Departments of Arts & Culture, Sport and Recreation (with Deputy Minister): 2014 Annual Performance Plan & Budgets

NCOP Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture

16 July 2014
Chairperson: Ms L Zwane (ANC; KwaZulu-Natal)
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Meeting Summary

The Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) presented its 2014/15 Annual Performance Plan and budget to the Committee. It was stressed that this was also aligned to the National Development Plan (NDP), and that the DAC in particular contributed to transformation of society, nation-building, job creation and economic development, quality education and rural development. In this year, it was particularly focused on the artists in schools programme, job creation and rural infrastructure, including libraries and legacy projects. Some targets and performance outcomes were listed. The Department was also focusing on human capital development, including offering bursaries for black professionals in heritage, and protection offered, in language translation, by the South African Language Practitioners Council. The Department promoted linguistic diversity, and the development, protection, preservation and promotion of arts, culture and heritage. The four programmes were briefly described, with some of the targets. The Department aimed in all respects to give equal opportunities, and promote inclusivity and offer redress to previously marginalised people, as well as try to ensure that artist were able to boost their earnings and their worth. The Arts Festivals were particularly important to the economy and promotion of artists. It was noted that around 80% of the budget allocated to the DAC was transferred to other entities, and some funding was ring-fenced.

In view of the shortage of time, only some questions addressed by Members, for this and the later presentation were answered in the meeting, with the remainder of the responses and details to be sent in writing. Members urged the Department to prioritise transformation and unity in society, asked about libraries, maintenance grants for libraries, and the need to address the situation of libraries in selected provinces. They were agreed on the need to inculcate patriotism through flying the flag, particularly at schools and singing the national anthem, asked for more details on implementation of the new Languages legislation, asked if the jobs created were permanent or temporary, full or part-time and sustainable. They were pleased to hear about “culture weeks” in schools, but requested that the Committee be invited to attend them, urged that the DAC embrace and promote diversity along with cohesion, and requested details of some budget items. They asked when a permanent Chief Financial Officer would be appointed, what the criteria were for placing artists in schools, where they were placed and if they were paid. They asked if the Department’s bursaries were linked to other financial aid schemes, whether international agreements were being complied with, whether military and cultural sites were separated, and what the Department did to monitor and follow up on appropriations of funding.  

The Department of Sports and Recreation (SRSA) then briefed the Committee also on its Annual Plans, in the presence of the Deputy Minister. It was noted that more time was needed and would be found for a more substantial engagement with this Department. The SRSA said that it was placing more emphasis on the “Active Nation” programme and had lowered the budget allocation to the “Winning Nation”, which had focused on developing international athletes, in view of budget limitations and the imperative to promote an active and healthy nation. Sport and recreation were recognised as equally important, and recreational facilities were being built, with more support, whilst mountain hiking, cycling, walking and community gyms were recognised as healthy recreational activities, and a twenty-year plan was being followed, although it did not have full funding yet. Infrastructure Support programmes, to which 15% of funding went, aimed to address the need for sports facilities, which would keep children active and engaged, and act as a catalyst for community involvement. The SRSA set out, but did not elaborate on, its priorities for the first 100 days of the year. Conditional grants had increased overall, and the provincial allocations called for mass participation, whilst the SRSA was negotiating with National Treasury to change the funding formula to ensure that all provinces received an equal first amount of funding. 40% of budget should go to school sport. The Deputy Minister said, however, that funding remained a major challenge. Although conditional grants were ring-fenced, there were cases of mis-spending and misappropriation. More emphasis was needed on school sport, as this was the level to identify talent that would correct the still-skewed demographics of top sportspeople in the country. At schools level, however, the particular problems included lack of full agreement from the Department of Basic Education, a shortage of PE teachers, teachers not committed to school sport as part of the curriculum, lack of funding for many “non-fee” schools to participate in tournaments. For athletes also, there was substantial shortfall between what South Africa was able to offer, and what was being offered in other countries. Support was requested from Parliament in ensuring that the National Sport and Recreation Transformation Charter was implemented, in encouraging provincial buy-in, and in supporting funding  requests. The proposed ban on alcohol advertising was likely to seriously impact on sports revenue-raising. 

Members said that mass participation was very important, and asked if the figures were consistent with realities. They commented on lack of progress in school sport uptake, and the need to closely monitor spending on sport in other government spheres. They noted that some provinces were not giving enough support to sport, and said this was because they were totally dependent on grants. They stressed the need for better alignment with the Department of Basic Education also. Members asked why Caster Semenya was currently not participating, and commented that the budget for training athletes was insufficient. They asked about the SRSA’s contribution to less popular or smaller codes, how the NDP would develop sport, how the SRSA contributed to job creation, and what types of jobs it focused on, and asked for more detail on its transformation efforts. The Deputy Minister urged the Committee to ask provinces for quarterly reports, and to monitor that these were in line with national sports plans.

The Committee adopted minutes of 9 July 2014.
 

Meeting report

Department of Arts and Culture 2014/15 APP and Budget Estimates briefing
The Chairperson noted that letters of apology were submitted by the Minister and Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture. . The Chairperson requested that the focus of the presentation be on the 2014 Annual Performance Plan (APP) rather than the Strategic Plan.

Mr Sibusiso Xaba, Director-General, Department of Arts and Culture, congratulated the Members on their appointment and said that the Ministry and Department of Arts and Culture (DAC or the Department) were optimistic about the relationship between both bodies in achieving its goals.

Mr Xaba indicated that the Department had aligned its Annual Performance Plan with the National Development Plan (NDP) as prescribed by the President. The outcomes listed were expanded from 12 to 14. Mr Xaba noted that the Department in particular contributed towards Government Outcome 14 - “transforming society and uniting the country”. The aims of the Department that were in alignment with the NDP related to social cohesion and nation-building, job creation and economic development and quality education and rural development.

Mr Xaba indicated that the Department’s mandate was also aligned with the rights enshrined in the Constitution, and set out its legislative background. In particular, it would contribute to the Medium Strategic Framework priorities through:
- The artists in schools programme (Outcome 1)
- Job creation and economic development (Outcome 4)
- Rural infrastructure, including libraries and legacy projects (Outcome 7)

In so far as performance was concerned, he indicated the core objectives and outlined the performance (see attached presentation) for full details, in relation to:
- Job creation
- Human capital development, with an emphasis on providing bursaries for black professionals in the heritage area
- Language matters. In this regard, he noted that the South African Language Practitioners’ Council Act protected the public by ensuring that accredited translators with professional indemnity would attend to matters.

He briefly outlined the Department’s situational analysis and organisational environment (see presentation).

Mr Xaba then noted that the following were important strategic objectives on which the DAC would be focusing:
- Job creation
- Human capital development
- Access to information
- Linguistic diversity as enshrined in the Constitution
- Development, protection, preservation and promotion of arts, culture and heritage
- Governance and accountability implemented through a range of institutions

The DAC aimed to link all goals and objectives, and the targets were set according to budget, in each of the Department’s four programmes, which related to Administration; Institutional governance; Arts and culture promotion and development; Heritage preservation and promotion. The DAC had set 23 programme performance indicators and 94 annual targets. He described some of the targets for 2014/15, and also pointed out how they were aligned with the strategic goals and government outcomes.

Mr Xaba then described the Department’s proposed mechanism to achieve the aims of fostering Constitutional values, and equal opportunities, inclusion and redress. He reminded Members that the history of South Africa had resulted in distortions affecting certain groups and this would have to be addressed. The indicators given (see presentation) promoted this.

At present, South African artists did not gain substantial financial benefit from their skills and artists should be able to make sales directly. He pointed out that Arts Festivals contributed greatly to the economy, and so there was a need to establish a mechanism to measure these contributions.

The Chairperson requested that Mr Xaba briefly summarise the rest of his presentation, as time was short.

Budget
Mr Xaba set out a summary of the budget, per programme and economic classification. He explained that budget was spent through various institutions, and that transfers to other institutions accounted for around 80% of the budget. Some of the reductions that were apparent from previous years had needed to be absorbed. Certain funding was ring-fenced. Allocations were made to public institutions of playhouses, arts institutions and heritage institutions.

Finally, Mr Xaba briefly showed a slide tabling the key highlights for 2014/15 and the plan of action.

Discussion
The Chairperson requested that detailed responses be submitted to the Committee in writing.

Ms C Dlamini (ANC; Mpumalanga) noted that she was impressed with the presentation. She was particularly pleased to see that transforming and uniting society was critical to the country, and indicated that she was pleased to see that it had been included as part of the new outcomes. Ms Dlamini emphasised the need for the Department to implement that goal, and urged the Department to “take it seriously”.

Ms Dlamini noted that municipalities often did not receive grants for the maintenance of libraries.

Mr Xaba indicated that the library grant funding was given to provinces and that libraries were a concurrent function of both the provinces and national department. Libraries had historically been sustained by municipalities, and that provinces have tended to allocate budget to municipalities. This system had worked well in Johannesburg, but there was a risk of misappropriation of funds. ,

Mr Xaba noted that the National Library of South Africa required R30 million to install broadband. He indicated that the project was being piloted by provinces with the aim of creating information hubs. The Department hoped that all libraries would have internet by the end of this term.

Ms Dlamini emphasised the importance of the national flag to inculcate a culture of patriotism, saying that this was done abroad.

Ms Dlamini enquired as to whether an entity still fell under the Department. She then thanked the Department for finalising the matter regarding the name of Nelspruit.

Mr M Khawula (IFP; KwaZulu-Natal) enquired as to the time frame for implementation of the Use of Official Languages Act and what the penalties for non-compliance were.

Mr Khawula indicated that the programme for the provincialisation of libraries was piloted, but pointed out that it had become largely stagnant and there had been no progress.

Ms P Mququ (ANC; Eastern Cape) started to ask a question, but the Chairperson indicated that the question was related to the next presentation.

Mr H Groenewald (DA, North West) made some remarks in Afrikaans. He noted that he had visited the Moses Kotane library and indicated that the infrastructure was not supported by sufficient equipment and facilities. He furthermore emphasised the need for library staff to be trained and skilled, saying that there was only one qualified staff member at that library.

Mr Khawula enquired whether the job creation figure of 50 000 reflected permanent or temporary jobs.

Mr Groenewald also wanted to know whether jobs being offered were sustainable, and if they were full or part-time. He emphasised the need for sustainable jobs.

Mr Xaba noted that the sector created jobs in three ways. Firstly, there was a need for infrastructure, and here short-term employment was offered for the construction projects. Many jobs in this sector were linked to specific events, and those provided short-term employment. Mr Xaba indicated that the Department was aiming to get a better understanding of jobs induced by events and noted that affiliated institutions had aligned their expectations with events such as the Grahamstown Festival, which did not have an economic classification. Despite that, however, the Department believed that annual investments did create certainty and predictability and said that the annual events encouraged investment.

Mr Groenewald wanted to know more about how the Department linked its work with the National Development Plan.

Mr Groenewald indicated that he was pleased with ‘culture weeks’ in schools, but said that the Committee should be able to make oversight visits and requested that the Department should also invite the Committee to such functions.

Mr Groenewald agreed that it necessary to fly the flag at all schools, and requested that this be implemented.

Mr Groenewald said that the Department played a very important role and emphasised the need for culture “fights” to be mitigated, for the benefit of future generations. The Department should embrace diversity.

Mr Groenewald requested clarify with regard to the large sums of money allocated to the “goods and services” of each of the Department’s programmes.

Ms T Mpambo-Sibhukwana (DA; Western Cape) addressed some remarks to the Committee in Xhosa. She asked for how long the Chief Financial Officer had been in an acting post, and the reason, if this had been for longer than a year.

Mr Xaba noted that the Department had not had a permanent Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for more than five years since the previous CFO had resigned. Offers were made to candidates, but they had also received better counter-offers and had not joined the DAC. The DAC had upgraded the position, and although it had not yet managed to fill it permanently, it was hopeful that it would fill the vacancy.

Ms Mpambo-Sibhukwana enquired as to the criteria used to place artists in schools and whether the schools where they had been placed were former Model C, or traditionally “black” schools.

Ms Mpambo-Sibhukwana asked if the Department’s bursaries were linked with National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and Funza Lushaka schemes.

Ms T Mampuru (ANC; Limpopo) noted that many libraries, citing ones in Limpopo as an example, were little more than fruitless expenditure, and emphasised the need of the Department to work with the Education departments.

Ms Mampuru indicated that the targeted programmes of the Department needed to educate learners about the origins of various sites and landmarks in their provinces. There were, for instance, many historical areas in Limpopo, but the learners were not being informed of their importance, nor were even being made aware of the landmarks, during educational outings.

The Chairperson asked for clarity on the role of the Department in popularising the National Anthem.

The Chairperson also referred to the programme of placing artists in schools, and enquired whether the DAC had an agreement with the Department of Basic Education on their remuneration and qualifications.

The Chairperson noted that the Department’s targets and job creation figures were not consistent and suggested that the Department should review them.

The Chairperson enquired as to the international agreements and the separation of heritage sites, and whether South Africa was compliant.

The Chairperson enquired as to the mechanisms to ensure follow-ups on the appropriation of funds and interventions to prevent misappropriation. She commended the Department on its successes and reaffirmed the support of the Committee.

Mr Gerald Vusithemba Ndima, Deputy Director-General: Heritage Promotion and Preservation, DAC, indicated that the World of SA Geographical Names was in the process of constituting a new council for capacity building in provinces, within the framework of the law.

The Chairperson enquired as to whether the Geographical Names Council was budgeted for.

Mr Ndima replied that it was.

Mr Ndima indicated that the Department has taken an integrated approach with regard to the national anthem He noted that the national anthem was also sung at flag raising at schools.

The Chairperson enquired as to the separation of sites, such as heritage and army bases, as seen in the Western Cape, and said that the separation followed international protocol.

Mr Ndima replied that he was aware that it was international protocol, but said that in fact there had been no separation in the Western Cape.

Ms Monica Newton, Director-General: Arts and Culture Development and Promotion, DAC, noted that she was gratified by the Committee’s interest in the artists programme. She said that the DAC had targeted a range of schools and that the Department would work in partnership with the Department of Basic Education and other aligned bodies. Ms Newton noted that the artists were not trained, but worked with the teachers to disseminate curriculum. The DAC paid the artists a stipend of between R2 000 and R5 000, depending on their qualification, and that they received assistance in purchase of materials, especially in the Visual Arts. She was very excited about the project. The aim of the Department was to provide consistent short-term employment.

The Chairperson reminded the Department to submit written replies to other questions.

Department of Sports and Recreation 2014-19 Strategic Plan and budget briefing
The Chairperson noted the Committee’s appreciation that the Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation was able to attend the meeting with the Committee, and noted also that the Minister of Sport and Recreation had submitted a written apology.  

The Deputy Minister noted that the Minister was engaged in other business.

The Chairperson said that the Committee would like the Department of Sport and Recreation (SRSA) to focus on its Annual Performance Plan, pointing out how this aligned to the budget, since this was a particular area of interest for the Committee, and there were time limitations. She said that the content of the presentation today seemed to indicate that a period of about four hours would be appropriate for full engagement and the Committee may arrange another session. Today, however, she requested that the presentation be kept short, and that fuller responses to questions be submitted in writing.

The Deputy Minister said that although he had prepared an overview, he would submit this in writing and suggested that Mr Alec Moemi, Director-General, should proceed straight to outlining the programmes and the budget.

Mr Moemi said that the APP noted some specific areas of focus for the Department. Under the Administration Programme, he noted that the SRSA had two main programmes. The first – Active Nation – had a large priority allocation, and he explained that provinces would receive 50% of their conditional grants for schools sport. School sport was critical to the overall sports system and needed continuous improvement, particularly in order to identify talent for later development. The second programme – Winning Nation – focused  on developing international athletes

Funding and policy initiatives were run from the Sport Support Programme. The SRSA had acknowledged the importance not only of sport, but also recreation, and it was pointed out that the mostly-black townships had not previously had much by way of recreational facilities. Now, however, funding bodies were recognising other forms of recreation, such as the Mountain Club South Africa. Under this programme, the SRSA had also introduced a portfolio of programmes, such as “Cycle for Life”. Pilot programmes were running in Cape Town, where there were attempts to change some by-laws, such as opening up the Sea Point Promenade for cycling and running to create an enabling environment. In addition, more cycle lanes were being rolled out in the City of Cape Town. It was important to remember that cycling in the rural areas was very important as a method of transport.

Other highlight under this programme included the expected participation of 10 000 walkers in the Big Walk. There were programmes of community outdoor gyms in small communities and rural areas. The SRSA had a new Sports and Recreation Plan, covering the next 20 years. Although the whole programme was as yet unfunded, it had started to be implemented in 2012 and the intention was that it be implemented in stages as budget was limited

The Infrastructure Support Programme recognised that sports facilities were a challenge. The SRSA aimed to promote access, participation and transformation, and Mr Moemi stressed that “A child on a court is a child out of Court”. He also said that facilities were a catalyst for community involvement, and more facilities were being rolled out across seven cluster areas. The Department hoped that this programme would grow substantially. 15% of grant allocations were put directly to infrastructure in the hope that this would significantly reduce the facilities backlog

Mr Moemi referred Members to the priority areas and “Key Priorities for 100 days” in his presentation, but did not elaborate on them, asking that Members study them later (see attached presentation for details).

Budget allocations
Mr Moemi indicated that the conditional grants had increased. He described the allocations of the budget in relation to the Department’s five programmes (see attached presentation for all detailed figures). He noted that the ‘Winning Nation’ budget had decreased substantially from 2012, indicating the shift in the Department’s focus towards other programmes.

Mr Moemi noted that the provincial allocations were emphasising the need for mass participation and indicated that the Department has been asking National Treasury for greater funding allocations across provinces. He explained that the Equitable Share formula utilised by National Treasury operated on the basis that the contribution of each province was used to determine the value of the allocation it received. This led to some anomalies, as poorer provinces did not receive sufficient funding to upgrade facilities and implement programmes. The SRSA had proposed changes: namely, that each province should have R20 million and then that any additional funding could be based on another formula.

Mr Moemi indicated that the comments on programmes were noted in the discussion, and that 40% of budget was spent on school sport, and that this funding was ring-fenced.

Mr Gert Oosthuizen, Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation, added that funding was a challenge and this would have to be addressed on an incremental basis. He then described some of the other challenges facing the Department. Despite the fact that the conditional grant allocations were ring-fenced, there were still cases of misappropriation. It was fully appreciated that school sport funding was limited, but this funding was necessary, as it would help to identify talent in schools, and achieve greater demographic representivity in sport overall. This would not be achieved if the SRSA continued to experience such funding limitations. There was still a lack of commitment from teachers at schools, and lack of appreciation that school sport was part of the curriculum. The shortage of trained Physical Education teachers posed a challenge and the Department would like to see this offered as a standalone subject. The lack of structures needed to be addressed in a coordinated manner with the Department of Basic Education. The SRSA wanted to propose that the Minister of Sport and Recreation should be the custodian of school sport, in collaboration with the Minister of Basic Education, and that this should form the Department’s key focus.

Another challenge related to athletes’ funding. South Africa expected the nation to produce champions, yet its funding was insufficient. He cited a comparison that Australia spent R1.8 million on the training of one athlete alone, whereas South Africa was spending only R300 000 on far more athletes, and over a shorter preparation period.

The Deputy Minister made the point that transformation was a most important part of the process, but this must be coupled with each programme. The National Sport and Recreation Transformation Charter needed to be implemented. In this regard, he requested support from the Parliamentary committees. Furthermore, he noted that to date, only three out of the nine provinces were contributing funds over and above that being allocated by the SRSA for sport, and the Department would not be able to achieve its aims without supportive and financial buy-in from provinces.

Mr Oosthuizen said that advertising revenue was required, to help achieve the goals of having an active, healthy, winning nation. The Minster of Health did not want alcohol to be advertised, but this would result in the SRSA losing billions in advertising revenue funding. The SRSA was therefore calling for a 2,5% levy on tickets to big events, to create a revenue stream for grassroots development and support of sports, in order to counteract the lost revenue from the alcohol advertising ban.

Mr Oosthuizen then summarised other constraints experienced by the SRSA. As had been mentioned, the budget and resources should more closely match the needs. The SRSA itself and bodies in sport faced capacity constraints. There was a limited revenue stream in sport and diminishing sponsorships. The perception that the Department was a “ticket office” must be overcome. The Department needed to emphasise more positive aspects of sport and outcomes. Parliamentary support was vital. Finally, the main challenges around skilled participation and access must be addressed. Notwithstanding these, the Department remained fully committed to discovering talent and developing an active and winning nation.

Discussion
The Chairperson reiterated that the Committee required another engagement with the SRSA.

Mr Khawula referred to mass participation programmes and said that there was a need to put the allocations in context for the future years. He pointed out that participation in sport was decreasing.

Mr Khawula noted that registration for school sports was still ongoing, but that there had been no real implementation. The pilot project for school sports assistance had experienced no follow-through and vacancies were not filled.

Mr Khawula noted the need for spending to be monitored, particularly in regard to the provincial allocations. He noted that there was underspending during the year and fiscal dumping in the last quarter.

Mr Khawula enquired as to the reasons for low participation, especially with regard to disability leagues.

Ms Mampuru indicated that she was happy with the presentation and that her main concerns had been addressed. However, she did point out that she had been complaining to the Provincial Department in Limpopo about under-provision of sports facilities and offerings, and its response had been that it was dependent on grants.

Mr D Stock (ANC; Northern Cape) noted the establishment of provincial soccer teams and indicated that one province lacked a team, which might be linked to lack of facilities. Mr Stock enquired as to how the national SRSA might intervene to assist.

Mr Stock noted the Minister spoke about transformation. The Caster Semenya case had caused an outcry. He asked why she was not participating at the moment.

Mr Stock indicated that it was unfortunate that provincial departments were not cooperating with providing facilities for school-based sport, particularly as this would help to reduce crime.

Ms Mpambo-Sibhukwana referred to the targets in the Department’s presentation and enquired why the numbers had decreased. She wanted to know what the Department intended to do to address the areas where this had happened. She stressed the need for stronger alignment between SRSA and the Department of Basic Education.

Ms Mpambo-Sibhukwana enquired how much was being spent on administration, and if monitoring and evaluation was taking place in rural areas.

Mr Groenewald thanked the Department for the presentations and said that it was uplifting to see the Minister and Deputy Minister supporting events, as sport was a nation builder.

Mr Groenewald enquired as what inputs were made by SRSA when new schools were built, and asked how many of the schools had sports grounds, and what role exactly the SRSA played in this regard. He said that other countries were training children in sports, from a very young age and wondered if there was enough emphasis on school sport in South Africa.

Mr Groenewald said that the budget for training athletes was insufficient.

Mr Groenewald wanted to know about the Department’s role and involvement in the less popular or smaller codes of sports, as well as the role of the NDP in developing sport.

Mr Groenewald enquired as to the Department’s involvement in job creation and the types of jobs that would be created.

Mr Groenewald supported the Department’s efforts for transformation, saying that the nation could be built though sports and culture.

Ms Mququ requested that the Department provides the Committee with a report on the team leading transformation.

Mr Moemi replied in general to some of the questions. He said again that the SRSA had capacity constraints and was limited in how much it could monitor provinces. Six provinces were being monitored, and the Department, when it appeared again before the Committee, would submit the results of the external audits. The Department had begun to introduce penalties for non-compliance. The Department would not transfer money to provinces that were non-compliant, in order to try to force their compliance. If there were any cases of clear misappropriation of funding, the Department must consider instituting criminal charges.

Mr Moemi indicated that participation was being promoted, but that provinces did not report on continuous participation. He noted that the mere numbers did not reflect the quality of participation, and that indicators had now been refined to try to assess and achieve qualitative, long-term support.

Mr Moemi indicated that some township schools had not registered to play sport for 18 years. He noted that the ‘early bird’ principle applied for schools registering, as the quicker schools registered, the more likely they were to benefit from budget allocations before these were depleted, in order to receive equipment and other support. The problem was that some “no fee” schools simply did not have the funds for transport, and dropped out of the leagues, which deprived them of the opportunity to reach national level. These schools were unable to ask the parents to pay a sports levy. Although participation over the last ten years had increased substantially, student participation in black townships tended to be centred on netball and soccer as these reflected the students’ preferences.

Mr Moemi noted that the non-visibility of athletes was informed by budget constraints, and that the Department needed to decide carefully on who was sent to compete internationally. He stressed that the Caster Semenya issues were not linked to the SRSA itself. The Department would allocate the necessary funding to pay for all of her expenses. However, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee had confirmed that Caster Semenya was presently not attending her training sessions. She ha apparently said that she was getting married, and needed space. The Minister had arranged a meeting with her, and although she had promised to attend training, she had not, and thus lost the Commonwealth meet. The SRSA would nonetheless continue to fund her, and her involvement was necessary. Mr Moemi noted that the Department did not have budget to spend for elite athletes, however was investing in them.

Mr Moemi indicated that provinces did not contribute resources and that Gauteng did not budget for sport. Speaking to provincial soccer, he said that the Northern Cape had challenges with participation, but the children should not be held back by this. He indicated that the Department had tried to assist by giving more budget, but that sustainability was a prime consideration.

Mr Moemi indicated that the Department had been proposing norms and standards for sports infrastructure and new schools did have sports facilities. However, some schools were non-compliant owing to budget restrictions. The Department was seeking to enforce their participation and compliance, and would appreciate the support of the Committee where the will to promote sport was lacking. The Department conceded that there were some shortcomings on its monitoring and evaluation, particularly in the rural areas. There was insufficient capacity, but the SRSA tried to conduct monitoring visits in the provinces. It was, however, impossible for the SRSA to monitor and evaluate all activities. The Minister, on visiting some schools, had noted their lack of participation. Mr Moemi noted that an administrative sports bursary was to be designated for sports-focused schools, for 34 learners, and that the Department was still accrediting more schools, with the involvement of their governing bodies.

The Deputy Minister added that there were political differences between the SRSA and the DBE, but that the two were trying to work together and support each other.

Mr Moemi indicated, in respect of the comment on mass participation, that the provinces counted spectators also as “participants” and that the targets set out in the Department’s presentation were thus realistic and based on statistics over the last three years.

Mr Moemi said that the expenditure questions would be answered in writing.

Mr Moemi indicated that the Department was indeed supporting the smaller codes, although the priority codes received 50% of entire budget

Mr Moemi indicated that a Netball Premier League was running, as well as the Basketball League and there were plans to introduce leagues for hockey and volleyball. The Department was also arranging the Four Nations tournament.

The Department was not allowed to use its resources for accommodation facilities and it was engaging with provincial government.

Mr Moemi indicated that the Department will distribute reports on some activities. In regard to the NDP, he assured Members that SRSA was contributing to its aims and outcomes. The Department was also encouraging Saturday leagues.

The Deputy Minister suggested that the provincial departments should be asked, quarterly, to explain how the conditional grants were being spent. He indicated that in one province, the Premier had agreed on a spending plan but two days later implemented something different from the national plan. It was important that the Committee ask relevant questions in the provinces, and thus assist the Department with its oversight role and share information. He thanked the Committee for its support.

The Chairperson said that during the latest State of the Nation Address, the President had emphasised that the SRSA was very important to achieve social cohesion and must not be seen as a “Cinderella” department, as it fulfilled important aims of enhancing performance, health, opportunities and job creation. The Committee had a duty is to support the Department, rather than find fault with it. She was concerned that it had mandates from Cabinet that remained under-funded, and said that the Committee would support requests for funding. It was unacceptable for some provinces not to want to deploy resources to sport, and the Committee would address this.

Minute Adoption
The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting on 9 July.

Ms Mampuru asked for clarification on the noting of apologies.

The Committee Secretary indicated that apologies should be sent to the Committee Secretariat before the meeting started. An apology was not officially communicated in writing, although it was mentioned at the meeting. Members were supposed to communicate apologies also to the Committee Whip.

The meeting was adjourned.
 

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