Chairperson ...
... yasuka yahlala, ninganyebelezeli kuza kudlalwa. [... the battle has begun, do not sneak away, we are going to deliver.] [Interjections.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon MECs ...
... andimboni owasekhaya ... [... I do not see my homeboy ...]
... hon members, the sports fraternity and distinguished guests, I wish to take this opportunity to convey our sincere condolences to the Ntwanambi family, who lost their daughter, who was also a Member of Parliament and a leader in the women's struggle in this country within the ranks of the ANC Women's League. She was also a national executive member of the ANC and the deputy president of the Women's League. May her soul rest in peace.
Equally important, I wish to pause at this moment and congratulate Brazil on successfully hosting the 2014 Fifa Soccer World Cup. We know that Brazil and South Africa are members of the Brics group, and that we share some similarities with regard to our socioeconomic landscapes, but most importantly our passion for sport. We know for a fact that Brazilians are exceptionally passionate about football, but are equally focused on eradicating inequality in their country. They feel the same way we do. The 2014 Fifa Soccer World Cup was organised in such a way that it will be remembered for years, leaving a positive legacy for society as a whole, just as it did in South Africa. We are still reliving the memories of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, Minister.
As a global citizen, allow me also to congratulate the German national team on winning the 2014 Fifa Soccer World Cup. At one point in the life of the German national team they were embarrassed by their early exit from Euro 2000, but now they can boast being both Champions League finalists and the 2014 Fifa World Cup champions, thanks to a system that values coaches and nurtures indigenous talent. Indeed, a few lessons can be learnt from the patience of ensuring that development structures are established and programmes are in line with building a strong foundation from which talent can be identified, rather than just throwing money at every problem.
Forced into the overhaul of youth football, the Deutscher Fuball-Bund, the DFB, the Bundesliga and the clubs decided that the development of more technically proficient, home-grown players would be in everyone's best interests. This led to the creation of academies right across the top two divisions. This approach of building structures to support a whole system can be transplanted and implemented, as captured in the National Sport and Recreation Plan. The pillars of an efficient sports system are its composite structure and the co-ordination thereof.
This year we are celebrating 20 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa. It is indeed a remarkable achievement that we have managed to come this far, where we can indeed make observations about the progress our country has made in many different spheres of government and also highlight the challenges that still confront us 20 years later.
Linked to this is that many years ago, before this democratic Parliament, I dedicated my entire life to waging the struggle against the gruesome system of apartheid. We used netball to recruit young comrades and as a cover to conscientise those cadres about the evil laws in the workplace. I used to play in position no 7, which was called "goalkeeper" or "defender" at the time. [Applause.] It was never easy as we were subjected to all forms of injustice. Those were trying times that characterised the days of our lives back then, when we utilised netball to advance our struggle against oppression. At that time there was absolutely no good story to tell, compared to today.
In silence and obviously suffering grinding pain, the voice of Pixley ka Isaka Seme kept me going, especially his conviction that one day Africa would rise. Indeed, Africa proved to be a sleeping giant, one that has reawakened, and this has been through the focused resilience of the displaced and the oppressed, especially in our country.
As we celebrate 20 years of democracy, which on its own is a good story to tell, I must reiterate what Minister Mbalula mentioned about transformation. It appears that transformation has been as slippery as an eel and very difficult for the sports sector to get to grips with over the past two decades. Different people at different times have had a different understanding of the term "transformation", with no common understanding or definition. It is no wonder that 20 years into our democracy the sports sector is still not transformed. The sector has not even met its own targets. This is really sad, because in the end it is our athletes that have not been afforded the opportunity to develop and perform to their highest potential. Of course, there are those who prefer this misunderstanding as it serves their purpose in delaying transformation. They have apartheid hangovers.
Yibhabhalaza ke leyo. [That is a hangover.]
History does not lie.
Imbali ayixoki. Into eyenzekayo iya kuhlala kusithiwa yenzeka. [History does not lie. What happened will always be what actually took place.]
Ours is to learn progressively and correctly to avoid repeating history's heartless blunders. In 1958 in this country a certain Mr Dnges, who was the Minister of Sport in South Africa, adopted a sports plan that gave priority to rugby and cricket to the extent that a white child was supported and funded eight times more than a black child.
Today, there are still some amongst us who find solace and pleasure in perpetuating Mr Dnges's irrational ideology of putting a black child at a disadvantage. There is no better example to illustrate this point than what happened to Thami Tsolekile recently. The late Maya Angelou, in her poetic, flowing works, encouraged us to rise in times like these. She said:
You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise.
By making radical changes, we must rise on behalf of the Tsolekiles of this world and have more good stories to tell as we are an ocean that leaves behind the nights of terror and fear. Politically, we are the dream and the hope of the slave.
From the progressive forces of our people we have received a clear and consistent mandate to change Mr Dnges's plan of 1958. This has been asserted in the past two ANC conferences that swiftly endorsed the case for transformation of sport in our country. Such a process led to the birth of the National Sport and Recreation Plan, which was adopted by the Cabinet two years ago.