Chairperson, Minister, Deputy Minister, MECs, MPs, officials, and distinguished guests, let me start by saying ...
...Mphathiswa, mna ndingowaseJansenville, uthe xa ukhankanya iJansenville apha ndaziva ndonwabile, kuba kusekhaya phaya. Ndiyavuya xa nithe nafikelela naphaya. [...Minister, I am originally from Jansenville. When you mentioned Jansenville here, I felt happy because that is my home. I am glad that you have even reached that part of the country.]
The ANC lives. The ANC leads. This Budget Vote could not have come at a better time than this one. The year 2010 has been an exciting year since its beginning. Everybody is looking forward to the World Cup, and we are all full of hope that this is going to be a good year for all of us. Feel it! It is here!
This year has kept us looking forward to the first World Cup ever held on African soil. Today we mark the 21st day until our dream comes true. We will be making history during our time as the ANC-led government. Our promise to the nation will be honoured. We also hope that Bafana Bafana will make us proud, and we wish them to win every match they play. But even if they do not win, we will still remain proud of them.
Nyawuza, Thahla, Ndayeni, Hlamba ngobubende, eMpuma Koloni ... [Nyawuza, Thahla, Ndayeni, Hlamba ngobubende, in the Eastern Cape ...]
...we have produced many sportswomen and sportsmen, for example Makhaya Ntini, who is from the Eastern Cape. Recently we produced Andile Jali who has been selected to be part of the soccer national team. Our young generation will share experiences with other people from other countries. Our government takes decisive steps as we move forward.
Some of the government priorities are growth and transforming the economy to create decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods; strengthening the education, skills and human resource base; and building cohesive, caring, and sustainable communities. If we work together we can do this and more.
We, as the people of this continent, will be able to show the outside world our different cultures as Africans. South Africa is a diverse and democratic country. Our democracy has extended outside this country. This opportunity will uplift our economy, and, at the same time people will be left with good and unforgettable memories.
Playing sport is a healthy way of living. It has to be considered fairly because it is crosscutting. The health Minister will benefit as he has already said that he is trying to make sure that everybody lives a healthy life. The Minister of Social Development will also benefit because we will have fewer street kids, and this would benefit safety and education as well. The same applies to all other departments. We, as government, cannot let provinces underspend on sport because there is a lot that needs to be done in our provinces.
In our rural communities there are people known as sports veterans. They also need to be brought back as sports trainers, as they have the experience that we need. They also have the discipline that needs to be instilled in our professional players.
They can help guide our children in taking up sport as a profession, because some of our kids are not good academically, but can be good at sport. There are also codes of sport that the country should focus on. Those sporting codes are not regularly played in our country, such as baseball, basketball and others.
School sport is also slowly fading away in our provinces through the lack of resources in our schools. We need to revive the spirit of going to the playgrounds every Wednesday and Friday afternoons, and even on Saturdays. Seventy per cent of our grants need to be used to develop our youth so as to take them away from drugs and alcohol. Indigenous games should also be considered.
Men in our communities are misdirecting their energy, because they do not have anything to do after hours. I think that if we put more emphasis on sport, the rate of sexual offences would be reduced.
Tat'uThahla, iLusikisiki yenye yemimandla eyaziwayo ngokuxhatshazwa ngokwesondo, kodwa kwakhona ikwayingingqi enabadlali abaninzi nasele bebadala abanye babo, abangasetyenziswa ukuphuhlisa ulutsha kwezemidlalo kula ngingqi. [Thahla, Lusikisiki is one of the areas not only notorious for sexual abuse, but is also renowned for having many sporting personalities, some of whom have already retired and could still be utilised to develop youth in sport in that area.]
The programme of mass participation is also good, but is it really serving a purpose? I know we are creating jobs, but these jobs must be relevant to the economy of the country, because we have to create jobs and develop the economy at the same time, as our focus is to ensure the accessibility of sport to all.
Participation, development and excellence are key elements in building our nation. They engender unity, discipline and reconciliation amongst individuals and communities. They are also key elements to economic growth as they generate employment and alleviate poverty.
As I have already said, participating in sport is a healthy lifestyle. We therefore have to introduce it in our hospitals as well. People should not be lying on beds the whole day. There should be time reserved for sporting activities. We should help the Department of Health make sports grounds available in hospitals, especially in TB hospitals, even if this is for an indoor sport.
This government also needs to focus on developing women in sport. I salute the three black women who are mountain climbers here in Cape Town. Their skill and interest are very scarce within the black community. One of them also actually declared on national TV that she is HIV-positive.
Chairperson and hon Minister, it would be good to see fewer funerals and more sports activities during weekends in our communities. There are too many young people being buried. I would just be sorry for the funeral parlours, because this would mean less business for them! So, if we work together, we will have more ideas for developing our communities. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]