By Hon. Inkosi BN Luthuli
Spokesperson on Sports and Recreation
Delivered at Parliament in the Old Assembly
17 July- 16:30pm
Vote 40: Sport and Recreation
Honourable Chairperson,
The IFP acknowledges the budget allocated to the Department and demands the department spends wisely in order to achieve its planned objectives.
Sports have proven to be very effecting in giving the youth a sense of purposes, especially at school levels. Even beyond that, there are many job opportunities that a created through sports.
Given that we have a very high unemployment rate challenge in this country. The government and in particular this department needs to ensure that it pulls from all it has to ensure that of all sporting codes are accessed by all South Africans, mainly those from disadvantaged backgrounds who are not exposed to the many different codes and cannot afford to take part in the ones they may want to.
25 years into our democracy, the ANC government has done little to redress the legacy of apartheid spatial planning with regards to the provision of sports facilities.
The IFP, wants the poorest communities to be included in participating in sport.
As part of the IFP’s founding values we uphold and cherish diversity. We want all sporting teams to reflect all the people who call South Africa home.
Funding remains a challenge for young athletes to attend trial games; training camps and eventually to go on tournaments as the cost of it is too high. The department needs to be mindful of this.
The IFP calls on all KZN people and government to embrace and support different sport codes especially those that remain in the shadows of soccer in the country.
We need to ensure that women and girls are supported and paid as equally men and boys.
The IFP supports this budget vote.
I thank you.