Hon Mbalula, you would be embarrassed and extremely ashamed if you visited the following public schools: Malekutu Senior Secondary School, Maphuthe Primary School in Sekhukhune, Tshilala Secondary School in Venda, Umgaga High, Shumayela High and Tshelabantu Primary in KwaZulu- Natal, Visisani Primary in Northern Cape, Boiketlong Primary in Katlehong and Katlehong High in Gauteng, Katamelo Primary in Botshabelo, Bokamoso School in Matatiele, Mphebatho Primary, Marubising Secondary in North West, Imbali Primary in Mpumalanga, Mothomeng Primary in Tzaneen, Tlokwe High School in North West and Stormont Madubela Primary here in the Western Cape.
Our country is diverse, with a black majority, but sporting codes do not reflect the reality of the country. The hon Minister is bullied into contradictions by minority lobby groups. The issue of transformation in sports cannot be a top-down approach. It must be from the bottom up and should develop strong junior teams in all sporting codes across the geographical and class divide, with equitable infrastructure in areas where this is needed most.
The department shows no determination or intention to diversify sporting codes in townships or rural areas. It's soccer all the time. The rest of the money goes to paying international artists, as we almost paid Beyonce millions of rands.
A greater budget must be allocated for infrastructure in rural areas and townships to enable the previously disadvantaged in the transformation of sports. Corporations must not make profits at the expense of the development of athletes. Sponsorship seems more interested in profits than the development of sports in our communities.
The Department of Sport and Recreation must partner with the Department of Basic Education to implement physical education in all schools, with professionally trained coaches for all sporting codes, in order to encourage healthy lifestyles.
The EFF wants to emphasise the need to provide support for female and disabled athletes in order to increase their diversity and participation in sports and recreation. Millions of rands are spent on sports awards - whose legitimacy we are here to question the hon Minister on - rather than to develop a concrete, comprehensive plan to diversify participation in sports.
Dear Minister, we have heard from the presentation of your department that you are underspending. What you have said here is very nice, but to us it is still paying lip service, because you never used what you had been allocated in the previous year. You underspent too much. On that basis, the EFF is rejecting the budget. [Interjections.]
Bobo t?ea, bokoloti ke bjoo. [I'll leave it right there.] [Applause.]