academic success of learners. Limpopo’s ambition of establishing 36 sport focused schools is not sustainable, especially in view the amount of resources required to maintain such schools. SRSA will have to urgently intervene at one of the schools in Mpumalanga as per the signed agreement.  

 

Both provinces are yet to align their programmes with that of Sport and Recreation SA and the National Sport and Recreation Plan. The challenge that this poses impacts negatively on the reporting systems of SRSA, as the plans are not aligned. Mpumalanga had indicated that they would conduct a baseline study in the new financial year and align thereafter.

 

 The Sports Trust and National Lottery had provided funding to Hanyani Thomo High School a few years ago, and some of the equipment that had been provided had subsequently worn out. The basic cricket facility that was provided in Hanyane Thomo High School, had not been properly maintained and could not be used any longer. National Lottery had provided a funding of R96 000 for sport and recreation equipment in the 2014-15 financial year, which would need to be closely monitored in terms of on what and how it would be spent by the school.

 

The framework of the intervention and the apartheid legacy are visible in the disparity between previously disadvantaged schools and advantaged schools that had been visited. The committee noted the hard work of parents who installed facilities and lawns and maintain grounds and facilities, as well as the results achieved by some principals who worked hard.

 

The provincial academies in Mpumalanga and Limpopo are providing services which are housed at the departmental offices for operations. The Portfolio Committee expressed its concern about the equipment that had been in the storeroom since 2006. Both the Limpopo department sport, arts and culture and the provincial academy had committed to delivering these equipment to the school that they were to sign the MoU with by the end of the 2014/15 financial year.

 

4.                   Recommendations

4.1.           Recommendations (School sport)

 

The committee recommends that the Minister of Sport and Recreation -

  1. Ensure that the SRSA enforces the implementation of Wednesday sport activities;
  2. ensure that it is made possible for all schools to participate in school sport, not only schools that are close to facilities; (Limpopo)
  3. encourage including more sports codes for schools and focusing on the 5 codes which have an impact, instead of only the two dominant codes. (Limpopo)
  4. encourage the Mpumalanga Academy of Sport to ensure that athletes can access and use the gym equipment that has been put in storage at Nkangala; (Mpumalanga)
  5. encourage the Mpumalanga Academy of Sport to require federations to align in terms of the NSRP and to ensure that they meet the targets of the transformation charter and scorecard;
  6. follow up on problems reported with regard to the quality and provision of equipment; (Mpumalanga)
  7. encourage club development so that learners can participate after school; (Mpumalanga)
  8. emphasise the importance of ensuring that boards of federations are democratically elected; (Mpumalanga); and
  9. emphasise the importance of ensuring that the Municipal Infrastructure Grant allocation is used appropriately; (Mpumalanga).

 

The committee further recommends that the Minister of Sport and Recreation and the Minister of Basic Education -

  1. ensure that their departments not only concentrate on intervention in terms of sport focus schools, but also expand the focus to all schools so that the schools will at least be involved;
  2. encourage schools to be involved in at least five sport codes; (Mpumalanga)
  3. encourage the MEC to insist on improved implementation of the Wednesday and Saturday school sport programmes; (Mpumalanga)
  4. ensure that schools are made aware that they can apply for Lottery funding, and assisted to submit applications; (Mpumalanga); and
  5. encourage extending of the Mpumalanga physical education programme to engage at least one school per circuit from 2015 onwards in order to develop sport focused schools.

 

4.2.           Recommendations (Sport Academies)

 

The committee recommends that the Minister of Sport and Recreation -

  1. urge the national department to sharpen its monitoring tools  to avoid inefficient use of resources and equipment;
  2. request the president of the Limpopo sport confederation to assist in monitoring the situation with regard to utilisation of provincial gym equipment;
  3. ensure that his department inform the committee when service delivery partners and entities that make financial contributions experience problems and obstacles that cause inefficiency;
  4. ensure that his department inform the committee and relevant stakeholders of the challenges experienced by departments and their partners in delivering on NSRP outcomes; and
  5. encourage the provincial department to speed up relocating the equipment to Capricorn High School and to indicate whether the equipment had been relocated by March 2015.

 

4.3.           Recommendations (Club development)

 

The committee recommends that the Minister of Sport and Recreation-

a)         encourage communities and clubs to take initiative in fundraising, and use the small allocations of money from the Government optimally;

b)         encourage the department to refine the template on best practice with regard to the club development programme;

c)         encourage stakeholders in club development to meet to discuss their roles, improve communication and delivery and identify shortcomings and solutions in delivering on their mandates relating to the club development programme;

d)         encourage role players to assist clubs to draw up constitutions and encouraged to apply for funding from the National Lottery;

e)         require that reports from provincial and local government reflect costs;

f)          encourage members of provincial legislatures, councillors in local government, members of Parliament, traditional leaders, and leaders of government at all levels of government to assist constituents and schools to fill in application forms for lottery funding;

g)         ensure that Limpopo provincial department and The Sports Trust work closely with Hanyani Thomo High School to ensure that the funding received is used properly, and there is a plan to develop sport in the school;

h)         encourage all relevant stakeholders in Thomo to work together to ensure that the school participates in school sport activities; and

i)          encourage stakeholders to dispel any misunderstanding that an unlimited amount of money existed from which clubs would be able to request funds.

4.4.           Recommendations - Ben Vorster High School

 

The committee recommends that the Minister of Sport and Recreation-

  1. request that the department and school discuss the possibility of bursaries for the learners for whom no payment had been made;
  2. emphasise the importance of ensuring the success of the sport focused school programme; and that learners from disadvantaged communities have the opportunity to participate at a high level.

 

Report to be considered.

 

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