ATC170202: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation on the implementation of the National Sport and Recreation Plan in North West province, 30 January to 2 February 2017

Sport, Arts and Culture

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation on the implementation of the National Sport and Recreation Plan in North West province, 30 January to 2 February 2017

1.         Introduction

A delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation conducted oversight in North West province from 30 January to 2 February 2017.

1.1.        Objectives

1. To assess the use of the Division of Revenue Act (DORA) grant allocated to provide sport opportunities to communities;
2. To explore whether provincial plans are aligned to the Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) mandate of implementing the National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP)  in relation to provincial outcomes;
3. To assess the impact of facilities built for sport and recreation through the Sport for Social Change Programme;
4. To monitor the use of the 15% Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) allocation for building sport and recreation facilities by municipalities;
5. To monitor the implementation of the model on sport focused schools for assisting talented athletes to achieve their potential.

1.2.        Delegation

The delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation included:

Ms B N Dlulane ANC (chairperson), Ms B L Abrahams, ANC, Ms B J Dlomo, ANC, Ms D P Manana, ANC, Mr S G Mmusi, ANC, Mr S M Ralegoma, ANC, Mr D Bergman, DA, Mr T W Mhlongo, DA, Mr P G Moteka, EFF, Mr L M Ntshayisa, AIC and Mr M S Mabika, NFP.

1.3.        Activities in North West Province, 2017

The committee met councillors, officials and members of Sport and Recreation South Africa, the Department of Basic Education, SA Local Government Association (Salga), the North West Department of Education and Sport Development (NWDESD), North West Sport Confederation, Barolong Boo Tlou Le Tau Traditional Council (BBRTC), Mafikeng Local Municipality, Ditsobotla Local Municipality, Naledi Local Municipality, Greater Taung Local Municipality, North West Cricket, SA Football Association, North West Hockey, North West Academy of Sport, Local Sports Councils, Vryburg High Technical School, and loveLife.

1.4.       Site visits

• Mafikeng Local Municipality:

1. Montshioa Stadium 2010 FIFA World Cup legacy facility,

• Ditsobotla Local Municipality:

1. Itsoseng Stadium with combi-courts (netball, tennis,basketball),
2. Boikhutso stadium

• Naledi Local Municipality:

1. Colridge Stadium (upgrade of sport facility at Colridge Stadium - R6,7m),
2. Huhudi Stadium (Upgrade of Huhudi Stadium (phase two) - R7,4m)

2.           Oversight meetings

2.1         North West Department of Education and Sport Development (NWDESD)

The briefing by the NWDESD included performance trends and planning updates for five financial years, and referred to programmes, planning and alignment, performance information management, key outcomes and priorities, financial allocation and expenditure trends, key activities for each subprogramme, performance trends, infrastructure and facilities, and Municipal Infrastructure Grant projects.

 

In the 2015-16 financial year a political decision was made to move the Directorate Sport from the Arts and Culture department to Education, whilst the new Department of Culture, Arts and Traditional Affairs (CATA), previously the North West department for Arts and Culture, retained Siyadlala (recreation). The required process to give effect to the subsequent 2016 provincial budget speech announcement that Recreation would be relocated to Education and Sport (NWDESD) had not been completed, and planning, personnel and performance management challenges remained. ..

 

In the 2016-17 financial year School Sport was integrated with School Enrichment to manage parallel programmes and events falling under School Sport, however, the process had not been completed at the time of the committee's visit to North West province on 30 January 2017.

The recreation programme is located within community sport where mass participation recreation programs are accommodated. The Chief Directorate Sport in NWDESD, in partnership with the Department of Culture, Arts and Traditional Affairs, offers Youth camp programmes, indigenous games, golden games, Big Walk, fun runs, recreation day, sport against crime, women in sport, rural sport games, (gymnastrada, learn to swim, gymnastics and aerobics), and in partnership with the North West Provincial Recreation Council (PROREC) the NWDESD delivers recreahab, toddlers in action, and adventure recreation. Officials thus had to negotiate multiple national and provincial performance requirements, with had resulted in inevitable performance discrepancies.

 

The national department remained the custodian of the Conditional Grant, and the grant framework was updated annually through formal engagement with all provinces. Provinces were responsibile for planning, implementing and managing all events, and performance information and planning for programmes followed the National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP) as well as National Development Plan (NDP).

 

Combined Operational Plans indicated how the department linked provincial plans with national plans (NSRP AND NDP), as well as the linkage between plans and budget.

 

Every year in October provinces and the national department initiated the planning process, business plans were submitted in March, and implementation was dependent on approval and meetings with SRSA national department to verify and advise on business plans that had been submitted. The reports for all subprogrammes were consolidated at the provincial department's head office. The province developed its own combined operational plans linking subprogrammes and indicators to budget, and all indicators to targets. The combined operational plan guided districts in developing of their activity plans.

 

Provincial responsibilities for performance management and reporting were set out, including frequency of reporting to the head of department and the provincial Treasury. Failure resulted in withdrawal of the grant.  The functions of National Grant Framework performance, both financial and non-financial, were managed by the grant manager who represented the province, attended all scheduled meetings and reported to SRSA and Treasury on provincial responsibilities.

 

The provincial department's combined operational plan and budget allocations were submitted to the provincial treasury, and monthly financial reports were provided to both provincial and national Treasury. The purpose of the DORA grant allocation to provincial departments was to facilitate sport and recreation participation and empowerment in partnership with stakeholders to achieve an active and healthy nation, and delivery indicators aligned to SRSA programme indicators.

 

The percentage of allocations per indicator and subprogramme were indicated in the Conditional Grant framework. The ring-fenced R3 million for Youth Camp was utilised for venue hiring according to specifications, safety and security purposes, accommodation, meals, branding, procurement of apparel for 5 days for participants/learners and technical officials, transport of participants from various districts and outdoor activities, and the ring-fenced School Sport allocation was for delivery of the three seasonal provincial, district and national school sport tournaments, (logistical arrangements, medical services, procurement of playing attire, and apparel for 4 days, including registration processes).

2.1.1.     Deliverables for five sport programmes in terms of the conditional grant

School sport: School leagues were compulsory for all schools in order to allow selection in all organised tournaments. School leagues were played at all schools from inter-intra, and district levels with registered schools.

Wednesday School Leagues: In the 2017-18 financial year the provincial department intended to provide administration, coaching and technical officiating capacity building to schools. Attire would be provided to schools participating in the leagues, preferably quintile 1 schools. Equipment would be provided to schools of which the educators had attended coaching courses and that participated in the Wednesday leagues.

National School Sport Championships: Approximately 1 000 learners from North West province competed at the National School Sport Championships competition annually. For the sake of managing numbers and logistics the National School Sport Championships competition had been divided into three seasonal competitions at inter-; intra- and district schools competitions before provincial selections for the national tournaments.

Sport focus schools: In the 2013-14 financial year Potchefstroom Technical High School (accommodating cricket, football and swimming) and Vryburg High School (rugby and netball) met the criteria and requirements of the Ministerial Sport Bursary programme.  When it transpired that codes offered at Potchefstroom Technical High School and Vryburg High School could not accommodate all identified learners, three schools were added, namely St Ann's Secondary School (volleyball), Bethel High School (basketball and chess) and Tlamelang Special School (codes for physically disabled).  All five sport focus schools had signed a service level agreement with SRSA. Beneficiaries from disadvantaged communities benefited from departmental assistance, and equipment and gymnasiums were available to the community in controlled circumstances.

Community sport programme: Club development at community clubs focused on marginalised structures. Functional community clubs had been identified in different codes and participated in league competitions. Programmes included Women in sport (August); Youth games (June month) and Disability games;

2.1.2.    North West Provincial Sport Confederation 

The North West Provincial Sport Confederation was supported to deliver its mandates of overseeing promotion and development of sport by various federations. The biennial conference of the province and the confederation was held in September 2016. The relationship with the province was managed by a memorandum of agreement, and the confederation's relationship with federations was governed by a service level agreement aligned to the development plan. Recreation and Siyadlala programmes were within Community Sport where Mass Participation recreation programmes were accommodated.

2.1.3      North West Provincial Recreation Council (PROREC)

North West was the only remaining province with a Recreation Council. In partnership with the department, the council offered programmes such as RecreaHab (to inmates at correctional facilities), toddlers in action and adventure recreation. North West province had clustered some farm schools into mega farm school structures since 2007 to facilitate participation in sport competitions.

 

School Enrichment: School Enrichment empowered learners by transferring skills. Involvement of learners in School Enrichment enabled learners to participate at school, district, provincial and national level.  Activities within School Enrichment were: Girl learner sport, mega farm schools, farm school leagues, race and values, arts and culture in schools, and Eisteddfod musical programme. The programme was also funded by the Matsepe foundation, and assisted to enrich learners with regard to value and race, namely that all people were equal, and to heal historical divisions.

2.1.4      Infrastructure and facilities

The NWDESD Chief Directorate had no specific budget allocation linked to facilities, since the infrastructure primarily belonged to municipalities, and the role of the Government was to guide the municipalities on MIG funding, registration process and scope as well as recommendations to the sector.  However, the provincial department owned three sport facilities in the province, which were maintained by the department annually in terms of support staff, day to day operations and maintenance. Upon further inquiry it transpired that some stadiums had become dilapidated. The NWDESD informed the committee that it was not able to control the situation, since municipalities did not report to the NWDESD. 

 

The following facilities were listed for the province:

 

Facilities owned by the NWDESD

1. Mafikeng Local Municipality: Mmabatho Stadium with tennis, netball and volleyball courts
2. Ditsobotla Local Municipality: Itsoseng Stadium with combi-courts (netball, tennis, basketball)
3. Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality: Lehurutshe Stadium.

Legacy Projects

1. Mafikeng Local Municipality:           Montshioa Artificial turf; R800,000
2. Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality:          Tlhakgameng Artificial turf; R700,000 and Thebe High School combi- courts; R300,000

Multi-year projects from 2015-6 financial year until 2017-18 financial year

1. Madibeng Local Municipality: Madidi multisport stadium
2. Moretele Local Municipality: Maubane multisport stadium; R19,9 m
3. Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality: Tlokwe Sarafina multisport stadium; R45,5 m

MIG Projects recommended for 2015-6 financial year until 2017-18 financial year

1. Naledi Local Municipality: Upgrade of sport facility at Colridge; R6,7 m
2. Naledi Local Municipality: Upgrade of Huhudi Stadium (phase two); R7,4 m
3. Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality: New Piet Du Plessis Sport Facility; R1,5 m
4. City of Matlosana Local Municipality: New Khuma swimming pool; R10 m
5. City of Matlosana Local Municipality: New Jouberton Sport Complex; R10 m

MIG B type with SRSA for 2016-17 financial year

Multipurpose projects allocated through the national department:

1. Mafikeng Local Municipality: Montshioa Stadium upgrade (withdrawn); R12 m and Lotlhakane multipurpose stadium; R12 m 
2. Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality: upgrading of Christiana multipurpose centre
3. Mamusa Local Municipality: Ipelegeng sport stadium; R5 m
4. Ratlou municipality: Setlagole upgrade National School Sport Championships; R15 m

Artificial turfs

1. Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality: Khuma Stadium in Stilfontein 2013-14 budget: R4,400,000; expenditure R4,397,673.67, and in 2014-15; R2,326.33
2. Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality: Disaneng Stadium 2013-14 budget: R4,400,000, expenditure R4,235,260.00, and in 2014-15; R4,71,308.04
3. Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality: Dinokaneng stadium 2013-14 budget: R4,400,000, expenditure R4,00,314.67, and in 2014-15; R399,681.33
4. Bojanala Platinum District Municipality: Tlhabane Stadium (ongoing) 2013-14 budget: R4,400,000, expenditure; R3,877,04, and in 2014-15; R898,207
5. Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, Vryburg: Huhudi stadium budget: R4,400,000, expenditure in 2014-15; R411,425.32

Latest projects awaiting confirmation/identification

 

1. Moretele Local Municipality, new facility; R5 m
2. Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality, Lehurutshe, new facility; R7.2 m
3. Greater Taung Local Municipality, new facility; R15 m

2.1.5.     High Performance and Sport Excellence Programmes 2016-17

Sport Management Directorate in collaboration with the NW Academy of Sport (NWAS) for 2016-17 reported the following core functions / programmes:

Sport Scientific Support Services rendered to talented high performance development athletes via the NW Academy of Sport and HPI (High Performance Institute);

Athlete Support (talented athletes financially supported via organised development programmes by provincial sport federations);

Three district academies established and supported.

 

Financial support was provided to federations’ elite individual- and team- sport athletes attending and participating in national and international competitions, residing in and representing the NW province.

 

The NW Academy of Sport (NWAS) and high performance institute identified talented athletes through federations, tested at regional/district academies through the academies programme and were linked to provincial federations for further development and nurturing. Sport scientific intervention services included medical screening, sport scientific testing, sport psychology and nutritional guidance and advice.

 

The Department, in collaboration with the Provincial Academy of Sport, would establish and develop a District Academy in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District at the North West University: Mahikeng Campus (Soccer Institute). An accredited facility and service provider would be provided through the DORA Conditional Grant (approximately R1.2 million over a few years. High performance gyms were established at existing District Academies in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District; Ngaka Modiri Molema and Bojanala.

2.1.6.     Progress in terms of 2016-17 Annual Performance Plan first and second Quarter

Achievements in implementing DORA Grant performance indicators and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture voted funds:

 

• Sport academies (provincial and district) supported 646 talented athletes through an athlete support programme;
• provincial sport federations via the provincial academy supported 75 talented athletes financially within a structured development programme;
• 103 persons from federations were trained via the Education and Training programme in generic coaching, administration skills and first aid; and
• Sport academies were supported financially and administratively: 1 Provincial academy and 3 district academies (Ngaka MM and Dr Ruth S Mompati and Bojanala), whilst Dr K K District Academy was in final stages of establishment at the time of the oversight visit;
• The provincial academy had developed 56 coaches who would be deployed in North West to train others, also in rural areas.

2.2.       North West Sports Confederation

In terms of the National Sport and Recreation Plan the North West Sports Confederation was an advisory body to the Member of Executive Committee (MEC) and link between federations and the provincial Department of Education and Sports Development. The provincial sports confederation worked with municipalities in ensuring that the Municipality Infrastructure Grant (MIG) was utilised for its intended purpose and municipalities played a role towards sports development. The Sports Confederation oversaw the Provincial Academy of Sport in terms of the SA Academy Framework.

Membership: 45 sport federations, 4 district sport councils, 19 local sport councils, 3 associate members.

 

Challenges identified by North West Sports Confederation:

1. The provincial academy had been operating without a board for two years;
2. Lack of Sports Confederation involvement on school sport programmes; and
3. Inadequate funding to complete provincial sport commission projects, specifically at district level.

 

The relationship between North West Sport Confederation and the NWDESD had improved in 2016, and the confederation was grateful for NWDESD funding a regional coaches' course, and sport specific training from the department. North West Sport Confederation had tried to engage the department about the problem that some provincial federations received more attention than others. Regional and local district structures were established in 2016, since structures in municipalities did not achieve the purpose federations had envisaged.

 

The NW Sports Confederation informed the committee that they had been trying to engage the provincial department about the academy board. They had written to the director to request that he advise the MEC for sport that the Academy board (disbanded since 2015) had to be elected. The provincial department had been advised not to inaugurate a board because the confederation's term of office was coming to an end. There was no funding for the board, and federations complained that they did not have money. Solving the difficulty of inaccessible DORA grant funding had required the intervention of the previous MEC who had had to use his private money. The confederation had not been told why the grant had been withheld, and requested that the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation intervene with the purpose of normalising sport systems in North West.

 

North West Provincial Sports Confederation (PSC) needed to be involved in school sport, and funding for PSC projects, especially at district level, was inadequate.

 

The provincial confederation called for cooperation on programmes, since federations were frustrated by the fact that the provincial department had programmes in addition to the programmes federations had. Federations felt they, who were at the coalface, had to be consulted on programmes. The sport lekgotla was coming up and the North West Sport Confederation had been included and participated in plenary meetings since 2016. In the past federations did not understand why the department was planning alone and not including them as custodians of sport. It would, for example, not be wise to erect a facility for gymnastics without consulting the gymnastics federation, therefore an improved relationship was crucial.

2.3.        Federations

2.3.1.     North West Hockey Association (NWHA)

After gradual deterioration of North West Hockey Association since 1994, SA Hockey Association met stakeholders in 2014 and insisted that the senior body reorganise for the sake of maintaining the schools body which continued to function well. The stakeholders in Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp, Rustenburg, Mafikeng and Vryburg were invited to attend the special general meeting to reorganise the senior body, and the clubs at NWU Potchefstroom, Mavericks and Ekasi (Potchefstroom), Matlosana and Alabama (Klerksdorp) and NWU Mafikeng and Mafikeng had committed to support North West Hockey.

 

Ekasi and Mafikeng quickly lost interest because of problems such as lack of funding for transport and meals and poor/nonexistent facilities in their communities.  Hockey players in Vryburg were invited to join the league, but did not respond.  NWU Mafikeng had been invited to attend all committee meetings, but not much response was received from them. A new committee was elected in 2016 and hockey in North West was striving to become a major contender in future.

 

NWHA consisted of five clubs with 12 teams (6 men's, 6 ladies'), of which three (Mavericks, Alabama and Impala) had no access to club facilities.

2.3.1.1.  Programmes

No coaching courses were presented in 2015, though coaching and umpiring courses were presented in the past. Hockey North West benefited from the positive attitude of Sheldon, Annelize Rostron and Shaun Hulley, which had made a great difference to hockey in the province.  Sheldon (national ladies' coach) and Annelize Rostron (FIH umpire) had returned to Potchefstroom (2016) and Shaun Hulley (level 3 coach, level 3 umpire) had been appointed at PUK Hockey (2016). 

 

Coaching courses were offered for level 0, 1 and 1,5, and an umpires' course for level 0 was offered in 2016.  An HP (high performance) programme had been implemented under the auspices of Sheldon Rostron.  The under 14, 16 and 18 provincial players were invited to attend the HP training, but schools could nominate players. Parents from Vryburg complained about the distance and the costs involved: Most schools did not support the sporting code with regard to transporting players to provincial practice and HP training.  Lichtenburg, Grenville High School and Curro Klerksdorp made transport available for the players and coaches from their schools, although they had to stretch their budgets.

 

Hockey NW requested SRSA in all four districts to assist with the transport of the players and coaches.  Positive response was received from Dr RS Mompati and Bojanala, and SRSA had indicated that they would be willing to assist with transport once the squads had been identified.

 

Development by the time of the committee's visit to North West had been the presentation of workshops and the handing out of equipment.  Nothing had come to fruition and there had been no control of the equipment that had been issued. The people committed to implementing the development programme were all volunteers who had to do the development work in their spare time or take leave from work, and they were not remunerated for travelling or presenting workshops. 

 

The senior committee was committed to developing rural areas and were prepared to travel to the rural areas to empower coaches. They also had to take leave or do it in their spare time. The committee would rather focus on capacity building of coaches in the rural areas.  If equipment was handed out there should be proper control because the equipment was expensive. 

 

The solution to overcome challenges with development programmes was capacity building, identifying coaches to implement the programmes in the area, funding, and sending identified persons to a facilitator’s course to coach coaches. It was also essential that communities take ownership of development and started giving back. 

 

Transport for provincial players from districts to Potchefstroom for provincial team practice, tournament fees for senior and school provincial players and training of managers and umpires remained challenges.

 

Teams from under 12 to senior level participated in provincial tournaments.  The main challenges were finding suitable coaches and managers, as well as the lack of finances for players who could not pay for themselves. A few years previously SRSA assisted hockey teams going to national tournaments by paying for the transport.  The teams were transported by bus companies who had contracts with SRSA, however, the competence of the bus drivers was problematic.

2.3.1.2.  Recommendations from Hockey North West

Funded development programmes, assistance to players for provincial tournaments, transport costs and affiliation fees for senior players, funding and assistance for proposed high performance programmes which had started at the end of 2016 (coaches education, assist coaches fees for transport to HP sessions for experience and learning, and equipment (balls and sticks etc to be kept at NUW for development clinics))

2.3.2.     Football

2.3.2.1.  SAFA Ngaka Modiri Molema region development programme

The region had five (5) local football associations: Ditsobotla, Mafikeng, Ratlou, Tswaing and Ramotshere-Moiloa, and was governed by a regional executive committee (REC). Their office in Mahikeng Museum Complex was managed by a full-time office administrator who received a monthly stipend from the SA Football Association grant. Three (3) general assistants also received stipends.

 

Initiates included a Masters-Legends Association represented by legends such as Phil Masinga, Fabian McCarthy and Gideon Noge. The region intended to train legends interested in coaching, and get them attached to clubs and schools for youth development. The Education and Sport Development department would be engaged in giving those legends a stipend for youth training.

 

SAFA North West appreciated partnership with the department and LoveLife, as well as financial assistance from the DORA grant. The academy assisted with scientific testing of players 13 years and older. There would, however, only be better players when coaches were qualified appropriately.

2.3.2.2   Competition/Leagues

The South African Brewery regional league comprised four streams of 59 teams:

Stream 1: 11 teams (Ratlou/Tswalfa), Stream 2: 12 teams (Ramolfa), Stream 3: 16 teams (Dilfa), Stream 4: 20 teams (Malfa).

Support for these teams was received from the NWDESD and provision was made for kit, trophies and medals for clubs participating in leagues and tournaments. In addition training of coaches, referees and administrators; scientific testing and support of football players from U/13 to U/21 players; and administrative support was provided.

2.3.3.     Cricket

Cricket North West reported to have a good relationship with the department, and that it had always been accommodated with assistance for transport for the KFC programme.

2.4.       loveLife

loveLife briefed the committee on partnerships, its ability to provide programmes for young athletes, its full available programme for school sports, Youth camps, inability of North West to utilise loveLife partnership fully, and the loveLife initiative with sport specific groundBREAKERs in 2016.

 

LoveLife had been implementing programmes broadly focused on youth health and behaviour since 1999. In 2016 a migration to focused sport development and recreation programming for communities was formalised between loveLife and SRSA. In the 2016-17 financial year loveLife Games had been implementing programmes in the following districts: Bojanala Ngaka Modiri Molema, Kenneth Kaunda and Dr Ruth Mompati. Dedicated SRSA-funded sport groundBREAKERs (gB) programmes have been allocated to communities.

 

LoveLife reported to have experienced poor strategic and stakeholder partnerships in North West province, but excellent operational partnership in implementation of North West loveLife programmes. The poor strategic partnership resulted in a failed development for a new Y Centre at Vryburg - Huhudi Stadium. There had been no engagement with senior management and loveLife reported that there were no plans, no budget for priorities, and no opportunity to account for work done. Despite this an excellent operational partnership with SRSA was achieved where indicators were adhered to fully, gB placement was aligned, and programme implementation was limited to SRSA-funded projects. 

 

To enable programme implementation, loveLife had forged strong partnerships and good working relations with the NW Provincial Department in Sports in all school sports and recreation activities.

 

To enable sound operation of programmes implemented in Mafikeng loveLife had moved effectively to the Mafikeng Service Point in 2017 to ensure closer working partnerships at all levels. Programme operations and services covered areas as far as rural and isolated settlements in Ramatlabana where there were few or no opportunities for young people to participate in sport or recreational activities.

 

LoveLife Games programmes and activities in Itsoseng were based in a community centre where a certain loveLife groundBREAKER for sport was the champion. The programme included Ponelopele Primary, Dingake Primary and Verdwaal schools.

 

Until 2015 loveLife had the opportunity to use the Vryburg Youth Centre as comprehensive facility, offering a variety of programmes, activities and health services. Owing to a decline in financial support, loveLife had to scale down 90% of the centre usage and programme offering, leaving only the sport and recreation programmes as services to the youth in the community.

 

During the period leading up to the scaling down of services loveLife had met with the Naledi local municipality to request that a new facility in Huhudi Stadium be upgraded and allocated for use by loveLife as a Y Centre. Whilst the Municipal Council had resolved to approve this on the date of the request, the facility at Huhudi Stadium had not been made available to loveLife by February 2017. The mayor had advised that a request for the new centre had to be submitted to the premier's office, and that it had to be included in the grant application.

 

After scaling down its programmes at the youth centre loveLife observed an upsurge in alcohol and drug abuse amongst young people, as well as other social and health-related challenges in Colridge community. LoveLife programmes and recreational services were provided in Colinda Primary, Floredene and Colinda High Schools. In Huhudi Location, loveLife was implementing programmes in Bopaganang and Pule Leeuw High Schools.

 

There was a need to identify sport hubs in areas where the  need for such loveLife programmes existed, to align the recruitment of groundBREAKERS to locations where facilities had been approved, and to meet with the municipality of Naledi and the province to exchange strategies and work beyond what had been received from the SRSA.

 

Lovelife had been implementing programmes in Naledi Local Municipality since 2001, and reported failure with regard to the initial location of the Naledi-Vryburg Youth Centre, which had had to be vacated because it had become uninhabitable. The Y-centre had become dilapidated, and there were no funds to repair the facility. Suspended loveLife programmes in the area impacted on young persons from two communities at opposite ends of town, all of whom could be accommodated at the stadium facility.

2.4.1      loveLife future needs

1. Structured and accessible modes of activity remained in high demand by the young people of North West Province. The decline in organised sport and community level had created a vacuum which provided breeding ground for youth-related social ills.
2. Partnerships and strategic models for encouraging youth participation had to be key in all future negotiations. The loveLife sport groundBREAKER was one very important contribution towards getting the North West youth active. More groundBREAKERs were needed to lead the process of recreation and sport development as a way of life in all communities (urban and rural).
3. It was imperative that loveLife’s relationship with the Government and community role-players remain strong to enable access to as many schools and youth communities as possible. Real sport facilities everywhere was the ideal, but without sound and well-managed programmes such facilities soon became the next spots for social ills. A jointly planned programme design for such facilities would help prevent vandalism and lack of activity.
4. It was the wish of loveLife executive to meet with senior management of Bokoni Bophirima Education and Sport Development to exchange and align strategies and programmes for the benefit of young people within the next few months.

3.           Site Visits

3.1.       Mafikeng Local Municipality, Mafikeng, 30 January 2017

The mayor of Mafikeng Local Municipality expressed concern about inadequate communication strategies between municipalities and sector departments. She reported that sector departments did not attend infrastructure development plan (IDP) meetings when requested to attend, or sent junior officials who could not report appropriately or adequately.

The municipal manager of Mafikeng Local Municipality said that the municipality was ready to receive transfer of the 2010 World Cup Legacy Facility, Montshioa sports ground, which belonged to the Department of Public Works, however, the ownership matter had to be resolved. It was the position of the municipality that the stadium would remain a white elephant unless the issue was resolved and that, whilst the municipality was mindful that the provincial government had a plan for revamping the facility, there was a bigger picture.  

 

It was the position of the municipality that there would not have been rollovers in the budget of NWDESD if the provincial department had been involved during the IDP planning process, and sent senior officials to the IDP process meetings who could make decisions about multipurpose centres in particular wards.

 

It was requested that SRSA channel funds to communities, since it was preferable to have projects that would impact on the poor.  The provincial department had allocated R 12 million for the construction of the Lotlhakane multipurpose sport centre, for which the procurement process had been finalised and documents had been submitted to Cogta. At a meeting with municipal officials in Pretoria in 2016 there was a misunderstanding about the R300 million MIG allocation that would be run from SRSA, and after consultation with the chief financial officer it was agreed that Lotlhakane multipurpose centre project would be run by the municipality. The process was envisaged to be completed in June 2017.

 

The municipality normally provided maintenance plans and security and was inundated with requests for attire for athletes and to clean up facilities, which was not their mandate or in their budget. The municipality requested assistance with providing attire and kit.

 

The municipality requested that SAFA communicate details of their fixtures for the sake of coordinating booking and scheduling of SAFA and provincial matches and SADC games at Montshioa Stadium.

3.2.       Ditsobotla Local Municipality, Lichtenburg, 31 January 2017

Ditsobotla Local Municipality comprised 21 wards with a population of just over 168 000. The committee visited Itsoseng Stadium and Boikhutso Stadium in the jurisdiction of Ditsobotla Local Municipality.

 

The municipality had not allocated MIG funding to its facilities since the 2011-12 financial year, and had resumed allocating a portion to sport and recreation facilities in the 2016-17 financial year. The MIG allocation for Ditsobotla Local Municipality was R34,875 million, and the municipality had allocated R3.2 million for the sport facility in Boikhutso and R3,5 for a conversion of dilapidated facilities at Itsoseng multipurpose centre.

 

The Ditsobotla Local Municipality submitted a technical report on the state of the following facilities: Lichtenburg Rugby Stadium, Burgersdorp Sports Facility, and Blydeville Sports Complex (require minor renovations), Boikhutso Sports Complex (major renovations under way at with an approved budget of R7 million through MIG in the 2016-17 financial year), Itsoseng Stadium maintenance by the provincial department), Springbokpan, Matile, Bakerville, Garsfontein and Shiela Sports Ground (no proper sports facilities, require new facilities), Tlhabologang (vandalised, infrastructure nonexistent, and new facility required), Bodibe Sports Facility, Verdwaal Sports Facility and Gamotlatla Sports Facility, (built in the 2011-12 financial year but not maintained well, therefore vandalised and dilapidated).

 

In view of the high cost of rehabilitating facilities completely, the municipality was initiating a maintenance plan with appropriate budgeting. The range for effective maintenance was between 3 and 4% of budget, but the municipality had been allocating 0,5%. The improved allocation from Treasury would ameliorate the situation, but there was a constraint since the municipality needed at least R50 million for maintenance of existing infrastructure. The municipality had recognised the need for reinvesting in the Boikhutso stadium, since it had become so dilapidated that it could not be used any more.

 

Itsoseng Stadium with combi-courts (netball, tennis, basketball): Work on Itsoseng Stadium had been done with Afrisan, but the facility had become dilapidated in the past 7 years.

 

The municipality had planned to convert the community hall into a multipurpose centre, but reported issues with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and that the project had been postponed to the 2018-19 financial year. The municipality had experienced challenges in registering the Itsoseng multipurpose centre conversion project, and ran the risk of low spending if the funding was not reallocated. The acting municipal manager intended to recommend that the council reallocate the funds and revisit the project in the 2018-19 financial year.

 

Extensive upgrading of Boikhutso stadium had started. The contractor had set up on site, and land was being cleared for additional facilities, multipurpose courts, ablution facilities, improved spectator pavilion and eventual development of a parking area. The municipality had been in partnership with Afrisan before the stadium was handed over to the municipality, but the stadium had been vandalised in the four years since handover. The current cost requirement for upgrade was R11 million, and phase 1 would amount to approximately R5  million.

 

In terms of the technical report the council was in consultation with the Ditsobotla Sports Council about priorities, norms and standards, and the council intended to hold municipal workers (parks and facilities) residing in the vicinity of facilities accountable and liable for the maintenance and safeguarding of the facilities, in conjunction with the sports council. 

 

DSC worked in collaboration with the Department of Education and Sports Development and municipality to drive sports development programmes. Projects included the North West Sports Awards, North West annual games, provincial lekgotla and VTSD (Villages, Townships and Small Dorpies) games.

 

Ditsobotla Local Sport Council (DSC) reported that there had been a lull in cooperation with the department owing to a lack of communication from the provincial department, but that the relationship and partnership had improved gradually since the 2016 local government election. The mayor had committed to supporting the local sport council, and the local sport council was grateful that the mayor and executive recognised the need for investing in sport. The new mayor had committed to a five-year plan aimed at holistic sports development in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality.

3.3.       Naledi Local Municipality, Vryburg, 1 February 2017

Naledi Local Municipality was a growing municipality in the western part of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, comprising Vryburg, Stella, Devondale, Dithakwaneng and surrounding farms.

 

Naledi Local Municipality followed the maxim that sustained sport success at elite level could only be achieved with a strong participation base in the community, and that ensuring optimal conditions for a child’s participation was one of the best investments the Government could make.

 

The implementation, planning and dialogue around the Naledi sport plan was based on the National Sport and Recreation Plan in terms of the Enabling Environment, Winning Nation and Active Nation tenets.  The Enabling Environment tenet of the Naledi Local Municipality's sport plan was the basis for ensuring that sport and recreation was supported by adequate and well-maintained facilities,

 

The 10 wards in Naledi local municipality accommodated approximately 68 000 persons, served by 20 councillors. The municipality was home to a large number of indigent persons, which impacts negatively on its ability to collect revenue. The equitable share for Naledi Local Municipality was R39 million.

 

In 2003 there was only one sport facility which was only used by people who played in leagues. A previous council had decided that the stadium would be leased to the school. In terms of law the school could claim ownership after 30 years, and 20 years had already passed. The show grounds belonged to the agricultural society, and was leased at R1 per annum. It was used for rugby, and tennis and other clubs. Ongoing financial support was provided and free running electricity was allowed. The municipality would study the contracts and attend to the unfavourable lease agreements.

 

Naledi started receiving approximately R2 million as MIG allocation in 2004, and had never attempted to use specified MIG allocations for other things: Naledi Local Municipality had been managing the facilities and spending 50% on sport infrastructure. The MIG allocation for the 2016-17 financial year was R16,2 million. The sport allocation had declined in the past financial year to less than R8 million, whilst expenditure on sport facilities would amount to R13 million over the multi-year period. Naledi municipality experienced pressure on facilities and resources as a result of migration from neighbouring towns which received much larger MIG allocations.

 

Naledi Local Municipality had lobbied Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to reassess needs, since it had spent 100% of its allocation each financial year, and was entitled to additional funding as well as funding to address the situation at two swimming pools. The strategy was to put facilities in place incrementally, not only in the town, but also in smaller surrounding communities and towns. The R6 million for the sport facility was not enough to complete the entire project at once, and the plan was to start with a basic facility, perimeter fence, one pitch, court, ablution facility, security house and caretaker.

 

The municipality employed permanent caretakers to prevent vandalism, and had contracted security services for facilities. Installing an elevator to assist persons with disabilities to access the entire council building had been recommended, but the municipality had not been able to allocate funds because of insufficient cash flow. Improved access for persons with disabilities would be addressed in the budget of the 2017-18 financial year.

 

A supervisor had been appointed to oversee (a) workers at Huhudi Stadium, where there was a caretaker (on premises) and 4 general workers, (b) workers at Colridge stadium, where there was a caretaker on the premises and 2 general workers, all paid from capital, (c) workers at the gymnasium / indoor hall, supervisor, (capital) and 8 EPWP workers, and (d) court supervisors.

 

Challenges at Huhudi Sport Facility

1. Water was scarce (Estimated cost for a borehole R150 000);
2. Incomplete wall around the facility (MIG phase 2);
3. Absence of fence around the athletic track (Not included in MIG phase 2 project plan);
4. Maintenance budget (petty cash supply chain);
5. No depreciation budgeted for artificial soccer pitch.

 

Colridge Sports Facility

Rehabilitation of Colridge Sports Facility amounting to R6.2 million was funded from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant for. The project included an irrigated grass football pitch, athletics track, floodlights, revamped pavilion, tennis courts, wall and caretaker house.

 

Challenges at Colridge Sports Facility

1. Incomplete wall around the facility (No MIG phase 2 application);
2. Construction of existing revamped pavilion;
3. Maintenance budget (petty cash supply chain).

 

The previous council took a resolution to build five multi courts: Three (3) in Huhudi and two (2) in Colridge in open park spaces. Courts were paved to keep the building cost low. Cost of a full court is R74 000, and sponsors are found to provide (multi) poles for the courts (netball, basketball).

 

The supervisor appointed to oversee staff at four swimming pools was a qualified life guard with first aid training. Challenges with regard to swimming pools were related to chemicals, absence of swimming instructors, and life guards were needed at four pools.

 

The chairperson of the district sport confederation informed members of the committee that the district sport confederation was not recognised in the municipality, and said that it was not clear why it had been decided to take the district academy high performance gym to Gert Lubbe sports grounds, Vryburg (Naledi local municipality), since the district confederation had not been consulted.

 

The municipality was positive about the possibility of creating a more enabling environment for a more active and winning Naledi community by focusing on mass participation, increasing the number of facilities, setting up structures at local level (local federations / local sport council), establishing clubs (volunteerism), empowering coaches, officials and administrators, and channelling and nurturing talented athletes through and by the District Academy of Sport.

3.4.       Greater Taung local municipality, Taung, 2 February 2017

The Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTM) is largely rural, comprises an area of approximately 5500 square kilometres, and 107 settlements are divided into 24 wards.  The municipality reported that the biggest concern was not sport. Half of the population of 180 000 was employable, and 50 000 were young. Basic services in the 2014 development status statement were worrisome and water access was problematic. The local government was not a service authority, yet water and sanitation was still done by Dr Ruth Mompati municipality in terms of the Minister's decision in 2001, whilst Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTM) did the coordination.

 

Only 5% of the population in the largely rural municipality had prioritised sport facilities during consultations, whilst 99% had prioritised roads and sewage infrastructure, for which most MIG funding was used. Fourteen community halls built in the past 14 years served as social grant outlets and disaster points after frequent floods. Close to 50% of the population indicated that they prioritised water, which was a district responsibility).

 

Condition of recreation facilities:

1. Pudimoe Sport Stadium and outdoor gym facilities with soccer field, combi-court with netball, tennis, basketball, were in good condition and used daily. R400 000 had been spent on resurfacing in 2016;
2. Taung Ext 6 Sport Field and two outdoor gym facilities  included a park with walkways, soccer field, 2 combi-courts with netball, tennis, basketball, and an additional outdoor gym was added in 2016;
3. Taung Sport Stadium, with soccer field, was used daily, and grass cutting and maintenance was an issue;
4. Manthe Sport Field comprised a soccer field. A project of the North West provincial department, next to the facility, had not been completed since it started five years ago;
5. Reivilo comprised a club house, swimming pool, bowls court, golf course, and three tennis courts. The swimming pool was not used, because the municipality had not made arrangements for life guards, and the tennis courts were dilapidated and needed upgrading;
6. Boipelo Sport Stadium accommodated a soccer field and combi-court for netball, tennis and basketball;
7. Thota ya Tau facility, 90 km from Taung on the border with Northern Cape, was the most recent addition to MIG developments. Built in 2010 from Lottery funding, it comprised a sport stadium, soccer field and combi-court for netball, tennis and basketball, and indoor facilities.

 

Maintenance capital expenditure for outdoor gyms, fencing, construction of security guard rooms and upgrading of facilities was paid from the equitable share budget. Contracted service providers provided round-the-clock security at all government property.

 

The office of the mayor, through the mayor's special projects, had been assisting Taung Football Association (TALFA) with R40 000 annually to organise leagues and identify talent. Since 2006 all councillors in 26 wards were allocated R15 000 annually to enhance sport participation during the June 16 period to organise events and buy kit.

 

Two weeks before the committee's visit the municipality had decided at its strategic planning session to allocate R1 million to organising soccer tournaments to which soccer scouts would be invited. The municipality had realised that Salga games in which officials and municipal employees participated were costly at R800 000, and decided to channel the money to unemployed, youth, persons with disabilities and seniors’ sport. The new strategy had to be passed by council for inclusion in the budget of the 2017-18 financial year.

 

The annual heritage marathon was popular, but unorganised. Local marathon runners requested assistance with transport and shoes, which was provided from the special projects budget.

3.5.        Sport Focus School, Vryburg High School, 1 February 2017

The Vryburg High School's R352 000 operational and implementation plan for the 2016-17 financial year provided 10% for athletes' development (rugby, hockey, netball, soccer, tennis, golf, cricket, athletics), 50% for maintenance of facilities (rugby, hockey, soccer, cricket, athletics), 30% for provision of equipment (rugby, hockey, netball, soccer, tennis, cricket, athletics) and 10% for capacity building (rugby, hockey, netball, soccer, tennis, cricket, athletics).

 

Vryburg High School (VHS) was the only former model C school in the area, was a parallel medium, multiracial, multicultural school, and had been classified as a quintile 3 school because of its geographic location. Learners were from diverse economic backgrounds and feeder schools were located in rural areas. Most learners were from Vryburg, from feeder schools such as Stellaland Primary and Delareyville, and the majority of black learners were from Kuruman and surrounds.

 

The school offered two languages of instruction, and only English and Afrikaans at high school level. There was a large number of Setswana home language learners in North West province, who could choose between Setswana home language and English or Afrikaans home language. Owing to numbers the classes in the English stream were not segregated (three classes per grade). Grade 8 had one English stream, which was a mixed group.

 

The majority of the learners in the hostel (148 of 160 learners) were black learners from the rural areas. Learners from underperforming schools needed academic assistance in the form of extra classes to enable them to cope with the work initially. Teachers had noticed that pupils' struggles with academics were often the result of improper reading, therefore the school offered a programme to assist learners with their reading, after which they improved from failing to achieving 70% in exams. For its 2016 matric results the school achieved sixth place out of 400 schools, 2 learners were in the top 20. In 2015 the school achieved a 100% matric pass rate and in 2014 one learner achieved third position nationally for matric results.

 

The school budget was just under R7 million, of which it did not receive 20%, since there was a problem with North West appointment of teachers. There were eight frozen positions at the school, and the burden was on the school to recruit and pay teachers to fill these positions. The school had budgeted R400 000 for exemptions, which it would not receive, and had bad debt of R600 000. School fees were R1 000 per month, and in terms of law the school was not allowed to refuse or exclude a learner who could not afford fees. Exemptions were granted in terms of the law; based on salary. The school received a large number of applications annually, and learners who applied for hostel accommodation were admitted first.

 

Codes offered at the school were limited to athletics, jeugskou (youth show/exhibition), rugby, netball, hockey, cricket, golf, tennis and chess, because there were only 694 learners at the school. Proportionally all codes received equal allocations. In terms of the contract the school had to limit focus to four codes for the Ministerial bursary programme.

 

The sports grounds were utilised by primary and high schools, and maintenance was costly, and maintenance staff were employed. The school had a gymnasium which was monitored strictly by gym prefects and teachers to prevent injury, and equipment was sourced from sponsors, the provincial department of sport, and the sport budget.

 

Capacity building at VHS consisted of coaching clinics, workshops and courses. Teachers had to have coaching, umpiring and referee qualifications, and were sent to coaching clinics regularly. In 2016 a netball clinic was offered for teachers and learners who had excelled, and should more funding be made available, the school had identified six more learners with potential to become provincial players.

 

The provincial department had decided to start the Ministerial bursary programme through existing structures. The Ministerial Sport Bursary programme was in its second year at the school, and VHS had identified 15 ministerial bursary learners in 2016 based on need and whether the learners were in the school already.

 

The school attracted more learners because of its emphasis on performance, though it was small compared to schools like Rustenburg High, which had 1600 learners and could offer talented learners attractive amounts of money. If the local learners were sent away the numbers would dwindle and the school would be left with learners who were not able to leave the area and could possibly not contribute school fees.

 

A relatively small number of boys played soccer, and the problem was that school soccer was not well organised, there were no proper leagues in which to participate, and events and matches did not start on time. In 2016 the school organised its own leagues in the region to enable the learners to participate. The school would not dictate which codes learners could play. Learners were be attracted to codes that were well organised and in which they had an opportunity to shine. Codes that did not offer the opportunity to participate in many activities and to travel would not attract the same numbers.

 

The recruiting officer attended sport events and identified talented learners who showed excellence in a particular sport, and spoke to the parents, He also established whether the learners' parents could afford hostel fees. The bursary covered hostel and school fees, clothes and sport clothes, and transport home on week-ends.

4.           Documents and reports requested by the committee

a)         NWDESD: Clarification concerning the delay in appointing a board of the North West provincial academy of sports;

b)         Ditsobotla Local Municipality:

i)          Plans to accommodate persons with physical disabilities at sport stadiums and facilities;

ii)          Clarification concerning issues raised by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs about the intended conversion of the community hall into a multipurpose centre (Itsoseng multipurpose centre conversion project);

iii)         A report on the situation at the stadium (Itsoseng Stadium) and more information about the exact amount spent on the Boikhutso Stadium, from which budget allocations, what the layout plan was for the refurbished stadium, and a total budget and breakdown for each stage of the project;

c)         Naledi Local Municipality:

i)          A more comprehensive list of challenges;

ii)          Club development initiatives since 2014;

iii)         More information on utilisation of Municipal Infrastructure Grant funding in previous years;

d)         National Treasury and Cogta: Consolidated report on implementation of MIG in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality.

5.           Observations

1. The NWDESD chief directorate had no specific budget allocation on facilities since infrastructure belonged to municipalities, however, the provincial department still owned three sport facilities which were to be maintained by the department annually in terms of support staff, day to day operations and maintenance;
2. Part of the 35% allocated to club development would be utilised to enable schools to honour school leagues;
3. The differing views of NWDESD and Mafikeng Local Municipality confirmed the importance of adhering to requirements for intergovernmental and interdepartmental cooperation to ensure optimal focus on implementation of national priorities;
4. Naledi Local Municipality intended to review lease agreements to facilitate effective unrestricted access to all groupings and sectors of the community;
5. The committee advised Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTM) to include young persons in consultations, since young persons frequently did not have the opportunity to attend planning and IDP consultation meetings to ensure that their input was reflected in statistics on community priorities;
6. On 14 March 2016 the North West Provincial Legislature’s Standing Committee on Provincial Public Accounts (SCOPA NW) requested the Department of Education and Sports Development to provide detailed reports that addressed unauthorised, irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred during the 2014-15 financial year. In addition they requested implementable strategies that would deal with officials who contravened supply chain management policies and created unauthorised, irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure;
7. The chairperson of the SCOPA NW said in 2016 that concrete action plans were needed to investigate irregular expenditure which had ran into millions every year, and that, if accounting officers did not investigate officials who created irregular, unauthorised and fruitless and wasteful expenditure in terms of Section 38 and Chapter 10 of the PFMA, the committee would have no choice but to lay a charge of financial misconduct;
8. A NWDESD District Director for Education and Sports had been given the task of ensuring a balanced approach in implementing programmes, which had reportedly eliminated disharmony between departmental sport officials and teachers in schools;
9. Some teachers insisted on compensation for working overtime on sport activities;
10. There appeared to be inadequate understanding of the need to maintain good communication between NWDESD and Salga;
11. Three stadiums owned by the NWDESD had not been handed over to municipalities had become dilapidated;
12. No security guards had been appointed at the two stadiums owned by the provincial department and the Ditsobotla Local Municipality respectively;
13. The relationship between the NWDESD, North West Provincial Sport Confederation and federations had been found to be lacking, though the provincial department had initiated dialogue with the provincial sports confederation;
14. The Ditsobotla Sport Council, a sport body which had to champion all sports, made no mention of community programmes;
15. Itsoseng Stadium appeared to be unutilised, though stakeholders informed the committee that soccer and athletics codes utilised the facility;
16. Soccer transformation and participation at the Vryburg Sport Focus School was low. Soccer events offered in the area were reported to be badly organised and did not start punctually, with the result that learners from rural areas who had to struggle to find transport home after Saturday matches chose to participate in other sport codes;
17. Ditsobotla Local Municipality council intended to hold municipal workers (parks and facilities) residing in the vicinity of facilities accountable and liable for the maintenance and safeguarding of the facilities in conjunction with the sports council.

6.           Findings

(a)        Participation in sport and recreation, and implementation of programmes for sport and recreation in schools and communities in North West province are below the potential of the province;

(b)        Systems are beginning to align, for instance, federations reported that they had been included in planning at provincial level for the first time in 2016. In addition, final institutional arrangements after transferring the sport directorate from Arts to Education had been effected early in 2016;

(c)        The North West Sport Academy had been operating without a board for two years, and one official was working there at the time of the committee's visit;

(d)        The sport focus school programme was introduced in 2015, and was being implemented pragmatically, albeit not perfectly;

(e)        The provincial department dealt with the administration of the MIG funding correctly, but had not developed successful, fluid delivery of sport programmes throughout the province;

(f)         The provincial department owned three stadiums which should have been transferred to municipalities;

 

(g)        Naledi Local Municipality, Vryburg, had been using its MIG allocation correctly. Despite there being no specific budget allocation for maintenance, the facilities are well maintained and the municipality provides security, caretakers and maintenance staff;

(h)        Municipalities presented varying levels of compliance with implementation MIG requirements - some claiming that they had not been informed of the degree of detail the committee had requested. Greater Taung Local Municipality had started adhering to MIG requirements in the 2015-16 financial year, and it was not clear which programmes Ditsobotla Local Municipality was implementing or how, and implementation of the MIG allocation for sport and recreation infrastructure had been included in their Integrated Development Plan (IDP).

7.           Concerns

1. Frequent budget rollovers for the NWDESD were likely to affect implementation of the department's mandate;
2. The North West provincial department owned three stadiums, but had not budgeted for maintenance, and the fact that municipalities did not report to the provincial department on maintenance of these facilities contributed to poor maintenance;
3. Competing priorities of sport and education in the NWDESD could impact negatively on the poorest in the province. The provincial school sport sub-directorate, which was located in the provincial department of education and sport (NWDESD), struggled to obtain access to schools;
4. The learners of North West province had the right to participate in sport and recreation activities, but difficulty in accessing schools experienced by officials of the provincial department and academy was likely to perpetuate the inadequate state of school sport in North West Province, and maintain barriers to entry instead of removing them;
5. Sport focus schools were located in towns, and most learners did not have access to such schools;
6. The committee noted the low number of black learners who participated in sport at the Vryburg sport focus school. The average performance of the 50 learners who played soccer raised questions about the contribution and role of the local SAFA federation and the functioning of local school football leagues;
7. The committee received no satisfactory clarification about what had happened to the SAFA Legacy purse fund;
8. The Ditsobotla Local Municipality experienced challenges in registering the Itsoseng multipurpose centre conversion project, and ran the risk of low spending if the funding was not reallocated;
9. Naledi Local Municipality had no maintenance budget for Huhudi stadium, though facilities were maintained well, and Greater Taung Local Municipality had last used MIG funding for sport infrastructure in 2009, for the Ext 6 facility;
10. Academies: Apart from having to operate without a board, the Provincial Sport Academy was reportedly not sufficiently involved in school sport programmes;
11. Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Sport Confederation informed the committee that it was not acknowledged in the municipality and that they did not understand why the district academy high performance gym would be based at Gert Lubbe sport facility, Vryburg, since they had not been consulted;
12. The provincial department's relationship with the confederation in terms of school sport was not clear to the committee.

8.           Recommendations

The Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation recommends that the Minister for Sport and Recreation emphasise the need to: 

1. Address consistent budget rollovers for the NWDESD;
2. Revive munMEC meetings in North West province;
3. Ensure that the correct facts about the R300 million special MIG projects are communicated to all stakeholders in local government, including communities in all regions, including deep rural areas, in their own languages;
4. Consult young persons for municipal community preference polls, since young persons would not have the opportunity to attend planning and IDP consultation meetings, and their needs would not be reflected in community prioritisation statistics;
5. Prioritise transfer of all remaining sport stadiums that are still owned by the provincial department to municipalities such as Ditsobotla local municipality;
6. Ensure that the provincial sport council, academy and local sport councils work together;
7. Focus on capacity building for school sport in the province;
8. Ensure that federations assist with school sport as bedrock of sport in South Africa;
9. Review regulations related to teachers' working hours.

 

Report to be considered.