Report of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation on Provincial Visits, dated 24 February 2004

The Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation, having undertaken provincial visits in August 2003, reports as follows:

1. Background During the week of 18 to 26 August 2003 the Committee undertook oversight visits to the provinces of the Eastern Cape; KwaZulu-Natal; Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and North West. Due to insufficient funds, the same visits could not be extended to other provinces. The purpose of the oversight visits was to assess the progress the identified provinces have made in the sport sector and to ascertain problems and challenges encountered by sporting councils, municipalities and schools with a view to recommending some remedial measures. It has to be stated from the outset, however, that the Committee could not complete the KZN provincial study tour due to lack of coordination and last minute organizing of meetings by the relevant KZN officials. Such hindrances resulted in the study tour being called off prematurely. During the visits, the Committee sought to be briefed by the offices of the respective provincial sport district managers, sport officers and municipal managers as well as MECs. The Committee requested all these respected offices for a briefing on their performance highlights, challenges and their plans to resolves whatever challenges encountered.

The focus areas for the visits were:

- School sport, especially schools with special needs

- The accessibility and usability of facilities

- The existence of sport structures on the ground

- The establishment of sport academies

- An assessment of the needs of schools and local sports clubs through an examination of the usability of sports facilities located in former colleges of education

- Interaction with district councils aimed at finding out whether existing facilities are open for multipurpose use. The sites visited were selected to provide a synopsis of departmental programmes in operation, since the Committee members wanted to get a feel of how policies are implemented and what the hindrances are. Concerns, observations and findings on the sites and from the briefings are documented in this report. The study tour, to some extent, met its objectives, except that the delegation could not visit all former colleges of education, as it would have wanted. It was agreed that all provincial departments should do audit of all closed colleges of education and submit them to the national department so that there would be discussions and ways to be found on how to utilise those colleges for the benefit of Sport and Recreation.

Logistical arrangements

The three multi-party delegations consisted of: Eastern Cape & KZN North West & Northern Cape Mpumalanga & Limpopo Ms N R Bhengu (Chairperson) Mrs N E Lamani - ANC Mr. Z I Ncinane - ANC Mr. S Simmons - NNP Ms. N Mbuqe -Committee Secretary Mr. C T Frolick - ANC (Leader of delegation) Mr. L R Reid - ANC Mrs. D M Morobi - ANC Mr. B W Dlamini - IFP Mrs. M A Seeco – UCDP Ms. N Quvana-Committee Support Staff Mr. M B Ntuli- ANC (Leader of delegation) Mr. A Mlangeni - ANC Mr. R Moropa - ANC Ms M A Molebatsi - ANC Ms N Borotho- Committee Assistant

3. EASTERN CAPE - PLACES VISITED A number of meetings were held with provincial officials as well as officials from local authorities and the Department of Sport and Recreation. In addition, the following facilities were visited

- Eastern Cape Academy of Sport

- Nelson Mandela Metropole

- Border Academy of Sport

- Fort Hare Academy of Sport

- Presidential Nodal Point Project, Motherwell

- Buffalo Park Stadium

- Amahlathi District Municipality

- Chris Hani District Municipality

- Engcobo Municipality

- King Sabatha Dalindyebo Municipality – Rotary Stadium

- Ikhwezi Lokusa Special School

- Mqanduli Stadium

- Botha Sigcawu sport structures

- Port St Johns – Ngqeleni and Tombo sport facilities and sport structures

3.2 OBSERVATIONS The study tour has identified many positive elements in the province’s sport and recreation programme. Some of such positive elements were several successful development programmes and the provision of sporting facilities in historically disadvantaged areas, at least one of which was funded by lottery funds. There has also been some progress with regard to the establishment of sport structures and sport academies. However, these achievements appear to be outweighed by the problems and challenges that remained. One of the most serious problems faced by the province is the fact that it does not receive sufficient funding for sport and recreation. This inevitably has a negative impact on the usability and accessibility of sports facilities, particularly in historically disadvantaged communities. Lack of funding also impacts directly on the ability of local authorities to maintain facilities and grounds, pay for water and electricity used by these facilities, and prevent vandalism. The study tour report has found that many of the best sporting facilities are still located in formerly advantaged communities, usually out of reach to the communities most in need of them. Since most of the latter communities are poor, they do not have the resources (private transport, financial resources) to reach these facilities. In most cases, public transport is expensive, often unsafe and not available during the required hours. The trend towards the privatization and leasing of public sporting facilities places additional obstacles in the path of community participation in sport and further impacts on the usability of facilities. The provision and standard of sporting facilities and equipment in historically disadvantaged schools (especially in rural areas) continue to be inadequate. It also appears that this inequality continues to be divided along racial lines, as is evident in the gap between the sporting standards of former Model C and public schools. With regard to LSEN schools, the lack of funding impacts negatively not only on the special facilities and equipment required, but also upon the provision of training and the frequency of participation in competition at local, provincial and national level. The lack of progress with regard to school sport is cause for concern, not only because of its retarding effect on transformation in sport, but also because of its effect on the usability of school facilities by a broader spectrum of the public. It has not been possible to make accurate findings with regard to the usability and accessibility of community sports facilities to the disabled, or to women and girls, as adequate information on these aspects, as well as their participation levels in sport, was not provided. Nonetheless, as the provision and standard of sports facilities in historically disadvantaged areas appear to be generally inadequate, it may be assumed that, since the problems and challenges with regard to the provision of sports facilities for the disabled, and women and girls (particularly in historically disadvantaged communities) are even greater, that this would negatively affect the usability and accessibility of community sports facilities for these sectors

3.3 FINDINGS It was found that there are several positive aspects to the province ’s sport programme. For example,

- Lottery funds have been utilised to fund sporting programmes

- The Individual Athletes Programme provides support to talented athletes through the provincial academy support programme

- Indigenous sport is organised and being played

- Numerous rugby, netball, soccer and other sporting tournaments are organised at provincial level

- There are also programmes for the elderly, as well as hiking and diving activities for younger people

- Programmes with a gender focus, such as ‘Women in Sport’ are also being conducted. In specific areas in the province, some of the positive elements include the following

- The Eastern Cape Academy of Sport at the University of Port Elizabeth, which provides training and support to athletes (especially ‘elite’ athletes) and coaches, currently provides support to 263 athletes

- Three sport centres catering for netball have been established in the Nelson Mandela Metropole, as part of the preparations for the 2007 Netball World Cup

- Tariffs in a facility in the Nelson Mandela Metropole built partly with European sponsorship, have been decreased, and as a result the community now increasingly utilises it

- The Presidential Nodal Point Project in Motherwell is a multipurpose project in which the local community is closely involved

- Soccer and cricket facilities are in place at Masingatha, Mzamomhle, Fort Grey and Nompumelelo

- Border Sport Academy has a specific focus on the disabled and women, providing chess for the former and rugby, soccer, cricket and softball for the latter

- In the East London area, an ‘Outstanding Achievers Bursary’ is awarded to students who excel in sport, with a higher award for those who attain national colours

- In some former Colleges of Education, such as the Arthur Tsengiswe Training College in the Chris Hani Municipality, sporting federations hold coaching clinics and training courses

- Some schools, such as the high schools in Indwe and Dordrecht, are in a position to share their sports facilities with the local community. Phase 1 of the new Lady Frere Sport Facility has been completed, a manager has been appointed and a maintenance plan is being followed

- The Cala Village Green is a new, fairly well resourced facility which is well utilised by the five neighbouring villages

- The Engcobo Municipality has appointed five sport officials who organize and promote various competitions and conduct capacity-building workshops

-.The Engcobo Municipality has launched soccer, athletics and netball programmes aimed at women

- The Engcobo Municipality has also launched programmes for senior citizens such as tennis. Notwithstanding the positive elements detailed above, numerous challenges and difficulties face the province, including

- The provincial Sport and Recreation Department is severely under-funded. As a result, problems such as inadequate facilities, the maintenance of existing facilities, widespread vandalism and the training of coaches and referees cannot properly be addressed

- Lack of funding also applies to local authorities, which are unable to provide or maintain the number of sports facilities required, or pay for water and electricity bills generated by these facilities.

- While sporting facilities are gradually being constructed or renovated, there is insufficient funding for other important facilities, such as toilets, change rooms, grandstands, additional playing fields and heating for swimming pools

- The problem of vandalism is widespread and has its roots in the fact that many communities do not have a strong sense of ownership

- Lack of sponsorship has led to sport such as hockey dying out

- There is a scarcity of water that often impacts upon the ability of local authorities to provide water to swimming pools

-.Widespread problems of poverty and unemployment negatively impact upon the ability of communities to pay transport costs to reach sporting facilities and to participate in competitions

- The privatization of sport facilities negatively impacts upon community access to sport facilities, as communities are either prevented from using these facilities or are otherwise unable to pay the high entry fees required

- In many instances school facilities (e.g. former Model C schools) are not accessible to the broader community

- The LSEN schools (i.e. Learner with Special Education Needs) generally require funding for transport, equipment and sporting facilities (such as swimming pools)

- While school sport is generally active, facilities (where these exist), are in poor condition. There is a lack of volunteerism on the part of teachers, as well as a lack of co-operation from the Department of Education with regard to the provision of facilities. This results with talented payers leaving the province for greener pastures

- Historically disadvantaged areas and schools continue to be under-resourced, as is evident in the gap between former Model C and public schools. It therefore appears that the provision and standard of sporting facilities continue to be divided along racial lines

- Generally, the sporting facilities of the former Colleges of Education are not being maintained

- There are many talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in this province who appear to have no hope of reaching their potential thus they leave. In specific areas in the province, some of the problems include the following

- There is poor communication between the Fort Hare Academy of Sport based at the University of Fort Hare, and the local community of Alice. As a result, there is a low level of skills transfer and local students who enter the university are not exposed to some sport codes

- The Alice community has numerous rugby and soccer clubs, but few adequate venues. Girls who play netball are even worse off as they are unable to play netball once they leave school since there are no netball fields and the local community does not have access to facilities at Fort Hare

- Historically disadvantaged communities such as Sisa Dukashe and Zwelitsha suffer from grossly inadequate sporting facilities and vandalism of existing facilities

- Bisho Stadium is not being utilised

- In the Chris Hani Municipality, funds are available for a Sport Academy, but these are insufficient to cover operational and staffing needs.

- The facilities at the Mlungisi Sport and Dumpy Adams fields in the Chris Hani Municipality have been completely vandalised

-.There is no community facility in Indwe in the Emalahleni Municipality

- There is a dire need of sports facilities in the Sakhisizwe Municipality

- The indoor sport facility in Engcobo Municipality is a white elephant, as it is rarely used and is usually locked. The reason for this is that there was no consultation with the community before it was built, and consequently it does not serve their needs

- The Engcobo Municipality built a swimming pool, however it has not been filled as the area suffers a water scarcity. A tennis court in the area is not utilised as it is situated too far away and is in a dangerous, isolated area.

4. KWA-ZULU-NATAL Although the intention was to spend six days in the province the delegation ended up spending only three days. The delegation also spent one day with the MEC. The first problem with the visit in KZN was that the province sent its programme on the last day in the Eastern Cape at 22h00. Secondly, the meeting with the Mayor of Umgungundlovu District Municipality was fruitless due to lack of coordination, as the mayor was not aware of the said meeting with the delegation. Thirdly, the other two meetings had to be adjourned shortly after starting, as the KZN officials from the Department of Education had only been informed of the meetings at the last minute and were not in possession of the relevant information. The delegation then decided on media briefing in consultation with their political principals on calling off the tour. In addition, only one sporting facility, the Margate School of Excellence, was visited. All the information gathered by the Committee, was based upon a presentation by the MEC.

4.1 OBSERVATIONS It has not been possible to provide an analysis of the trip, as insufficient information on the challenges facing the province was not provided. The delegation visited the Margate School of Excellence, which was not part of the programme. The facility is privately owned and the department is negotiating to purchase. The facility is well-equipped with dormitories, halls, and kitchens and have sport facilities. It is allocated in a nearby school. It is unfortunate that the required information could not be provided, as this has rendered it impossible to comment on issues such as:

- The problems and challenges that continue to face the province

- The funding of sport

- The level of usability and accessibility of sports facilities, particularly in historically disadvantaged communities

- The maintenance of facilities and grounds

- The extent of vandalism

- The involvement of communities

- The trend towards the privatization and leasing of public sporting facilities

- The provision and standard of sporting facilities and equipment in historically disadvantaged schools (especially in rural areas);

- The extent to which problems in the sporting sector continue to be governed by racial factors

- The usability and accessibility of community sports facilities to the disabled, as well as their participation levels in sport; and

- The usability and accessibility of community sports facilities to women and girls, as well as their participation levels in sport.

4.2 FINDINGS It was found that there are positive aspects to the province ’s sport programme as presented by the MEC to the delegation. For example,

- The Directorate of Sport and Recreation has utilised poverty relief funds in order to fund sporting programmes and the construction of new facilities. A number of jobs have been created as a result

- The Directorate has funded a number of development programmes and provided support for training seminars major sporting events and championships

- The Directorate has also formalized a relationship with the National Lottery Distribution Agency and is assisting organisations to apply for funding

- Indigenous sport is organised and being played

- Sporting events, such as the Kwanaloga Games, have been held. The Directorate has been closely involved in the volunteer programme of the ICC Cricket World Cup earlier this year

- The Directorate has also assisted the Gymnastics sector to establish an Academy

- Programmes with a gender focus, aimed at providing adequate opportunities for women to participate in sport, have been initiated

- Financial assistance has been provided to enable 600 young women and girls to participate in an athletics race

- The province hosted the Love Life National Games in September this year, in which a large contingent of KZN students participated in events such as volleyball, netball, hockey and table tennis

- An educator-coaching programme for soccer is currently in the planning stage for implementation in the province’s schools. In specific areas in the province, some of the positive elements include the following

- Seventeen new sporting facilities have been, or are in the process of being built in places such as Tugela Ferry, Eshowe, Clermont and Ixopo

- The construction of these new facilities has resulted in the temporary employment of 1 136 people, of which 28% were local people, 51% were women and 18% were disabled

- The province’s Academy of Sport has been established at the University of Durban-Westville

- Research has been conducted into the possibility of establishing Schools of Excellence at former Colleges of Education, such as the Esikhawini College of Education. This college is well resourced, with numerous sporting facilities. Although the existing facilities need renovation, the college is well placed to provide more than 200 students from 11 neighbouring schools with training and development in five sporting codes.

- The Margate School of Excellence was identified as being suitable for use as a facility for high-performance young athletes.

5. NORTHERN CAPE 5.1 AREAS VISITED

- Kgalagadi District Municipality - Kuruman & Van Zylsrus - Gasegonyana Municipality and Bankhara/Bodulong

- Siyanda District Municipality - Tsantsabane Municipality – Upington

- Namakwa District Municipality - Rietfontein - Mier municipality

- Karoo District Municipality

- Francis Baard Municipality - Sol Plaatjie municipality

5.2 FINDINGS It was found that there are several positive aspects to the province ’s sport programme. For example,

- There is progress in school cricket as a result of Bakers Biscuits school cricket programme

- There is a high level of participation in school sport

- A number of rugby, netball, soccer and other sporting tournaments have been organised by the province

- Indigenous games are organised and played. In specific areas in the province, some of the positive elements include the following

- Hockey is played in Gamagara in the Kgalagadi Municipality

- Soccer clinics for women have also been held in Kgalagadi District Municipality

-.Women’s soccer flourishes in Kuruman in the Kgalagadi Municipality

- Women’s soccer, hockey and netball are thriving in Danielskuil in the Kgalagadi Municipality. People are also active in tennis

- Lack of financial capacity, municipality result at lack of maintenance and vandalism

- There is a lack of sporting facilities for the disabled and most of those that do exist are not staffed and thus remain locked

- There are no sporting structures in place to deal with the development of sport in general, except for Kgalagadi Municipality. There are problems at Council level, which stem from lack of co-ordination and budget

- The province has received an insufficient funding from the National Lottery has been received

- There is a problem with using facilities that are close to specific areas in terms of distance, but located across provincial borders. As a consequence of this, even those living close to such facilities but across the provincial border are not allowed to use them due to strict observance of provincial borders. This causes great inconvenience and hardship

- Historically disadvantaged areas, particularly the rural areas, are neglected. As a result, facilities are minimal and no sporting codes are active in the rural areas

- The widespread problems of poverty and unemployment negatively impact upon the ability of communities to pay transport costs to reach distantly-located sporting facilities and to participate in competitions. Poverty also prevents talented young athletes from being healthy enough to reach their potential

- Few sporting organisations and facilities cater for the disabled

- Historically disadvantaged schools continue to be under-resourced, as is evident in the gap between formerly white schools and public schools. A sport like gymnastics, for example, is only offered at formerly white schools. It therefore appears that the provision and standard of sporting facilities continue to be divided along racial lines

- Certain sports, such as netball, struggle to obtain sponsorship

- Lack of sport structures on the ground when facilities are built result in lack of community ownership, vandalism and lack of community support for sport matters

- The trend towards the privatisation and leasing of sport facilities negatively impacts upon community access to sport facilities, as communities are either prevented from using these facilities or are otherwise unable to pay the high entry fees required

- Racism is still a problem in the province and it also manifests itself in sport, especially in rugby administration

- As a result of these shortcomings, the wealth of talent in the province remains under- developed. In specific areas in the province, some of the problems include the following

- In the Sol Plaatje Municipality, only the rugby provincial team is allowed access to ABSA Park, as this facility is privately owned

- The cricket club at Galeshewe in the Sol Plaatje Municipality is not fenced and vandalised

- Sporting facilities are not up to standard at De Beng in Gamagara in the Kgalagadi Municipality

- There are no indoor basketball courts in Gamagara and as a result, people have to travel a long distance to use other facilities

- There are insufficient funds to cater for the large numbers of people who participate in the recreation programme in Gamagara.

- Only two schools out of 57 in the Kgalagadi Municipality have sports facilities – both are situated in the town of Kuruman

- There are no cricket grounds in Danielskuil in the Kgalagadi Municipality, nor is there a facility for the basketball club

6. NORTH WEST A number of meetings were held with provincial officials as well as officials from local authorities. In addition, the following facilities were visited

- Depot Community Hall

- Taung Stadium (still under construction)

- Bapong Stadium

- Magareng Local Municipality – Warrenton

- Madibeng Municipality

6.1 FINDINGS It was found that there are some positive aspects to the province ’s sport programme. For example

- There is a Sports Academy that offers training in netball and soccer, as well as a number of teachers who are trained in gymnastics

- Volunteers from communities and from the teaching fraternity are assisting athletes with training. In specific areas in the province, some of the positive elements include the following

- There are a number of active sporting codes in the Taung Municipality, e.g. soccer, athletics and netball

- The best-developed facilities in Taung appear to be for soccer.

- Sporting codes such as dance and gymnastics are popular in the Mafikeng Municipality. Notwithstanding the positive elements detailed above, numerous challenges and difficulties are still facing the province, including

- The provincial Sport and Recreation Department is severely under-funded. As a result, problems such as inadequate facilities, the maintenance and upgrading of facilities, and the prevention of vandalism cannot properly be addressed

- In a province where vast distances separate communities, reaching the nearest sporting facilities (such as swimming pools), constitutes a major problem for many athletes.

- It appears as if there is no co-operative relationship between communities and sports officials

- Historically disadvantaged areas and particularly the rural areas are neglected. As a result, facilities are minimal and no sporting codes are active in the rural areas

- Formerly white areas continue to be better resourced. It therefore appears that the provision and standard of sporting facilities continue to be divided along racial lines

- There are no Colleges of Education in the region, and the University that is located there, does not have sports fields

- Community support is difficult to obtain due to widespread socio-economic problems

- The trend towards the privatization and leasing of sport facilities negatively impacts upon community access to sport facilities. Communities are either prevented from using sporting facilities or are otherwise unable to pay the high entry fees required. The issue of fee payment as an obstacle to community use also applies to community halls

- Racism is still a problem in the province and it also manifests itself in sport

- As a result of these shortcomings, the wealth of talent in the province remains under- developed. In specific areas in the province, some of the problems include the following

- The facilities at the Depot Community Hall have been vandalised and need to be repaired

- The Taung Municipality has no basic sporting facilities – the nearest such facilities (such as a swimming pool) are situated some distance away

- The Mafikeng Municipality is under-resourced with regard to sporting facilities

- The Montshiwa Stadium cannot currently be utilised, as the renovation is incomplete due to lack of funding and problems with the contractor

- Communities find it difficult to access sporting facilities in Bapong in the Madibeng Municipality, as the payment of a fee is required

-.There also appear to be problems between the provincial government and the Madibeng Municipality; this is having a negative impact on the use of funding for the development of facilities.

7. MPUMALANGA Mr. E J Lucas and Mr. Morkel could not join the group due to unforeseen circumstances

7.1 AREAS VISITED A number of meetings were held with provincial officials as well as officials from local authorities and the Department of Sport and Recreation. In addition, the following facilities were visited

- Solomon Mahlangu Stadium

- O R Tambo Stadium

- Academy of Sport, Witbank

- Bambanani Indoor Sports Complex

- KaBokweni Stadium

- Lottery-funded netball court

- Ntsikazi Stadium

7.2 FINDINGS It was found that there are some positive aspects to the province ’s sport programme. For example

- Poverty relief and lottery funds have been utilized for building and upgrading facilities. These activities have resulted in job creation and poverty alleviation

- Local communities have formed a provincial cricket structure

- A provincial MINMEC has been established in order to discuss the problems related to sport, as well as the way forward

- Sports experts from abroad (e.g. Norway, Germany) have assisted in training. In specific areas in the province, some of the positive elements include the following

- The Solomon Mahlangu Stadium received R2,9 million for renovations and is one of three stadiums to have rubber tracks

- The O R Tambo Stadium has received funding for renovation and is utilized by neighbouring schools

- Community Sport Council, with a majority of female members, has been established in the Nkangala region

- The Mpumalanga Academy of Sport was established in Witbank in September 2002. The Academy conducts various educational, training and Life Skills courses, as well as athletic support programmes that offer financial support to athletes

- The Mbalenhle Community and Sport Development Centre has three soccer and rugby fields, as well as a small tennis court, that are being maintained by Sasol

- A multipurpose facility that is well utilized has been built in the Gert Sibande region

- Workshops for disabled children and teachers at schools in the Gert Sibande region have been held

- The World Gold Panning Championships will be held in 2005 in the Ehlanzeni region. The Championships offer Mpumalanga an opportunity for a heritage activity to be utilized in a sustainable way. It is hoped that benefits will be generated for Mpumalanga and South Africa

- The Ntsikazi, Songwala, Tsonga, Leroro and Schuurmansdal Stadiums in the Ehlanzeni district have been completed

- The stadium have all been built in the right location, as these were chosen after a process driven by a project steering committee from those particular areas. As a result, these facilities are accessible by local communities, and are owned by the local authorities

- Poverty relief and lottery-funded facilities such as the netball court in the Ehlanzeni District and Ntsikazi Stadium make a positive contribution to poverty alleviation and enhance the quality of life of the communities they serve. Notwithstanding the positive elements detailed above, numerous challenges and difficulties that face the province, include:

- Much of the existing sport budget is currently used to grade netball and soccer fields

- The lack of funding also applies to local authorities, which are unable to provide or maintain the number of sports facilities required, especially in rural, historically black areas

- The National Lottery Fund application forms are not found to be user friendly

- Delays to projects that occur as a result of tensions between the district municipality and the province over duplication in project implementation and social facilitation

- The scarcity of water which impacts upon the ability of local authorities to provide water to maintain lawns

- The problems of privatization and long leases on sport facilities negatively impact upon community access to sport facilities, as communities are either prevented from using these facilities or are otherwise unable to pay the high fees demanded by lessees

- School sport is not represented in either regional or municipal Sport Councils

- School facilities are not accessible to the broader community

- The LSEN schools (i.e. Learner with Special Education Needs) are faced with numerous problems that impact negatively on their participation in sport, particularly with regard to competition against each other. The two most important problems are: the long distances between schools and impoverished students. As a result, these schools are only able to hold one sporting festival per year in order to decide on the teams that will participate at national level

- Most farm schools do not have sporting equipment or facilities

- Racially integrated sport has not been attained at most schools, as only two codes, viz. netball and athletics, offer opportunities for integrated sport. The delegation notes that there appears to be a reluctance to engage in racially integrated sport on the part of "white schools"

- Most facilities do not cater for the needs of the disabled

- Most federations have not complied with the new political boundaries, causing problems when meetings are organized

- The best facilities continue to be those in the city. Historically disadvantaged communities and schools, especially in the rural areas, continue to be under-resourced. It therefore appears that the provision and standard of sporting facilities continue to be divided along racial lines. In specific areas in the province, some of the problems include the following

- The renovations at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium are behind schedule, and as a result, the stadium is not being utilized

- The O R Tambo Stadium needs rubber tracks and additional grandstands

- Sport councillors do not always pass information on to the voluntary trainers

- The multi-purpose Kinross facility is accessible to most historically disadvantaged communities only if they have the means to travel long distances

- The Witbank Stadium is an example of the kind of problem posed to community participation by the leasing system. Although the local council owns the stadium, it has been leased out for 30 years. Thus poor communities that are unable to afford the high fees charged to hire the facility, are seldom able to use it.

- In Evander, the existing informal stadium is over-utilized by all sporting codes.

- The stadium in Piet Retief is not accessible to the general public due to the fact that it has been leased to the rugby fraternity

- There are sports fields in Bethal, but these are not properly maintained

- The Bambanani Indoor Sports Complex is under-funded and thus lacks equipment. It is under- utilized, probably because the complex is situated far from the community it is intended to serve.

8. LIMPOPO A number of meetings were held with provincial officials as well as officials from local authorities and the Department of Sport and Recreation. In addition, the following facilities were visited

- Mahwelereng Stadium

- Ga Seleka Stadium

- Naphumo Stadium

- Sekhukune Stadium

– Waterberg

- Vhembe, Mutale Municipality

8.1 FINDINGS It was found that there are some positive aspects to the province ’s sport programme. For example

- The province organized several sport and recreation programmes

- A number of stadiums have been renovated and new sporting facilities are being planned. In specific areas in the province, some of the positive elements include the following

- The 1 500- capacity Mahwelereng Stadium in Waterberg has been renovated

- The provincial Indigenous Games were held at the Ga Seleka Stadium

- Despite the fact that the Mutale Municipality suffers from a severe lack of sporting facilities, there are nine men’s open league football clubs, 53 women’s league clubs and 57 netball clubs

- People from this area also participate in indigenous sport

- There are three sports officials in the Thoyandou area

- The province in the Phalaborwa Municipality, including participation in indigenous games, organized several sport and recreation programmes

- This municipality also has a sports desk with representatives from a range of women’s sport, as well as a racially integrated Cricket Union.

- The Naphumo Stadium in Bohlabela, which is situated in the middle of the community, has been renovated

- While the stadium does not yet have a sports policy in place, there is a monthly meeting at which representatives from the youth, various sporting codes and sport councilors discuss sport issues

- The Maruleng Municipality has a sports desk for disable people and also participate in indigenous games

- There are two former colleges that have been closed down, and which could be utilized as for sporting purposes, e.g. as sport academies

- A local businessman from the area provides sport sponsorship

- The Sekhukune Stadium, which is situated in the middle of several scattered villages, was renovated

- There is a Sport Committee in Sekhukhune, as well as a training programme for netball and tennis. Notwithstanding the positive elements detailed above, numerous challenges and difficulties face the province, including

- The provincial Sport and Recreation Department is severely under-funded. As a result, problems such as inadequate facilities, access to water, the maintenance of existing facilities and widespread vandalism cannot properly be addressed

- There are no sport academies

- The Department of Education does not budget for school sport and as a result, most schools lack the necessary facilities and equipment. In specific areas in the province, some of the problems include the following

- The Mahwelereng Stadium in Waterberg has not been utilized since its renovations because no policy is in place. In addition, the stadium does not have the funds to pay for the water required, and there is a dumpsite adjacent to the stadium

- The Waterberg area has a basketball league but they do not have adequate equipment or access to toilets

- There are no sports centers, stadiums, sports facilities or school sporting facilities in the Mutale Municipality

- No sports programmes were organized by the Mutale Municipality, nor are there any sports officials in the area

- Neither the MEC nor the provincial sport representative has ever visited the Mutale area

- Only four of the 68 schools in the Phalaborwa Municipality have sports facilities

- While the municipality has Sport Council and a Sport Forum, it does not have sporting equipment or sports kits

- The renovated Sekhukune Stadium was not provided with grandstands

Overview: The Committee noticed that most of the challenges from the provinces visited were similar and noted important issues with recommendations.

10. KEY FINDINGS: The Committee noted that:

1. The Lottery application forms are difficult for communities to complete in applying for funding. And further noting that local structures do not usually have the necessary documents such as the Constitution and audited financial statements that would enable them to qualify for funding

2. Mutale from Limpopo province is lacking behind in relation to sport development and facilities. Also noting that Limpopo is one of Presidential nodal points with high rate of social problems such as teenage pregnancy, alcohol and substance abuse

3. Most of the adequate facilities are allocated away from communities who utilise them and those communities are poor and they cannot even afford transport fares

4. Plans for Building for Sport facilities do not take into account that among sport spectators as well as players are disabled people who need to access sport facilities as equal citizens of the country. The Committee also noted that presently disabled people are seated in the ground and isolated from other people and exposed to any dangers should violence erupt in a sport facility

5. Facilities were female dominated and disabled sports are not prioritized such as netball and sport played by physically challenged people on wheelchairs

6. Most facilities have been sold to private owners and some are on 99-year lease making it difficult for members of the public and other sport codes to access those facilities

7. Vandalism to facilities and lack of ownership and protection from the community and under utilization of the facility

8. Within the same area there are facilities built by different federations but they don’t talk to each other and don’t plan together whereby they look like they are competing with each other whereby funds would have built a high-class facility for multipurpose usage

9. The outcry by impoverished parents that are expected to pay additional fees for their talented sport children and further noting the exclusion of high performing athletes from poor background in national and international competitions

11. RECOMMENDATIONS: The Committee recommended that:

The establishment of a capacity building programme such as Ntsika or Business Support Center who role would be to: - assist communities to have the necessary documents such constitution and audited financial statements; -assist them to complete application forms and draw business plans

1. Provide training which will the capacity of the local communities thereby enabling them to access the Lottery Fund

2. Building for Sport, Mr. Pango should visit Mutale to investigate the problems encountered since the President as poverty nodal point also declared this, special attention should be given

3. Before sport prioritises Mutale area in Limpopo for allocation of funds a special attention from Mr. Pango is needed, which will result in this area having their capacity building on funding that, would address the problems encountered

4. Facilities must be built in line with programmes hence other facilities are vandalized e.g. swimming pools whereby they are not utilised since there are no funds for maintenance and sustainability plan in place

5. Facilities should be built with the involvement of the communities, more accessible and easy to reach

(a) Community consultation before building a facility

(b) Establishment of local sport council

(c) Signing of maintenance and sustainability plan between the municipal and local sport council so that there is clear understanding of roles played by municipality and local sport council

6. Sport codes still operating along the racial divide are against the Constitution of the country. Provinces should engage with sport codes with the aim of transforming and ensuring that competitions do not promote racial divides and to ensure integration in school sport

7. All building plans and drawings should meet the requirements and needs of physically challenged people

8. An implementation of quota system policy by Building for Sport Programme, municipalities that will force a certain percentage to be used for building facilities for women dominated and disabled from allocated funds

9. All adjudicating panels for developers should have a representative from DISSA so as to ensure that developers understand the needs of people with disabilities and adhere to the policies of inclusivity.

10. The issue of leases should be revisited so as to ensure that facilities are made accessible for multipurpose usage. The department should investigate the impact of lease agreements that were signed prior 1994, e.g. Newlands Stadium signed between Cape Town Municipality and rugby and also Harry Gwala Stadium leased to SAFA by Msunduzi Muncipality.

11. A coordinated approach between federations and Local Government for purposes of pulling resources together and have communities that would have the best multipurpose facility

12. SRSA to investigate the socio-economic impact to the country of providing each child/ school with sport or recreational or subsidise each talented child in order to get the nation to play in participating in national and international games

13. PC to engage USSASA about structures on the ground and continuation of programme for indigenous games

14. Follow-up by department relating to assessment of usability of built facilities.

9 CONCLUSION: In terms of representation of delegation during the study tours it was not met. Parties who participated were ANC, IFP; UCDP and NNP yet study tours provide a member with the real conditions on the ground so that during debate or having input on policies and Budget they speak on informed positions. It is unfortunate that those who have a lot to say during Budget and transformation that used to take place are usually the ones who don’t attend study tours.’’.

Report to be considered.