Chairperson, the words of former President Nelson Mandela underpin the White Paper for the National Sport and Recreation Plan to be adopted at the indaba this coming weekend:
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. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.
Participation is the key to achieving success in sport. This participation must be in schools, modified sport in communities and in recreational youth camps. Furthermore, performance is a key factor in determining sport success. This can be achieved through the identification and development of talented athletes, a sports academy and a sports science system. This can also be achieved by the establishment of clubs and leagues, education and training, quality coaching, volunteers, and addressing the backlogs in sports facilities, which is a major problem.
The new sports plan has policy imperatives that are crucial to its success, including total sport transformation; prioritisation of sporting codes; one national emblem and the same colours for the South African national sporting teams; and a monitoring and evaluation system for the plan. The implementation of the plan must further be underpinned by an effective funding model, a code of ethics and drug-free sport.
Minister, we applaud your efforts in and commitment to bringing this plan to fruition. Cope believes and supports this initiative as being the best model for our sporting success as a nation.
We caution, however, that the National Lotteries Board, which has a key role to play in the funding model, is squandering resources in a criminal manner, as was exposed this weekend. We urge your intervention to ensure that our people are not compromised in the development of sport in this country. [Time expired.]