Hayi kusasa. SiyiNkatha yeNkululeko asifuni ukukukhumbula ngengoNgqongqoshe owakhuluma ngenguquko kepha wangayenza. [Not tomorrow. As the IFP we do not want to remember you as the Minister who spoke about transformation, but did not deliver on it.]
When we talk about transformation, we are talking about financial management. We are talking about implementation. When are we going to see the implementation in sports, because we cannot just talk about transformation without implementation?
Chairperson, we must ensure the levelling of the playing field for all South Africans who wish to engage in sporting activities. We cannot have proper sports development when the large majority of our citizens do not have access to proper equipment and training.
Chairperson, the training must start at school level, as the Minister emphasised.
Izikole zethu azinazo izinkudla zemidlalo ezisesimweni esihle. Sisuka ezindaweni ezahlukene. Sisuka ezindaweni zasemakhaya lapho kunezingane ezinamathalente ahlukahlukene. Kufanele sikwazi ukuzisiza ukuthuthukisa amathalente azo ukuze zibe yizingqwele zakusasa. Kuzobakuhle ukuthi umnyango uke uphume uye ezindaweni ezisemakhaya ukuze mhlawumbe kutholakale izinhlobo ezahlukene zamakhono nasezindaweni zasemakhaya. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Our schools do not have sports fields that are in good condition. We come from different areas. We are from the rural areas where there are children with different talents. We must be able to help them develop their talents so that they become future champions. It will be nice for the department to visit the rural areas so that they can scout for different talents in those areas.]
This was a day on which all pupils were encouraged to participate in many sports disciplines, from cricket, rugby, athletics, netball and hockey to swimming. We need days like these back in the school curriculum.
Sisebancane kwakuthi njalo ngoLwezithathu kube nosuku lwesikole olwalwaziya ngokuthi wusuku lwezemidlalo. Sicela lubuyiswe lolo suku ezikoleni. [When we were young, every Wednesday, we used to have a sports day. Can you please bring back that day in schools.]
We had all the equipment and we had proper sports fields. If one takes a look at the large majority of sports fields today, all we see is crisis. The fields are unkept and the equipment is in a state of disrepair.
These disadvantages not only impact on our youth, but also on our country, as young sports talent cannot be easily identified and nurtured into future sports stars. In this respect, it is imperative that the Minister and the department focus on and send scouts particularly to our rural areas. That is where young sports talent can be identified and then sent to sports academies for further training and development of their individual talents.
Chairperson, South Africa has an abundance of raw sports talent. If we want to have an active and winning nation, we have to identify and nurture those talents.
Sport also brings people together; it unifies the citizens and engenders national pride and patriotism. It is in this spirit that we urge the department to get behind drives to bring sports to all of our communities and to encourage greater community participation in local sports events.
Our national sports teams should also be more active at school level. Let the children meet their favourite sports heroes. Then, let them be inspired and seek to follow in their footsteps. Let us build a strong and healthy nation with sport and recreation as one of our core and fundamental pillars.
Ayikho ingane engakhula ngokuphelele uma singakwazi ukwenza inkundla yezemidlalo ibe yindawo lapho izingane zingathokozela ukudlala kahle kuyo futhi zithole yonke inhlobo yamakhono, ngaphandle kokubheka ibala lesikhumba. Angithokoze [To develop the overall wellbeing of our children we have to provide them with sports fields that they will be happy to play at and develop all kinds of skills, without having to look at their skin colour. Thank you.]