Voorsitter, eerstens wil ek baie geluk s aan die Leeus- rugbyspan wat ten spyte van sterk teenkanting en onmoontlike eise die Vodacom-beker gewen het. Ek is seker mnr Cheeky Watson het 'n naar gevoel op sy maag gekry toe hy sien wat hulle reggekry het.
Minister, Suid-Afrika is 'n sportnasie en ons is trots op ons sportmanne en sportvroue wat wreldwyd presteer. Sport word baie deur die regerende party gebruik om te poog om mense saam te bind. Hierdie gebruik van sport kan egter negatiewe gevolge h, aangesien dit die enigste metode blyk te wees om sosiale kohesie te bewerkstellig.
Die gevaar daarvan is dat Suid-Afrika van sportgeleentheid tot sportgeleentheid strompel om eenheid te bewerkstellig, terwyl ander belangriker aspekte van sosiale kohesie, soos sosio-ekonomiese regte en veiligheid, nie na behore tot vervulling kom nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Adv A D ALBERTS: Chairperson, I would firstly like to congratulate the Lions rugby team who won the Vodacom Cup despite the strong resistance and impossible demands. I am sure Mr Cheeky Watson was sick to his stomach when he saw what they had accomplished.
Minister, South Africa is a sporting nation, and we are proud of our sportsmen and sportswomen who are succeeding worldwide. Sport is often used by the ruling party in an attempt to bring people together. To use sport for this reason can, however, have negative consequences since it appears to be the only way to foster social cohesion.
The danger of that is the fact that South Africa is stumbling from sporting event to sporting event to accomplish unity, while other more important aspects of social cohesion, such as socioeconomic rights and safety, are not properly realised.]
Minister, while I admit it is not fair that we, as a country, lay the problems at your door, sport must be evaluated holistically for the political role it plays as it is being used as a political tool in various ways.
While sport is used to foster social cohesion, it also creates divisions due to racial policies. This is one of the reasons why sport needs to be depoliticised. It should become more community-based and developmental; and the Minister should be commended for really trying to walk that path.
One of the challenges we are still facing is the correct use of taxpayers' money. There is a perception out there that administrators are raking in money and are freely spending funds, which should have gone to athletes for their development and participation in local and international events.
Mismanagement in organisations like Athletics SA, Asa, has given all sports bodies a bad name. Corrective measures have been taken, but the Minister must act more constructively to ensure appropriate funding for sports development and participation. Our athletes are tired of begging for financial assistance and good corporate governance. Why does the department, for instance, find it fitting to arrange a sports gala event, costing the taxpayer millions of rands, when our star athletes do not have funding to participate in international events and not enough sport development is taking place? Surely, there is something to be said for rational priorities.
'n Verdere probleem in rugby het onlangs sy kop uitgesteek. 'n Slim administrateur het die hele rugbygemeenskap in Suid-Afrika uitoorl, onder die voorwendsel dat hy sal toesien dat die Southern Kings geleenthede aan agtergeblewe gemeenskappe sal gee indien hulle toegelaat word tot die Superrugby-toernooi.
Soos die span tans daar uitsien, moet mens hard soek na daardie kandidate wat hy kwansuis sou help. Die vraag is of mnr Cheeky Watson, soos die Guptas, kan kry en maak wat hy wil weens sy knusse verhouding met die ANC. Gaan hy skatryk word bloot omdat hy 'n kader is wat gekonnekteer is?
Laastens, Minister, soos ons voorheen geadviseer het, wil ons jou aanmoedig om nie terug te deins indien sportliggame steeds bly klem l op kwotas instede van ontwikkeling nie. Sport en prestasie is aan mekaar gekoppel en dra by tot die positiewe stigting van ons sportmanne en -vroue.
Indien ons verby die punt van 'n blote rassesensus in sport beweeg en op ontwikkeling fokus, sal ons vinniger nuwe sportsterre kweek wat ons met trots in die internasionale arena kan verteenwoordig. [Tussenwerpsels.] [Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[A further problem in rugby has recently reared its head. A clever administrator outsmarted the entire rugby community in South Africa under the pretext that he would ensure that the Southern Kings provided opportunities to disadvantaged communities should they be allowed to participate in the Super Rugby tournament.
As the team currently looks, one would have to go to great lengths to search for those candidates that he professedly intended to help. The question is whether Mr Cheeky Watson, like the Guptas, can get what he wants and do as he pleases because of his cosy relationship with the ANC. Will he become very wealthy just because he is a cadre who is connected?
Lastly, Minister, as we have previously advised, we would like to encourage you to not flinch when sporting bodies insist on emphasising quotas rather than development. Sport and performance are linked together and contribute to the positive establishment of our sportsmen and sportswomen.
If we move past the point of a mere race census in sport and focus on development, we would nurture sports stars who would represent us with pride in the international arena much quicker. [Interjections.] [Time expired.]]