House Chairperson, Deputy President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and colleagues, the portfolio committee conducts oversight only to monitor whether government programmes and the transformation agenda in sport are being implemented by government. The committee has been to all nine provinces. Three provinces were visited last year and the remaining six were visited this year.
We made the following observations on these trips. We noted that in some provinces like the Free State, the private sector had also assisted in sport provision; an artificial sport facility had been donated by Harmony Gold Mining to a rural school in the Free State; and 52 artificial turfs were going to be built through the 2010 Fifa World Cup Legacy - so far 27 have been completed and we have seen them, while the remaining 25 are in the pipeline.
I wish to quote uTat'uMandela, who once said:
Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers.
[Interjections.] Ungandingxameli. [Do not rush me.]
We think provinces should emulate the way in which the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal do their work because, when they consult, they consult all the stakeholders, that is, the municipalities, schools and loveLife, and they have set up one integrated programme with them.
We say sport is a catalyst for social cohesion and the social development of young people who are at school and also those who are out of school. It provides them with a sound basis for discipline, values, and healthy lifestyles, and their chances of remaining at school are better.
We request Parliament to adopt this report. Thank you, House Chairperson. [Applause.]
There was no debate.