Committee Report on Sports and Recreation SA (SRSA) budget: further discussion

Meeting report

Committee Report on Sports and Recreation SA (SRSA) budget

Ms Sunè Pauw, Committee Secretary, said the Committee’s Strategic Plan was informed by the strategic priorities as identified in government’s 2014-2019 Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF). The key strategic objectives were:

-Rural development, land and agrarian reform and food security

-Radical economic transformation, rapid economic growth and job creation

-Ensuring access to adequate human settlements and quality basic services

-Improving the quality of and expanding access to education and training

-Ensuring quality health care and social security for all citizens

-Fighting corruption and crime

-Contributing to a better Africa and a better world

-Social cohesion and nation building.

The strategic outcome orientated goals relate to the outcomes of Parliament:

-Goal 1: Substantially improve programmes for capacity-building and development;

-Goal 2: Considerably improve timeliness, quality and overall value of information;

-Goal 3: Significantly improve the usage and management of limited space and facilities;

-Goal 4: Meaningfully contribute to providing greater efficiency in both the processes and resources of    Parliament;

-Goal 5: Substantially improve the overall outcomes of the legislative sector.

Ms Pauw said the Strategic Plan aimed to create a common vision for all at Parliament, establishing a high level of synergy and understanding regarding the direction in which the organisation was moving, whilst also directing the operational components in their daily activities. Strategic planning was aimed at positioning the Portfolio Committee “many years from now”, whilst business planning was directed at implementing this within “the next few years”, thereby directing the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) cycle. The Committee recognised the importance of continuously monitoring the extent to which laws and policies were implemented by the various departments. Possible legislations and regulations for monitoring were:

-National Sport and Recreation Amendment Bill, 2016

-South African Institute for Drug-free Sport Amendment Bill, 2016

-South African Combat Sport Bill, 2016

-Fitness Industry Bill, 2016

-Provincial Sport Academies Bill, 2016

The possible Regulations included the Recognition of Sport and Recreation Bodies regulations, the Funding of Sport and Recreation Bodies Regulations and the Safety at Sport and Recreational Events Regulations. The work of the Committee in terms of the legislation was not limited to the above Acts. The Committee would continuously review Acts and policies passed in the past years. The Committee also aimed to keep track of legislative developments and review and analyse on-coming legislation. The South African Combat Sports Act was one such piece of legislation the Committee would look at as it would change the manner in which all combat sport in the country were administered.

Ms Pauw further stated that the Committee would continue to identify areas for oversight based on research, interaction with the concerned departments and stakeholders, and legislation passed in the past few years. The role of the Committee in conducting oversight should be improved, especially with the introduction of the National Sports and Recreation Plan (NSRP) and its alignment to the National Development Plan (NDP). The scope of the Committee’s mandate would require more oversight of the implementation of legislation. Whilst the committee’s previous oversight has been more focused on sport infrastructure and implementation of sport development programmes, the Committee should improve its monitoring and oversight role on the implementation of legislation by the relevant parties.

Key issues/areas identified for oversight included:

1. Sports and Recreation of South Africa

-Implementation of the National Sport and Recreation Plan

-Redressing the legacies of the past through provision of sport infrastructure and sport development programmes

-Increasing efforts to ensure that there is proper transformation is sport which depicts the demographics of the country

-Improved governance and administration of the department and its entities and the conditional grant.

-Enhance the Inter-ministerial cooperation and collaboration programmes

-Monitoring the implementation of the international agreements, collaboration and cooperation.

-Supporting the performance of the national teams in the international competitions.

-Proper monitoring and evaluation systems for the implementation of the NSRP and the usage of the conditional grants for sport development.

1. South African Institute for  Drug-free Sport (SAIDS)

-Improved governance and administration of the entity, especially the supply chain management processes

-Development of the guidelines for testing of athletes at schools in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education (DBE)

-Regular updates and promulgation of information regarding banned substances in sport and recreation.

-Regular tests on all national athletes who are to represent the country in all competitions

-Reporting regularly to the committee and the department

1. Boxing South Africa (BSA)

-Clean governance and administration of the Sport

-Development programmes

-Development and implementation of the legislation for Boxing

Ms Pauw further showed that the Committee’s administration sought to ensure that the Committee functions much more effectively by producing quality documents on time, providing credible content advice, arranging the logistics on time and issuing documents and invitations to appear before the Committee on time. The Committee’s strategic goals were as follows:

-Process, pass and monitor implementation of relevant legislation.

-Ensure that the public is central in the processing of legislation & scrutinising of Executive action.

-Undertake an effective process of scrutinising and overseeing Executive and entities reporting to relevant departments.

-Ensure cooperative governance.

-Develop efficient support systems to enhance the efficient functioning of the Committee.

-Expand knowledge through international exposure – learning from developed and other developing countries.  

Possible risks

-NA Programme changes leaving less time for site visits

-Funding for sports plan is not available

-Non-compliance by certain parties with legislation or challenges in court

-Ineffective monitoring of the implementation of legislation

-Outside factors prevent the Committee from effectively performing on its mandate

-Delays in the chain of processing legislation resulting in the lapsing of Bills

-Stakeholder apathy and their slow participation in parliamentary processes

-Non-involvement and inflexibility in HR appointments and staff motivational issues

The project expenditure was R3.19 million in 2015/16, R3.13 million for 2016/17, R2.41 million for 2017/18 and R2.7 million for the 2018/19 financial year.

Discussion

Mr L Ntshayisa (AIC) asked whether teacher unions were the only ones expected to play a role over the MTEF.

The Chairperson replied that if there were other unions, they will be involved

Mr M Filtane (UDM) asked if the budget for oversight included alternate Members.

The Chairperson replied that Mr Filtane knew the answer.

 Mr M Malatsi (DA) was concerned with the strategic objectives, because it did not cover two issues Committee had been vocal about. Firstly was the call for consistency in the roll out of sports infrastructure in rural areas and secondly was the advocacy for gender equality at board level.

The Committee Secretary replied that she had been advised that Alternate Members were allowed to go go on an oversight visit when a permanent Member could not make it and equality in infrastructure roll out will be included.

Ms D Manana (ANC) said the allocation for oversight visit was very little.

The Chairperson said Mr Malatsi’s concerns should be incorporated

Mr Filtane asked if that was the case, was he supposed to participate in the budget vote debate or any other issue that arise from the Committee in the National Assembly.

The Chairperson replied that an Alternate Member could participate in debate if he/she was seconded by his/her respective party. He also noted that gender representation in sports was covered under transformation.

The meeting adjourned.