Report of the
Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation on Budget Vote 17: Department of Sport
and Recreation, dated 30 June 2009
The Portfolio
Committee on Sport and Recreation, having considered Budget Vote 17: Department
of Sport and Recreation, report that it has concluded its deliberations
thereon.
The Committee
further report as follows:
1.
The Portfolio Committee met
with the Department of Sport and Recreation and certain statutory bodies and
sports entities on 17 June 2009. The statutory bodies and other entities that
formed part of the budget briefings included:
o
South African
Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS)
o
Boxing
o
o
Sports Trust
2.
The budget Vote
briefings also served to acquaint the Committee with the strategic objectives
and projects of the Department and its entities.
3.
Although the
Committee deliberated on the Budget Vote 17, the Parliamentary Programme
allowed little time to have meaningful interaction with the Department of Sport
and Recreation and its entities.
4.
The Committee raised the following concerns on the submissions of
the SASSA, BSA, SAIDS and Sports Trust:
·
The Committee took a decision based on the
non-availability of the Chief Financial Officer of the Boxing South Africa,
that it was a fruitless exercise to engage the Annual Report of the BSA since
the board was unable to respond to some of the key issues and matters raised by
the Committee Members and the Auditor General in his Report on the financial
state of affairs at BSA.
·
The Committee would consider its own report
emanating from the meeting with the BSA board and make a determination as to
whether BSA is a viable entity receiving monies and funding largely from the
Department of Sport and Recreation. The Committee expressed serious doubt about
the current leadership of the board and the entire management of the boxing
federation.
·
The Committee was concerned about the inadequate
oversight by the Department of Sport and Recreation over Boxing South Africa in
order to prevent mismanagement and poor financial controls.
·
The Committee was dissatisfied with the fact that
farm schools were being excluded from funding allocations done by the
Department.
·
The Committee was concerned with the interference
of SASCOC in school sports administration. The Committee was emphatic that SASCOC’s mandate was for it to deal with team preparations
for Olympic Games as they are not supposed to run school sports.
Committee’s
responses and recommendations
·
The Committee resolved that the singing of the
national anthem during the football matches at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009
was mandatory and non-negotiable as it is the pride of the country. The
Committee agreed that it cannot accept that the national anthem should be
shortened under any circumstance.
·
The Committee recommends that the House requests
the Department of Sport and Recreation to keep a database or register of all
existing sports facilities in order to ensure monitoring and evaluation.
·
The Committee recommends that the Municipal
Infrastructure Grant should be returned back to the Department of Sport and
Recreation in order to ensure allocations are directed at building sports
facilities.
·
The Committee resolved that a motion to dissolve
the existing board of Boxing South Africa be recommended to the Minister.
·
The Committee recommends that the House requests
the Minister of Sport and Recreation to submit a legislative amendment to the
Boxing Act.
·
Public education and parental consent were
necessary prerequisites for drug testing in schools. The Director Generals of
Departments of Sport and Recreation and Education should hold discussions to
ensure that SAIDS gained access to school children involved in doping during
school sports activities.
·
The Committee will have follow up meetings with
Sports Trust, where the entity would be required to submit a detailed report on
the total number of beneficiaries per province who have received funding.
·
The Committee recommends that the House requests
the Minister of Sport and Recreation to consider the provision of additional
funding to assist SAIDS to execute its international obligations in terms of
World Anti-Doping Agency.
·
The Committee recommends that SAIDS must submit
an additional funding application to National Treasury for its consideration
since the anti-doping agency had received an unqualified report from the Auditor-General
during the 2007/2008 financial year.
·
The
other 10% funding should be secured through soliciting of funds from
sponsors and donors of codes such as rugby and other sports federations that
are beneficiaries of the anti-doping process and activities of the SAIDS.
·
The Committee resolved that a dedicated and
deliberate programme for development and funding for farm school be designed
and implemented by the Department in collaboration with the Departments of
Education and Rural Development.
The Portfolio Committee on Sports and Recreation,
having considered Budget Vote 17 of the Department of Sports and Recreation
recommends that budget Vote 17 be passed.
Report to be considered