National Council of Provinces - 20 May 2003
TUESDAY, 20 MAY 2003 __
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
____
The Council met at 14:04.
The Chairperson took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS - see col 000.
SHORTFALLS IN AMBULANCE SERVICES
(Draft Resolution)
Dr P J C NEL: Voorsitter, ek stel sonder kennisgewing voor -
Dat die Raad -
(1) kennis neem dat -
(a) die aanvaarde sisteem van primêre gesondheidsorg grootliks op 'n
verwysingsisteem berus wat primêr afhanklik is van goeie
ambulans- en vervoerdienste en dat dit in die uitgebreide
platteland nog méér van toepassing is as in die stedelike
gebiede;
(b) daar 'n geweldige behoefte aan die lewering van nooddienste is
veral as gevolg van die feit dat daar so 'n hoë ongeluksyfer op
die land se paaie is;
(c) die Minister van Gesondheid die volgende kommerwekkende tekorte
ten opsigte van ambulansdienste in die onderskeie provinsies
bekend gemaak het: In die Oos-Kaap is daar 'n geraamde tekort
aan 160 ambulanse en slegs 26% van die huidige ambulanse is
bruikbaar en hulle is gemiddeld 10 jaar oud, terwyl KwaZulu-
Natal 'n tekort aan 600 ambulanse het en slegs 50% van die
huidige ambulanse bruikbaar is; en
(d) volgens die Minister ál die provinsies bykomende ambulanse
benodig om in hul huidige behoeftes te voorsien; en
(2) die Regering versoek om in samewerking met provinsiale regerings onmiddellik aan hierdie tekorte aandag te gee aangesien dit veral die armste mense is wat die swaarste getref word.
Voorstel goedgekeur ooreenkomstig artikel 65 van die Grondwet. (Translation of Afrikaans notice of motion follows.)
[Dr P J C NEL: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
(1) notes that -
(a) the accepted system of primary health care is based in the main
on a referral system that is primarily dependent on good
ambulance and transportation services, which is even more
applicable to the vast rural areas than to the urban areas;
(b) there is an immense need for the delivery of emergency services,
in particular owing to the fact that there is such a high
accident rate on the country's roads;
(c) the Minister of Health has announced the following alarming
shortfalls in respect of ambulance services in the respective
provinces: In the Eastern Cape there is an estimated shortfall
of 160 ambulances, and only 26% of the current ambulances are
servicable at an average age of 10 years, while KwaZulu-Natal
has a shortfall of 600 ambulances, and only 50% of the current
ambulances are servicable; and
(d) according to the Minister all of the provinces need additional
ambulances in order to meet their current demands; and
(2) requests the Government, in co-operation with the provincial governments, to pay immediate attention to these shortfalls, since the poorest of the people in particular are being affected worst of all.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.]
FLOODS AND LANDSLIDES IN SRI LANKA
(Draft Resolution)
Mrs E N LUBIDLA: Chairperson, I wish to move a motion without notice:
That the Council - (1) notes with concern the floods and landslides that hit Sri Lanka;
(2) further notes that these are the worst floods to hit the island in half a century with the death toll of more than 230 and the displacement of more than 200 000 people;
(3) commends the Indian government for its swift response in dispatching a ship with a rescue helicopter, a team of doctors, divers, medicine and food, as well as the Norwegian government, the International Red Cross and all other relief agencies for their support;
(4) supports the call for greater international support to help the country cope with the millions of survivors now facing starvation and the threat of airborne diseases; and
(5) assures the government and people of Sri Lanka of our continued support as they struggle to deal with the aftermath of this national tragedy. Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
SCRAPPING OF RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
(Draft Resolution)
Mr K D S DURR: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
(1) notes that the ACDP rejects calls by Government officials to scrap religious public holidays, such as Good Friday and Christmas Day, which are sacred to Christians who are in the majority in South Africa and who also need to have their rights respected;
(2) notes that, in fact, the ACDP would like to see Ascension Day returned to the calendar of public holidays; and
(3) calls on the Government to allay fears in this regard by making the policy position clear, by way of a statement by a senior Minister.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Is there an objection to the Motion? There is an objection. The motion will therefore become a notice of motion.
MINDLESS ACT OF TERROR IN MOROCCO
(Draft Resolution)
Rev P MOATSHE: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
(1) denounces the mindless act of terror in Morocco which indiscriminately killed and maimed scores of innocent people;
(2) believes that terror acts aimed at the deliberate killing of innocent civilians can never be rationalised or justified as a result of any situation or circumstance;
(3) extends its condolences to the families of the victims; and
(4) further extends it heartfelt support to the government of Morocco in its efforts to track down and prosecute those responsible for this cowardly act.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
DEATH OF CARYN LINDESAY, DAUGHTER OF LEADING CAMPAIGNER
(Draft Resolution)
Mrs J N VILAKAZI: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
(1) notes with sadness the death of Carlyn Lindesay, daughter of a leading campaigner against women and child abuse; (2) notes that Lindesay was beaten to death with a hammer in her Parow flat this weekend and was found in a pool of blood by her mother;
(3) believes that a man will appear in the Bellville Magistrates Court in connection with the matter; and
(4) extends its condolences to her family, friends and relatives.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Is there any other member wishing to move a motion without notice? There is none. We proceed therefore. The Secretary will read the first Order of the Day. [Interjections.]
Yes, hon Raju?
Mr N M RAJU: [Inaudible.] Sorry, Madam Chair, I had a motion without notice. The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I did put the question. There was no response. I’m afraid we have proceeded beyond that point, Mr Raju. But I will allow your motion. I would urge you in future to ignore Ms Thompson and actually concentrate on the Chair. [Laughter.]
SA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION'S INTERVENTION
(Draft Resolution)
Mr N M RAJU: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
(1) notes with consternation and exasperation that the SA Football Association and the 2010 soccer World Cup bid committee found it necessary to intervene in the selection of the Bafana Bafana squad to play England in a friendly in Durban on Thursday, 22 May 2003;
(2) further notes that this intervention was occasioned by the national coach Shakes Mashaba’s inexplicable omission of South African stars such as Lucas Radebe, Quinton Fortune, Shaun Bartlett, Benni McCarthy and Siyabonga Nomvete from the Bafana Bafana team to play against a formidable England team that includes world-class stars David Beckham, Michael Owen, Emile Heskey, David James and Rio Ferdinand;
(3) believes that such a lack of planning and communication bodes ill for South Africa’s World Cup bid as it sends out the wrong signals to fans and sponsors to favour the bid; and
(4) calls on Safa to refrain from taking ad hoc decisions in the conduct of its affairs so as not to jeopardise the 2010 World Cup bid by SA. [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Is there an objection to that motion? [Interjections.] That is a spectacle I have not seen in this House before. [Laughter.] There is an objection. The motion without notice will therefore become a notice of motion.
APPROPRIATION BILL
(Policy debate)
Vote No 20 - Sport and Recreation South Africa:
The MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION: Madam Chairperson and hon members of this House, at this historic moment in our society’s development this is my fourth budget speech to be delivered in this august House. Not only are we on the brink of our third democratic elections after the end of this financial year, we are also on the verge of entering the second decade of freedom from apartheid domination.
I am introducing a budget of R225 million, the largest ever for Sport and Recreation. It represents significant growth relative to when I first assumed this portfolio. While it represents a satisfying 275% increase compared to the 1998-99 budget, it is still not nearly enough for what is needed to place our country on an even footing with our traditional adversaries in sport.
Moreover, the major part of the budget, R129 million, comprises an allocation from the poverty relief, infrastructure creation and job summit pool that could be transferred to the Department of Provincial and Local Government as part of the municipal infrastructure grant at the end of this financial year. That will result in a 53% decline in the budget over which we will have direct control.
For this year, however, with the Building for Sport and Recreation Programme allocation removed, the remaining R96 million is split up as follows: Programme 1: Administration - R18,187 million; and Programme 2: Policy, Funding and Liaison - R78,075 million. With regard to Programme 2, the funds available for sports development amount to R44 million. That gives an indication of how underfunded sport really is.
I am, however, firmly of the opinion that despite setbacks every now and then, the tide has indeed turned for us in sport and recreation. While I sometimes have to lament the slow pace of change in sport, I am convinced that the imminent release of the Sports Transformation Charter will bring us back on course to ensure rapid movement from the entrenched racial, gender and spatial rigidities of the past, and, indeed, turn the tide into a flood.
I am happy to note significant progress in the representative profiles of certain sports. I have so far resisted the option of legislating on sports transformation, offering all national federations instead the opportunity to reconsider their own options for driving the initiative in their structures. We must transform; there is no alternative. If, however, we fail to make progress, I will have to reconsider my options.
Sport has, in the past, been at the forefront of transformation in our society. I cannot allow that advantage, the moral high ground that we once occupied, to be lost. That would amount to a betrayal of the many who have dedicated so much, some even their lives, to the cause of ensuring a fair dispensation for all in sport in our country. National federations often accuse their provincial affiliates of letting them down in the transformation initiative. I trust that this House will influence the provinces to fulfil their obligations in this respect.
The 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup has come and gone, and has meant a lot to our society. While the performance of the Proteas in the competition was disappointing to local supporters, the tournament itself was a resounding success. I want to congratulate the organising committee, led by Dr Ali Bacher. I want especially to single out the support which obtained from the provincial and local authorities, without whose assistance the competition would never have been able to take place. The co-operation that prevailed between the three spheres of government and the private sector presents a model that should be emulated in similar endeavours that we may embark on in the future. The 2010 soccer World Cup bid should draw on it. I also want to extend a special word of congratulations to the mayors of our cities who hosted fund-raising banquets to support charities of their choice. These were certainly noble gestures that serve to prove how sport and sports events can be used to leverage resources for other causes.
The socioeconomic benefits of the Cricket World Cup have also proven that sport can contribute significantly to addressing the major challenges that we face as a country. The consequences of the huge influx of spectators from abroad have assisted us as a department and as an institution generally to address one of the major challenges of our time in South Africa, that of job creation and poverty relief. It is estimated that about 20 000 foreign spectators visited our shores to watch the ICC Cricket World Cup first hand. That translates into close to 3 500 jobs. Initial estimates also indicate that the economic benefits of the event amounted to some R1 billion. This proves that sport has a role to play in pushing back the frontiers of poverty. We recently hosted a successful conference on developing a strategy in the bidding for and the hosting of major events in our country. The conference was well attended by representatives of local and provincial authorities. I am happy to confirm that we reached consensus about approaching bids in an orderly fashion to ensure that we develop the capacity, incrementally, to host larger and more complex events to enable us, eventually, to present the biggest spectacle of world sport, the Olympic Games, some time in the future. During the conference we committed ourselves to prioritising bids to host the 2010 soccer World Cup, the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and to give consideration to the 2020 Olympic Games.
Of course, events take place in cities and towns, and local and provincial authorities have a critical role to play in any international event that we plan to host. I am encouraged by the trend in certain national federations to host some of their international events in cities and towns that do not often have such opportunities. Examples are the last two Davis Cup matches that were hosted in Nelspruit and Polokwane respectively, the World Shooting Championships in Limpopo and the Bafana Bafana matches in Port Elizabeth, with a big game coming to East London in June.
We have now confirmed and launched our domestic bid to host the 2010 World Cup. Government has expressed its support for the bid and will make sure that it provides all the guarantees that Fifa requires. This time we are sure it is Africa’s turn, as Fifa approved the rotation system last year and our continent will start the process. South Africa will be up against Nigeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco in the race to host the competition. While we are quietly confident, we will not underestimate our African counterparts.
Again, the local and provincial spheres of government are the cornerstones of both the bidding and hosting processes. The support of this House for both processes will therefore be critical. Cabinet has set up an interministerial committee, with Deputy President Jacob Zuma as convenor and me as deputy convenor in order to oversee Government’s input into the bid process. The bid committee has also been invited to make a formal presentation to this interministerial committee in due course.
Thursday this week heralds the launch of the international campaign of the bid when our national team plays England in an international match in Durban. I am sure that hon members have concerns about a number of issues relating to this match, issues that have dominated the media over the past few days. I share those concerns. I had an urgent meeting with Safa and the bid committee officials upon their return to the country. The NCOP is the first structure to know about this, so you are very privileged. [Laughter.]
So, on Friday evening I had a meeting with Safa and the bid committee. This
meeting was also attended by the national coach, Bra Shakes'', Ephraim
Mashaba, and the national team manager,Screamer’’ Shabalala. By now you
will be aware that all parties concerned have reached agreement on
Thursday’s match and on future matches requested by the bid committee. It
is now important for us to focus on the bigger picture, which is to rally
broad support for hosting the 2010 World Cup in our country. I will respond
in due course to Mr Raju, but not now. I don’t have the time to respond
now.I need to build up steam so that I am confrontational enough when I
respond to that. [Laughter.] I never shy away from confrontation. I love
it.
From a departmental perspective, we regard our Building for Sport and Recreation Programme as our flagship. It also constitutes an area through which we co-operate the closest with the local, regional and provincial authorities. At this stage, there is not yet clarity on whether the Building for Sport and Recreation Programme will continue to be a stand- alone programme or whether it will become part of the MIG.
Cabinet took a decision to consolidate all infrastructure-creation projects under the MIG. But, the National Treasury is still in the process of auditing us, as the BSRP, with a view to making a recommendation on our continued independent existence. I would, of course, like to see the programme remain with my department. Municipalities have many other priorities on which to deliver. Sports facilities, I have established, do not feature high on their agendas. I am of the opinion that we will face strenuous challenges in competing for MIG funds as sport and recreation facilities tend not to be priorities for local authorities, given the many other pressing basic needs that they have to cater for.
I will therefore engage my colleagues in Cabinet in order to retain the Building for Sport and Recreation Programme in my department, failing which I would like to ensure that an amount is ring-fenced for facility creation and upgrading to guarantee that we do not fall further behind in this important project, which is aimed directly at improving the quality of life of our young people and citizens.
Our impact extends well beyond the creation or upgrading of facilities; it also includes the skills that we transfer to the people that we give employment to. It makes them more saleable in the tough job market, while the community sports councils and clubs that we establish and the empowerment of local councils in managing the sports facilities that we build further contribute to the empowerment initiative.
We try to foster a spirit of entrepreneurship in the communities in which we build facilities by encouraging informal trading where and when sports events take place, for example Athlone Stadium when we launched our national bid. If people were around Athlone Stadium they would have seen the informal trade that was going on there. It was quite beautiful. At all the facilities, all over the country, we do the same.
We have also commenced and will continue to use the project for sports contribution to the process of symbolic reparation by naming the facilities that we build and upgrade after fallen heroes in the areas where we build. Of course, we will never build a facility and give it a name of somebody who lived during that time and belonged to that regime which stank like a polecat.
Our BSRP, our project of building, commands a budget of R129 million in the coming financial year. The 113 projects that have been identified will be spread as follows across the country: Western Cape - R8,71 million for 13 facilities; Eastern Cape - R22,8 million for 25 facilities; KwaZulu-Natal - R23,16 million for 17 facilities; Mpumalanga - R9,91 million for 12 facilities; Gauteng - R10,8 million for 10 facilities; Limpopo - R19,2 million for 9 facilities; North West - R10,25 million for 10 facilities; Free State - haak Vrystaat! - R9,66 million for 15 facilities; and in the Northern Cape - R6,57 million for two facilities.
We will build in communities as diverse as Ngqamakwe in the Eastern Cape; and in Petrus Steyn which started Ngqushwa actually - you should be seeing that, hon member Kondlo. We did. That’s where we launched this programme. Regarding Petrus Steyn in the Free State, I was in Trompsburg recently to open another one. We have built in Boipatong in Gauteng; Umvoti in KwaZulu- Natal; Machado in Mpumalanga; Ga-Segonyana in the Northern Cape; and Nduli in the Western Cape.
I would like to implore the provinces and municipalities to ensure that we deliver timeously on these projects. We must extend the building phase of the projects during which people in the communities have access to employment, which is the primary purpose of this exercise. In the past, the building phase was squeezed into three months, limiting the period for employment. Despite that, we have managed to provide jobs and pay more than 6 500 people an average of more than R4 500 during the building phases of the projects over the past two years. Over the past 10 years, we have managed to spend R450 million in total on building and upgrading facilities.
While that started to make a difference in people’s lives, it constitutes less than 10% of the estimated existing shortfall in facility provision, especially in disadvantaged communities. Moreover, we must start to build more than just basic facilities. How, for example, can we ensure representivity in swimming teams - an important consideration in the transformation initiative - when we have no swimming pools in disadvantaged communities? We don’t have these swimming pools so we have to start building them, because the swimming team that we send overseas or that participates in our games here at home is still lily-white.
We launched our Letsema campaign on 3 February this year in Cape Town by cleaning up the Langa Stadium with generous help from MPs who are here in the NCOP and in the NA, and from schoolchildren and the community. We trust that this launch will provide the impetus for similar efforts in communities around the country.
Sport and Recreation SA has been identified to play a leading role with regard to implementing a people’s contract for moral regeneration. Our various projects, some of which are already up and running, are aimed at the youth, especially those in the high crime nodes.
The launch of our Young Champions project took place in Mamelodi on 18 January 2003 to which we attracted more than 2 000 participants and involved a cross-section of national, provincial and community organisations. We will launch the project in all the remaining provinces in due course. The next one will be Cape Town in June.
The programme is aimed at setting up sustainable local sports leagues in the identified areas into which young people can be drawn with a view to ensuring not only that they participate in wholesome sport and recreation, but that we are able to identify talented players that can be channelled into the competitive mainstream.
While the broad context of our project is, of course, urban renewal, integrated, sustainable rural development and social crime prevention, our purpose with this initiative is at least twofold: one, to focus on addressing the problems of substance abuse, including problems related to the misuse of alcohol and other substances; and, two, to aim at generating social cohesion which will serve in a representative capacity to address some of the challenges that we face as a nation - that is, the Young Champions programme. You know the song: Stand up for the champions - those are the young champions that we want to stand up for. [Laughter.] I will teach hon members that song after I have finished.
One of the issues that has stood out as a sore thumb for me during interventions with all stakeholders in sport, and also from my own assessment, is the slow progress with regard to ensuring equity for women in sport. Women and Sport SA has had its flaws and is currently dormant. I have accordingly decided to reallocate the responsibilities to the SA Sports Commission in which a commissioner has been identified to champion the cause of women.
We have three women there - Desiree Ellis, Gogo Manqoyi and Hajera Kajee - who will be championing the participation of women in sport. I have given them a mandate, clear guidelines and targets for progressing this important priority of Government, in which we as sport once again provide a visible face of progress in this regard. It is a challenge that we all face and one that I hope we can live up to in the future.
I am happy to announce to this House that I have also reached an agreement with my colleague, the Minister of Education, Prof Kader Asmal, on school sport. Our respective departments are working on the details. In essence, we have agreed that the Department of Education will take full responsibility for the curricula aspects of school sport, including physical education and the extracurricular programme of the school.
My own department and provincial departments responsible for sport, in partnership with the national and provincial federations, will be responsible for all competitive and representative school sport programmes. Moreover, National Treasury has notified me that from next year onwards resources for the LoveLife Games will be channelled through my department. These developments will go a long way not only to consolidate the vexing question of resourcing school sport, but also to ensure that this important component of the overall sports development continuum is properly aligned.
On Saturday, while on a bus going to Tat’ uSisulu’s funeral, I heard someone phoning their children to make sure that they polished their boots and played very well. The mother was really whispering to the child, saying: ``Play well and really make it. Make it.’’ The father was also assisting. I am not sure if I should say this, but it was good to hear and spy on Madam Chair and her husband really encouraging their children to play sport. [Laughter.] Thank you very much for that. You did not know that I listened. I did.
I am very well aware that certain schools refuse to introduce soccer to their sports programmes. This is done under the pretext that they do not have facilities for soccer and that there is no interest in soccer, or that they do not have coaches. But these same schools have numerous playing fields for other codes of sport. In fact, they pay coaches in sports such a hockey, rugby and cricket. I would like to make an appeal to such institutions that prevent all children who have an interest in football from developing their skills to reconsider their position and stance. After all, soccer is the country’s national sport; that we cannot deny. So we are giving out a friendly warning to those schools. My Presbyterian upbringing says I should just give them a friendly warning. That is what my Presbyterian upbringing says.
That brings me to a major theme of my budget speech for this year. I have decided to dedicate my entire tenure to the transformation of sport. I have already referred to the extent to which sport is a visible reflection of the progress that we are making in the transformation of our society generally. I am of the view that the image that we present at the moment, especially in terms of representivity, is not a good one. Surely, this must be an indictment of all of us who are committed to a new South Africa that is based on inclusiveness, equality, and fairness.
The transformation agenda will remain a priority for the rest of my term in office. I remain dedicated to that cause. As I have said before, this matter is non-negotiable. I will never compromise on it. Whatever the newspapers write about me, Balfour, threatening this or not threatening that, I will not compromise on that. They can write and write until they get tired of writing. [Interjections.] What I have become aware of through the various workshops on transformation that we have held around the country is that the initiative enjoys overwhelming grass-roots support.
This is what counts for me: that transformation is supported by the majority of people in our country. The transformation charter will be the culmination of an exercise that is taking me around the country, consulting with the people at the grass-roots level. I will be concluding this programme of transformation imbizos in each of the provinces during this year. The national federations have agreements with me with regard to development, transformation and representivity that I expect them to honour. I will be watching their performances relative to the proposed transformation charter very closely.
As I said earlier, I have taken cognisance of and laud the efforts of certain federations who have committed themselves to the cause and whose teams are beginning to reflect our society more adequately. With the Super 12 rugby series having been just completed, our national team now goes into preparation mode for test matches against Scotland and Argentina, which will be followed by the Tri-Nations series. These matches will prepare them for the Rugby World Cup later this year.
In mentioning this, I want to reiterate that, as Government, we have never forced national federations to implement the quota system in national teams. I repeat this: We have never forced national federations to implement the quota system in national teams. This applies to rugby in the same way that it applies to cricket or any other code, because that is where you get a lot of people writing us letters and what have you. What I do with those letters sometimes is to sit with a red pen and give them marks. I then send them back to the writers, especially when I know that they are the remnants of the apartheid system. I don’t have time to respond to some of those.
But this does not imply that all-white national teams will ever take the field as representatives of our people. That would be unacceptable and would mean that transformation within sport would have failed. I will be meeting with rugby representatives soon to receive an update of their programmes.
Earlier today cricket made a presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation in the National Assembly on their position regarding transformation. Members will recall that I appointed a committee of inquiry into cricket claims that the sport has transformed sufficiently, allowing them to move away from the quota system. Today, cricket says that they have not transformed enough. That is what they said this morning. They have not transformed enough. So, they still need to do a lot to transform. I have had that report, which I am talking about, for a while and cricket representatives have acknowledged it and are welcome to work with me on that report.
They have consistently displayed reluctance to meet with MECs regarding that report. I raised it today with them and they admitted that their reluctance was based on pure ignorance. Therefore they have agreed that we will meet with MECs to look at that report and push it forward. As members of this House you have a specific interest and responsibility in your respective provinces. I would like to invite you to engage provincial cricket authorities on the contents of that report and to test the validity of the claims that they made. It is important that we engage all South Africans in our cities, towns, rural communities - Lusikisiki, Mqanduli and Sterkspruit - on whether they agree with and support the claims that were made by cricket representatives.
The process involving the task team is now at a reporting stage. I have instructed that task team to look into the practical implications of that report. They have submitted their report to me. I will be informing Cabinet about the proposed action we should take. The latter report, that also has other far-reaching consequences for sport and recreation in our country, proposes the streamlining of the governance of the institution in South Africa to ensure that we optimally utilise the limited resources we have at our disposal.
We have also prioritised some sports in terms of funding so that we can fund sports that give us exactly what we want - the mass-based aspect of the sport, the competitiveness of the sport, the international nature of the sport, and how it attracts young people from all corners of our country. I hope and trust therefore that this House will support the initiatives we have taken and that the Select Committee on Education and Recreation will encourage and oversee the whole process together with us.
In the same context, I have recognised the need for national and provincial federations to be run more professionally. Federations are the primary delivery agents for sport and recreation in our country. They work at the coalface. Indeed, some of them are currently facing serious problems as a result of divisions within their ranks. Very often I am expected to react to media reports on such issues. This is not fair. It should be up to the administrators to come forward should they need my assistance, as Safa did, as Shakes and as everybody did over this whole issue. These problems will have to be rooted out, because the interests of athletes are suffering as a consequence of them.
I have already sanctioned the appointment of an interim committee in softball that will prepare for elections in the sport towards the end of this year. By next month, I will be hosting a meeting for karate in order to put in place a new national controlling body of karate. I am also facilitating the introduction of professional basketball in the country after disputes between Basketball SA and the Premier Basketball League that resulted in court action.
The Sports Commission together with host province Gauteng, in this instance, hosted the inaugural South African Games in Pretoria last year. The biannual event was an overwhelming success, and will be hosted by the Eastern Cape next year. It can only grow from strength to strength and will provide our budding sport stars with opportunities to display their talents and pit them against those of their peers from across the country. The SA Games is an important component of sports development in our country and must be supported with a view to developing it into the prestigious event it deserves to be. This House and the select committee must help in that process.
I want to talk very briefly on the sports tourism that we saw during the Cricket World Cup. Tourists pitched up and we had a lot of people coming in. There is a report that we commissioned that will be coming out soon. It will show us what the Cricket World Cup has done for our country. We are working on that report with Madame Cheryl Carolus and you will get a copy of that report.
Lastly, we stand on the brink of another exciting year in sport, both from the perspective of progressing the institution of sport along the path of transformation within our country and from the participation of our athletes and teams in competitions at home and abroad. During my recent visit to Abuja, Nigeria, to attend the General Assembly of the Supreme Council of Sport in Africa, I had the opportunity to inspect some of their facilities that they have built in Abuja for the 8th All Africa Games. Members should remember that we hosted the 7th All Africa Games. They are going to host the eighth.
Our athletes can look forward to an exciting All Africa Games tournament and in some of the best facilities in the world, including the Games village that meets the highest international standards. We have a proud record to defend and depend on Team South Africa, as we now call our teams, as we go out. That is probably the best thing we can do rather than calling our teams by different names. Any team that we send out is Team South Africa. Team South Africa will be defending. We are the champions of the All Africa Games. So, we will be going to Abuja with a huge contingent of about 370 athletes to defend and keep our flag flying.
We look forward to the President’s Cup, regarding those who play golf. That will take place in George in November. We do hope that the big guns like Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Veejay Singh and others will come and play at the President’s Cup. Of course, our own President will be the one who will lead the charge in that. We wish the local authority of George and the province of the Western Cape well in their efforts to plan for and host the event. We look forward to a top class and successful competition that will see some of the world’s foremost golfers gracing our shores.
The netball team is in Australia at the moment for a series of matches in preparation for the world cup that is due to be played in Jamaica in July. They are doing very well, I must say, even though we have had to send back two athletes, Bronwyn Bock and another netballer because they were injured.
Our softball team returned home last week as Southern African champions after the Zone 6 games in Botswana. Our national cricket team for the tour of England for next month was announced yesterday. I am sure that you saw and heard about that. We wish the captain, my captain Graeme Smith, and the rest of the boys the best of luck. If you look at the composition of the teams, both for the one-day international and the test squad, you will find that the balance is very, very good. I am quite happy with that. I do wish them luck as they go on to beat England on their home soil.
Athletics SA has also announced a formidable marathon team to join the rest of our athletic squad for the IAAF World Championships due to be held in Paris in August. Of course, I must admit that leaving out Hezekiel Sepeng is not because of just anything but because of disciplinary proceedings. Some of these athletes don’t stick to discipline. We need to make sure that they do.
Our women hockey team played in Potchefstroom against Great Britain and we went on to draw 2 - 2 with them in our test match. We are now preparing for a fourth test series against England. I would like to convey my congratulations to the Lions team on retaining their Vodacom Cup title in the final against die Blou Bulle on Saturday, and, of course, to the Border Bulldogs - Who let the dogs out? - on going out and really ripping the Griquas apart with a score of 35 to nil. They then became the champions in the Vodacom Shield on Saturday. Support for that game was fantastic at Absa Park. If anyone still doubted the wealth of black rugby talent in that region, Eastern Cape and Border, that match should convince those skeptics that we have the talent - a pool of very talented rugby players.
Lastly, I would like to thank everybody who has contributed to making this past year interesting, enjoyable, exciting and successful in sport. In particular, I want to thank the Select Committee on Education and Recreation and uTat’ uKgware for his dedication and that of his team. Thank you for your unflinching support. Keep up the good work. I am firmly of the opinion that, as in other institutions of our society, the tide has also turned in sport and recreation. It is our joint responsibility to turn that tide into a flood for the benefit of all our people.
I see that two of my daughters, Nellie and Bhumbhum, are sitting up there in the public gallery. I normally don’t have my daughters coming to watch me deliver a speech. Stand up please. ``Stand up for the champions, for the champions, stand up!’’ [Laughter.] Thank you, Madam Chair. [Applause.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Thank you, Minister. I am not sure how the Minister is often labelled in public reports, but I am sure that we now have a singing Minister. [Laughter.]
Mr D M KGWARE: Chairperson, hon Minister of Sport and Recreation, MECs, the chairperson of the select committee and distinguished guests, we would like to extend our congratulations to the all-conquering SA Rugby Football Union’s Under-19 team on their success in the recent IRB World Cup competition.
We are convinced that their success can only be attributed to the sincere all-round commitment to nonracial sport of the ANC and that of the Ministry of Sport and Recreation in particular. We remain confident that this particular success will resonate in other sporting codes vis-à-vis those of females, the disabled and veterans.
The budget before us today represents a major shift in control by Sport and Recreation SA to a budget more geared towards delivery at a local level. Although we in the National Council of Provinces do, in fact, support the transfer of funds to municipalities to support poverty relief and the municipality infrastructure grant, we are nevertheless concerned about the capacity of some municipalities to budget and spend according to national and provincial priorities.
We believe that provinces are now in a much better position to address Government’s objective of pushing back the frontiers of poverty, vulnerability and equality. It is therefore imperative that in the spirit of co-operative governance, which is provided for in section 5 of the Constitution, the role of provinces is not discounted and overlooked in this decision.
At this juncture in our transformation, we are still subjected to the prejudice of individual administrators, both from the former anti-apartheid sports movement and the established federations. The current Vodacom Rugby Super 12 competition is a case in point, and this extends to the Currie Cup competition. The lack of influence and expertise of former stars and administrators from the anti-apartheid fold remains a bone of contention. Similarly, the influence and control of former die-hard apartheid rugby players and administrators, specifically in rugby, remain controversial. However, we are not arguing for them to abscond or to be abandoned. What we would like to see is a fusion of the former protagonists.
The national cricket team to tour England has been announced. I want to wish the selected players well, as the Minister has done. The Proteas did not have a good run in the World Cup, but let us hope that their fortunes can be turned around. It is still important that as provincial representatives we engage the report of the commission of inquiry, appointed by the hon Minister, on transformation in cricket.
Too many provinces still lag far behind when it comes to transformation in cricket. In fact, in the report a number of provinces admitted that transformation had not had the expected success. In so far as the rest of the federations are concerned, transformation remains a vexing issue. At provincial level, it seems as if considerable progress is being made. Unfortunately, this only extends to amateur sports, whereas in professional sports it is being sacrificed at the expense of the lure of lucre, money.
We are, however, not unaware of the noble efforts of the majority of our provincial federations in dealing with the wrongs of the past. Netball, in particular, has gone from strength to strength. It is indeed heartening to witness young women from all backgrounds slugging it out on the tarmac or on the SABC TV programme Mabaleng on a Saturday afternoon. I think we should mention that this coverage of provincial netball is sponsored by a large banking group.
South Africans are in the grip of the bid for the 2010 football World Cup. We would like to congratulate the Ministry of Sport and Recreation, Safa and its Western Cape branch, and the City of Cape Town on their spectacular launch of the South African bid to host this event, which is by far the greatest sporting event on earth. It is a pity that the result did not go our way in the match against Jamaica. We trust that unanimity on a single African bid will be reached soon and, if it is, that it enjoys the unanimous support of all African countries.
Although we would like to see South Africa announced as the host country, it is imperative that at this point in time we advance the ideals of the continent, ``Afrika ke nako’‘[Now is the time.] This event and the subsequent economic and development spin-offs will provide sure impetus for Nepad. Moreover, we have the assurance from our ANC-led Government that it will support our efforts unflinchingly. An interministerial committee has already been set up, and we would like to congratulate Minister Balfour on his central role in this regard. Thank you, Comrade Minister.
It is with great regret that we learnt of the disintegration of Women and Sport SA, Wassa. We were never in doubt about the importance of this structure and trust that the office of the hon Minister will endeavour to resurrect this very important structure as soon as possible. Without it, South African sport will be the sore loser.
As the National Council of Provinces we are indeed encouraged by the number of provinces which are working seriously to revive indigenous sport. So far there have been a number of competitions in which all South Africans have taken part and they have proved to be both competitive and great fun.
South Africans are once again facing a bumper sporting year with the IRB Rugby World Cup, the African Nations Cup qualifying rounds, the IAAF World Championships and the All Africa Games. These all promise huge excitement. We wish them everything of the best.
In conclusion, Sport and Recreation SA through its endeavours is leaving no stone unturned to level the playing fields in order to ensure access, infrastructure, development and mass participation in sport for all in our country. In so doing, it is staying true to the objectives and the revised White Paper. This leaves us in no doubt that for all sporting South Africans, the tide has turned indeed.
Lastly, we need to indicate to all members of the Council who come from the different provinces that whilst we have the sports imbizos, in which the Minister and others are involved, we are invited to participate in those imbizos. The first one was held in the Eastern Cape and we participated at that level of the NCOP. We wish to encourage MECs from provinces to also take on board the other members present in order to indicate their participation in these imbizos. Thank you, Madam Chair. [Applause.]
Mr N M RAJU: Hon Chair, hon Minister of Sport and Recreation, hon special delegates, hon colleagues, I would just like to preface my remarks by alluding to my hon colleagues who indulged in a frenzied orgy of raucous objections to my motion without notice. [Laughter.]
If they read my motion in a quiet, nongallery-like atmosphere, they would realise that I did not say that Mashaba was wrong. I did not say that Safa was wrong. I said, in essence, that at a time when the international world’s spotlight was focused on South Africa and Safa - on the eve of our 2010 World Cup bid - our top management should have acted decisively not indecisively, not hesitantly, not with unsure steps, but with utter savoir- faire.
I am not alone. I would like to read some of the headlines: the Sunday
Times: Soccer fear still sends out the wrong signals"; the Business Day:
Bafana-England game overshadowed by South African soccer politics”; the
Natal Mercury: Bafana somersaults"; the Natal Witness:Chaos reigns in
South African soccer’’. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
[Interjections.]
Some nations seem to understand sport and its place in the world.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order, Mr Raju. Would you take your seat for a moment. Hon member, are you rising on a point of order?
Mr V V Z WINDVOëL: Yes, Chairperson. I want to check whether it is in order for a member to talk about - debate - a motion which was objected to by the majority of the House. My view is that he is bringing that motion in through the back door.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: That’s not a point of order. [Laughter.] You may proceed, hon member.
Mr N M RAJU: Thank you, Chair. Some nations seem to understand sport and its place in the world. They enjoy their sport. They work hard at it, and accord it a certain respect in their culture. Sporting success translates into an upsurge in national pride.
Our nation’s sporting sophistication is in danger of suffering a fatal blow if our national codes continue to remain in the hands of self-appointed, narcissistic-type individuals for whom fraud and corruption are mere vehicles for self-aggrandisement and who sabotage the ultimate and noble ideals that Sport and Recreation SA has set towards South Africa becoming a great sporting nation.
In its presentation to the select committee, Sport and Recreation SA broadly listed many priorities on its agenda to improve the quality of life of all South Africans through sport and recreation. Not mentioned, in so many words, was the fact that the underlying motive of Sport and Recreation SA was to induce a sense of national pride in, the honour of and love for our national teams in their attempts to bring international laurels to satisfy the nation’s kaleidoscope of cultural communities whose hunger for sporting glory, in whatever form, is insatiable.
No country in the world enjoys watching sport or participating in sport as much as South Africa. No country in the world across racial, ethnic or even political spectrums evinces such a frightening obsession with national sport.
``But we are not such a sick society.’’ I say that in inverted commas. However, I am not so sure after last week’s painful eruption of utter stupidity in the higher echelons of our soccer administration. How can South Africa possibly hope to host the 2010 soccer World Cup if we can’t even agree on the selection of the national soccer team? This question is not mine; it is a question posed in the main editorial of the Sunday Times of 18 May 2003.
I will not dwell on the sequence of events that started at the press conference last Thursday when one Mr Barney Kujane and national coach Shakes Mashaba were announcing their respective, but different, teams purportedly to represent South Africa in a friendly match against England, reputedly the classiest and most highly pedigreed soccer-playing nation in the world. Sanity was ruled offside. [Interjections.]
Will such extraordinary events give sponsors and fans the confidence needed in South Africa to host football’s showpiece event in seven years’ time? As someone already mentioned, the seven-year itch of soccer fever has already started. [Interjections.] I know the Minister is itching to get stuck into me … [Interjections.] [Laughter.] … to get stuck into the opposition, but to use his own words, he can do his damnedest, because sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me. [Interjections.] [Laughter.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! Hon member, I’m afraid your time has expired. [Interjections.] [Laughter.] [Applause.]
Mr M W MFEBE (Free State): Madam Chair, hon Minister, hon members, many a tear has been shed and many a poetic phrase has been sung in support of sports transformation. Yet, resistance to sports transformation, couched in a multiple of guises, remains an albatross around our necks.
I know that there are many people, some of them here and outside, who would like to see sports transformation as a lacklustre, perpetual process only driven by the whims and wishes of those who have appropriated to themselves the right to be the sole proprietors of our sport. Some of these people blatantly undermine Government’s constitutional authority to develop a policy and legislative framework within which all role-players must play. They even readily scoff at Government’s constructive intervention to restore order in our sport as unnecessary and draconian, and as interfering with the autonomy and independence of sports bodies.
I must admit that whilst the national Minister continues to be committed to sports transformation as a non-negotiable issue, the problem lies at the provincial level. There is a lot of buck-passing between provincial and national federations. You find a situation in which when you ask a national federation why they don’t transform, they tell you that they rely on the pools from provinces - provinces don’t transform; they don’t put the athletes forward to be selected. When you go to the provinces, they say, ``If we have an unrepresentative national team it is because we are not involved in selection’’. So there is a lot of buck-passing.
I think I need to tell hon members that whilst the national Minister is not intending to move at this time to legislate on the question of sports transformation, I have come to the realisation, sadly though, that policy does not bind anyone. Policy is based on the consciences of people, if they have consciences at all, to abide by its dictates. It is not legally binding.
We have been talking about sports transformation since the ANC opened the doors internationally to sport in this country, even before we arrived at the 1994 democratic elections. Today we are singing the same monotonous song of sports transformation. In my province, we have gone beyond words, having developed a White Paper on sport and recreation in 1998, the same year the national White Paper was developed.
Now we have a draft Free State sport and recreation Bill. Among other things, it will enforce transformation. I think Government cannot stand on the sidelines and lament the lack of transformation along with Nomathemba in the squatter camp. I say, as an MEC, that I also don’t know what is happening. We hope these people will have good hearts some day and transform. We have the policy and legislative powers given by the Constitution to make changes in this country. You can persuade and encourage people to change, but at some point you must say: ``Ho! Zima apha!’’ Now we need to use the carrot and stick method.
In my province we are going to legislate and make it mandatory for all sports federations to sign a performance agreement with me. In my province we are going to make it mandatory for all sport and recreation bodies to register and be recognised, so that we will know what sports bodies and, in particular, what sports clubs are in the province. This is because no MEC can say how many clubs there are in his or her province. You rely on sketchy information which is not accurate, rather than on a database of clubs. A club is the nucleus for the delivery of sport and recreation. It is where everything must happen. Sports officials must lend support and federations must lend support to a club if we are to see growth in this country. These things are happening, in consultation with all federations, in my province.
I am grateful to the national Minister for having co-hosted a sports transformation summit with us and the Northern Cape in the Free State. Good progress has been made in that regard. I have already appointed a sports transformation committee in my province that will ensure that within each federation there are sports transformation units, so that transformation is not an issue left to the mercy of presidents and CEOs of federations.
Sport is a national asset. It is not the private property of the wealthy, the CEOs or the presidents of this country. No sports body can claim to be independent at all. Government itself is not independent of the people of South Africa. It is people who elect government. It is the citizens who form clubs and federations. Even the sponsors - the corporates - who are selective in sponsoring certain codes, which are skewed in favour of white- dominated sport, derive their very existence from the buying power of all of us, the majority of the people, who do not have any choice when they buy services and products. They need to plough this back and ensure that they help in the transformation process.
Sports sponsors hold a vital key to sports transformation in this country. If they channelled the funds correctly, to where they are needed the most, we would have a resurgence in sport and could put sport on a sustainable growth path. I understand a sustainable growth path to mean that sport has an irreversible and irrevocably high-profile status in the country in which there is continual mass participation and a high number of high-quality athletes who can compete equally, if not be better than, their counterparts in the rest of the world. That is where we are supposed to be moving.
Therefore, Minister, I support all your efforts in sports transformation. I support your budget and wish you well with this fat budget. I hope it is not fat just because it is winter, but that beyond summer you get a fatter budget. I hope that Treasury will give you a good budget. I also support you in your view on the decision you arrived at with the Minister of Education, because we need to have one centre of authority in this country with regard to sports policy and implementation.
When you take the competitive aspects of school sports and give them to the Minister of Sport and Recreation, you create certainty in the delivery of sport, policy interpretation and the delivery of services with regard to sport and recreation. In fact, that position is in line with the Stellenbosch resolution of the ANC. I think you are a faithful servant of your master who sent you to speak in this House, which is the ANC. [Laughter.] [Applause.] On behalf of the Free State, I also fully support the 2010 bid.
I’d like to correct an omission from your speech, Minister, which is that
the world Grand Prix motor cycling championships took place in Welkom. I
say this because in 1999, Sir Bob Charlton, the chair of the UK bid, said
of South Africa: Don't judge South Africa by anything, not by the Rugby
World Cup they have hosted.'' He said this worldwide via the Internet. He
said:Judge them by the grand prix to be held in South Africa in the Free
State in Welkom on 10 October 1999, because it requires high organisational
skills’’. We hosted this event successfully.
My message to Sir Bob Charlton, with regard to the UK team that is coming here, is: Support South Africa because we have met all those challenges. I think any man of integrity would then say, ``They have done exactly what I thought they would not do, five times in a row.’’ I think therefore you would have a colleague who would support South Africa in the 2010 bid. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr A E VAN NIEKERK: Chairperson, many challenges face the nation as South Africa moves into the 21st century. Globalisation, the digital divide, abject poverty, HIV/Aids and creating conditions conducive to sustainable development are a few of the critical issues the nation is seeking solutions for in partnership with other international role-players.
But while significant progress was made in the first nine years of democracy, it was also a period in which it was necessary to develop an enabling policy and legislative frameworks in terms of which various programmes in the Sport and Recreation department could be implemented.
It is necessary to focus the Government, our communities and ourselves towards meeting the needs of the people of South Africa. Our goal should be to enable, educate and empower the physically challenged, who are otherwise severely stigmatised and whose potential is overlooked in many spheres of society. Irregularities and a structural lack of equity in physical, financial and human assets are likely to constrain poor people from participating effectively and efficiently in sport and recreation activities.
One of the most effective ways of enhancing overall national development, decreasing poverty and reducing inequality is the elimination of the enormous disparities in access to utilities and services. Sport and recreational programmes can and will play an important role, not only by delivering services and highly needed benefits to the poor in South Africa, but also by providing income, training and building, and by developing skills.
Abundant evidence from many developing countries indicates that vigorous state spending on sport and recreational programmes can benefit long-term growth and the welfare of the poor at a relatively low cost. This will contribute towards our rugby, cricket and soccer being number one internationally again, because we have the talent and we are simply the best. Maybe the hon singing Minister can add the song Simply the best to his repertoire. [Laughter.]
What must be distinctive about the Sport and Recreation programmes is that they should aim to locate skills that will enable young and old people to believe in themselves - that they can become champions for our beloved country.
Another distinctive feature should be that the projects are designed in a participatory way, with significant community involvement. This is, to a degree, the democratic process in the country by enabling communities to engage with wider political processes, and also potentially serves to enhance the developmental impact of the Sport and Recreation programmes.
The New NP supports the goals set out by you, Minister, and the department. We would like to thank you and the provincial departments, and urge that where facilities are created - and we hope that you are successful in convincing your colleagues that you should keep on creating the facilities
- their use be a priority.
In Groblershoop, a little town in the Northern Cape, sport facilities were erected. The fencing-in of the facilities was done at a high cost, and people were asked to pay a fee to enter the facilities. The result of this was that these facilities were underutilised for years. Players, spectators and municipalities must be motivated and given support to make full use of the facilities created. I also urge the hon Minister to deal with the naming of facilities with sensitivity, because this should contribute towards the unification of South Africa and not serve as a dividing factor. We had enough of that in the past.
Hon Minister, we will help you turn the tide to build and forge a people’s contract for a better South Africa. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr K Z BATYI (Gauteng): Hon Minister, Chairperson, excellencies, gone are the days when sport was just about playing for fun. Today sport contributes to the economic growth of the country. The legacy of the apartheid system resulted in the skewed provisioning of sport and recreational facilities, in decreased participation levels, and in inadequate human and physical resources and funding, especially in previously disadvantaged areas.
In the development of our policy in Gauteng, which is in draft form, we have recognised that sport contributes greatly towards health, wellbeing, economic development, reduction in crime, nation-building and international relations. For the individual, sport can be the means for personal expression, pride and accomplishment. For many people, sports activities are a favourite means for volunteering and sharing treasured moments of rejoicing in the triumphs of their teams.
We believe that the implementation of the Sport and Recreation policy will ensure the betterment of the lives of many South Africans, particularly those who were denied these opportunities before. The policy also addresses the promotion of gender equity and developmental programmes for the youth and people with disabilities, as well as addressing the rural areas of our province.
Improving the delivery of sport for all will also be enhanced by increasing programmes and facilities in poor and historically disadvantaged communities, including access for people with disabilities. Improving the governance of sport will be established to ensure transparency, access, accountability, redress and a well-synergised administrative system. Structures to implement these systems are in the policy, with a code of ethics to address conduct and behaviour.
To produce champions who will participate provincially, nationally and internationally a sports academy structure is being established. It will foster sport development in schools and communities and among the youth to widen talent pools.
As a first phase of the Gauteng Sports Academy, the province has identified six sporting codes, namely cricket, netball, swimming, athletics, rugby and women’s football, and a budget of about R4,7 million has been put aside for this purpose.
In mobilising community and mass participation in sport, the Masakhane Games are a good platform. Additionally, from the Masakhane Games, a Gauteng team is selected to participate in the South African Games. Our facility development programme is complemented by the national poverty alleviation programme. For this we are very grateful. Then comes the question: To whom do our sport administrators account? We should have a system in which Government can intervene when conduct is very unbecoming. Federations should account to the public for every cent of sponsorship they get, how it is spent, how many jobs are created, and the question of skills development and other related issues. Our aim is not to run sport as Government, but to intervene in the interests of our people.
There has been nearly more than a decade of unity in sport, but a sizable portion of South Africans are still finding it difficult to access certain facilities, like swimming and others. In certain sporting codes Africans are still treated shabbily and refused. The reasons given are that they don’t have the technical know-how. We must fight and defeat those tendencies. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr L SUKA (Eastern Cape): Madam Chairperson, first and foremost I want to say, on behalf of my province, that we support this budget as it advances the cause of transformation in our country. In our address to the National Council of Provinces on the Budget Vote of Sport and Recreation in the year 2002, we highlighted the passion the people of the province have for sport and recreation, and their constructive contribution and achievements in the development of South African sport at various levels. Our province continues to unearth talent in various codes of sport, as demonstrated by the inclusion of Monde Zondeki and Robbie Peterson in the Protea cricket squad for the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.
The hosting of three and five Cricket World Cup matches by the Border Cricket Board and the Eastern Province Cricket Board respectively, was the most memorable achievement ever in the history of the province, as this afforded an opportunity for the youngsters who aspire to greatness in cricket to see international stars from various countries in action, for instance stars from Kenya, England, Sri Lanka, Holland and so on.
The organisational capacities of the hosting cities, Buffalo City and the Nelson Mandela Metro, ably supported the cricket federations. Volunteers and the government of the Eastern Cape rose to the occasion and put on a brilliant display of professionalism for the country and the world to see.
As a result of the positive legacy left behind by the Cricket World Cup, the Border Cricket Board will be able to construct cricket ovals to the tune of R3,3 million. I think it is also important to mention where these moneys will be spent, for instance in the remote rural area of kwaMasingata, Mdantsane, East London and Middledrift. The Eastern Province Cricket Board will be in a position to build facilities to the tune of R2,3 million in the following areas: the Joza township in Grahamstown; Graaff-Reinet; Gelvandale in PE, in the northern areas where the KwaZakhele High School will benefit.
With regard to participation in the 2002 South African Games, the challenges imposed by the SA Sports Commission in introducing the concept of the South African Games to the country was met with excitement by all stakeholders in the province. Owing to the province’s participation in the 2002 South African Games, it has been requested through or by the Minmec on Sport and Recreation - that is, the intergovernmental technical committee and the SA Sports Commission - to host the 2004 South African Games. The host city, East London, has been agreed to and various structures and committees are being put in place so as to level the playing field for a spectacular 2004 South African Games event.
The introduction of the Peter Mkata and Zim Lesoro provincial rugby and netball tournament is also a way of encouraging our young ones. The tournament is held in recognition of the role played by Peter Mkata, regarded by many South Africans as the best fly half ever produced in the history of South African rugby, and of Zim Lesoro’s contribution to nonracialism in sport, in particular in the area of women’s development and netball. This is a way of contributing to our transformation agenda.
This tournament increased the level of participation in netball and rugby as activities - the level increased to include 24 districts - in order to decide the winning school in netball and rugby. The activities in the districts culminated in 24 winning schools in netball and rugby participating in the provincial tournament held in the Nelson Mandela Metro last year.
The strategy of scientific and technical support entails the provision of support to athletes and administrators by identifying talent and channelling it, for nurturing, in the academy of sport and its satellites. The policy on the academies of sport is being finalised and, with inputs from provinces, we hope that the national workshop of 21 to 22 May 2003 will produce the desired result in this regard.
By introducing vibrant sports development plans through the concept of village sport and cultural councils, a programme has been designed to open more opportunities, access resources and provide basic sport and recreational facilities in rural towns and villages. The 24 districts of the department are currently piloting the programme that includes the promotion and development of indigenous games and ensuring the participation of villages and rural townships in the building of sport and recreational facilities; and, through the above programme, providing training and opportunities in facility management for volunteers in sport and recreation.
The issue of transformation, which has been alluded to, is a vexing one. In our previous address to the National Council of Provinces we alluded to the fact that the challenges facing the provincial department of sport and recreation were issues related to complete integration and transformation within the unified structures of various codes. The limited resources at the disposal of provincial departments continue to pose a serious challenge and, to some extent, compromise the very issue of transformation.
Closing the gaps in terms of resources and participation between the formerly disadvantaged and advantaged, the urban and rural, male participation and female participation, able-bodied and disabled, is central to transformation and requires huge injections of funds from Government. However, that must be preceded by proper business plans.
Arrogance on issues of transformation by some codes of sport, owing to their financial muscle in world status, is good reason for concern. This means that we concur with the issue raised by the hon MEC from the Free state when it comes to policy and legislation thereof.
We must also say hastily that we do have some challenges, which I think are not insurmountable. The first challenge is the absence of sports commissions in the provinces. The Sports Commission exists only at the national level. As a result, there is a vacuum at provincial level, especially after the National Sports Congress was done away with.
With regard to school sport, I think the issue was well placed and well said here. What we are looking for is the speedy finalisation of that centre to hold under the Department of Education, in that school sport should be under the Department of Education so that the centre can hold - nobody can pass the buck. The level of participation of women, people with disabilities and rural communities is still a challenge.
With regard to sports facilities, the department is acting as an implementing agent in the building of sport and recreation programmes, in collaboration with Sport and Recreation SA. In the previous financial year of 2002-03 there were 12 projects running in the province, to the tune of R14,7 million. Those projects were in the following areas: Tsolo, Ngqeleni, Peddie, Ntabankulu, Mzimkhulu, Mqanduli, Cala, Tsomo, Sterkspruit, Idutywa, Mt Fletcher and Lady Frere. The projects under construction this financial year are at Ngqamakhwe, Mgqesha, Keiskammahoek, Fort Beaufort, Fort Hare, Mdantsane, Lady Frere, Cala, Ngcobo, Sterkstroom and Cofimvaba.
The Eastern Cape Women Sports Association was formed recently to replace the old Women and Sport SA association. The new structure’s role will be to take responsibility for sports development and participation in the areas of sport and recreation. We concur with the national Minister that our role as a province or as government is to provide support and assistance in terms of funding, and in terms of policy development and implementation in that regard.
Currently, 90% of Government funding goes to federations that have women’s participation at various levels. It is part of the provincial policy framework to encourage federations to pay attention to women’s involvement and participation. In addition to the above approach, the department provides an annual allocation to ensure netball development and the participation of the provincial committees in the National Netball League.
We must also say that the tide is really turning, as the Minister was saying. We will support the budget … [Inaudible.] … and will also be working together. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.] Mr H T SOGONI: Sihlalo, Mphathiswa obekekileyo … Hon Chairperson, hon Minister …]
… MECs and special delegates, hon members, the year 2003 marks the beginning of more anxious moments in South African sport as the country embarks upon another fierce contest to win the World Cup bid.
Someone has already warned South Africa not to be complacent. One Tony Mashati has commented that Morocco may prove to be a very strong contender for the 2010 World Cup bid, taking into account that some of the campaigners have extensive international experience and strong networks. We believe as South Africans, however, that now is our time. Dempster or no Dempster, World Cup 2010 should be staged in this country.
Kambe ke sihlalo woosihlalo andisayi kuba sangena kwingxwabangxwaba kaSafa nebid komiti kunye nomqeqeshi. Sele igangathwe ngokwaneleyo. Hleze ide ibe muncu. [Uwelewele] Ndifuna ukuvakalisa ukwaneliseka yintetho uMphathiswa agqiba ukusenzela yona xa esiqinisekisa okokuba umcimbi uwubambile, uphantsi kolawulo olufanelekileyo. Siyabulela, Mphathiswa. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[I will not seek to enter into the issue about the problems between Safa, the bid committee and the coach. Much has been said about that. Things might turn sour. [Interjections.] However, I would like to express our satisfaction at the speech that the hon Minister has just given where he also mentioned that he is taking care of the matter, it is being handled appropriately. We thank the hon Minister.]
Drugs in sport is another subject that has come up regularly in sports
commentaries lately, both locally and internationally. One commentator
refers to drug use in sport as the dope and the glory''. Another has
described doping aswinning at all costs’’. A better explanation is given
by Daphne Bradbury, the CEO of the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport, who
puts it this way:
It’s never enough to come second for many sportsmen, as that could lead to them losing their sponsors.
As one of the core objectives of sport and recreation, as determined by the department, is to achieve more medals, it appears therefore that we have a real and serious problem in this case, because, apparently for some sportspeople, more medals mean more dishonesty; more damage to the integrity, image and value of sport; more contravention of the fundamental principles of sport and fair competition; and more compromise of the health and wellbeing of the drug abuser.
In the words of one Toza Guga it seems that:
The spirit of competition controls many sportsmen; for them, impaired health in the long run is a fair exchange for that glory on the podium.
Combine this with demanding sponsors, and international sport becomes a pressure cooker. This poses the challenge, therefore, for all role-players in sport, at all levels of participation, of joining hands against drug abuse. The SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport will take the lead in this case.
I have also noted that the department, in the preamble to its strategic plan, has acknowledged the still existing disparities between the advantaged and disadvantaged with regard to access to sport. This situation is confirmed by the Gauteng MEC for sport who has been quoted as saying that the past 10 years of change in politics and society has not been equally complemented by development in sport. Thank you, Chairperson. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mnu M MTHIMKHULU (KwaZulu-Natal): Sihlalo, Ngqongqoshe wezemiDlalo nezokuNgcebeleka, malungu alo mKhandlu ohloniphekile, kuyintokozo ukuba yingxenye yale nkulumo-mpikiswano ngalesi sabiwomali salo mNyango wezemiDlalo nezokuNgcebeleka.
Sidinga ukuba sizibuze kulo mKhandlu ukuthi, njengoba nanyakenye sazendlala sazibeka kwacaca izinto okudinga masizenze ukuthuthukisa isimo sezemidlalo kuleli zwe lakithi, ngakube njengamanje sesithathe liphi igxathu? Ngakube ukuhleleka ngokulinganayo kwezidingo zezemidlalo kuleli zwe kuqhubeka kanjani kuze yimanje na? (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Mr M MTHIMKHULU (KwaZulu-Natal): Chairperson, the Minister of Sport and Recreation, hon members of this Council, I am grateful to be part of the Department of Sport and Recreation’s budget debate.
We need to ask ourselves as this Council, as we listed clearly last year all the things that we needed to do to improve sport in our country, how far have we gone? How has this country managed equal distribution of resources in sport until now?]
We cannot keep on emphasising the importance of visible transformation in our sport all the time, only to find that very little is happening practically on the ground. Those who sometimes accuse the Minister of what they choose to call political interference in sport must know - I repeat, they must know - that transformation is not just an option but an obligation. We owe it to our people.
As KwaZulu-Natal we still have the enormous challenge of giving our full attention to sport and recreation. As I indicated last year, we have a serious anomaly in our province in terms of which sport and recreation is still part of a huge department of education and culture. This leads to a situation in which sport is treated like the prodigal son in budgetary terms. I concede that a political decision, such as the one taken yesterday, is needed to address this matter.
Njengesifundazwe esadlakadlwa kakhulu wudlame lwezombusazwe, sikudinga kakhulu ukuqiniswa kokuthuthukiswa kwezemidlalo njengendlela okuyiyona yokujulisa izimpande zokubuyisana nokwakha kabusha isizwe sethu. Ezemidlalo futhi ziba nelikhulu iqhaza ekunqandeni intsha ukuba ingaweli ezilingweni zobelelesi nokubhuqwabhuqwa yizidakamizwa.
Mhlonishwa Ngqongqoshe, mina ngokwami ngikubona kufanele ukuba usiqinise isandla emkhankasweni wokuba ezemidlalo zithathwe njengento engungqa phambili emiphakathini yethu nasekuthuthukiseni izinga lezemidlalo kuleli zwe. Nakuba abanye bangathini bathini, mina ngibona kufanele siqiniswe isandla. Uguquko siyaludinga, umuntu ethanda engathandi, ngoba yilona esalulwela.
Ngqongqoshe, kakufanele ukuba uyekelele nje ezinye izifundazwe zizenzela, njengalesi sethu saKwaZulu-Natali, zizihudulela izinyawo futhi zizithela ngamanzi abandayo ezinhlelweni zokuthuthukisa ezemidlalo. Kufanele iphele nya le nto yokuba kube nemidlalo osathola kuyona ukuthi izinhlanga zakuleli zwe azikamelwa zonke. Njengoba kade esho umhlonishwa, kuyinto engenakubekezelelwa leyo. Kakwehli kahle kimina uma usathola ukuthi iqembu lamaBhokobhoko lisemhlophe kakhulu ngisho nalelo lababhukudi njengoba kade usho. Nokho kuyancomeka ukuthi ngakwikhilikithi kuyazameka kancane. Kodwa sengathi isivinini singenyuswa sokuba amaqembu ethu akhombise ngokweqiniso isimo somumo wezinhlanga zaleli zwe lethu, lokhu abathi ngesilungu ama- demographics. Ngingajabula-ke ukuzwa nawe Ngqongqoshe ugxila impela ucacise ukuthi ngakube lolu hlelo ulubona luhamba ngakho yini. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[As the province that has been mostly affected by political violence, we desperately need serious development of sport as a way to strengthen the roots of reconciliation and to renew our country. Sport also plays an important role in preventing youth from getting involved in criminal activities and being destroyed by drugs.
I think the Minister should put more effort into campaigning for sports to be taken as the most important thing in our communities and into the improvement of the level of sport in this country. Some people may differ, but I think more effort should be put into promoting sport. Whether we like it or not, we need transformation. It is what we fought for. Minister, you should not let some provinces do as they please, like ours, KwaZulu-Natal. They are dragging their feet with regard to sports development programmes. The situation where one finds that sport is not representative of all the races of this country should come to an end. As the hon Minister has said, this will not be tolerated. It is not good enough to me that the Amabhokobhoko team is still very white, and that of the swimmers, as the Minister said. But it is commendable that we are trying in cricket. However, the pace should be faster so that our teams can represent the real situation of our country’s demographics. I would like the Minister to explain whether he thinks that this programme is moving according to plan.]
In conclusion, I urge this Council to exhort our Minister of Sport and Recreation and his department to ensure that in this budget more funds are channelled towards disadvantaged communities for sports development programmes. I am sure that that will go a long way in our united action to push back the frontiers of poverty. I thank you. Ngiyabonga. [Applause.] Mrs R P MASHANGOANE: Chairperson, hon Minister of Sport and Recreation Mr Ngconde Balfour, hon members and distinguished guests, it is an honour to convey fraternal greetings to all from the sport and recreation fraternity in Limpopo.
The significance of this debate is that it is taking place after the recent celebrations of the ninth anniversary of our freedom. This reality calls on us to look back and deepen our introspection and to answer every question correctly and with unparalleled honesty. The Minister said that facilities will be named after heroes. As a humble reminder, Minister, we also have heroes in South Africa.
Across provinces there is no doubt that the issue of transformation has been a challenge and will remain so for a while - until we form a formidable wall-to-wall movement throughout the country to uproot all tendencies which still seek to relegate blacks to the margins of sport.
Motlhomphegi Tona, re a bona gore o swere phaga ka mangana-nngalaba ya tšhitadingaka yeo e šitago Phaahla go ahlola. O leka ka thata go fetola seemo sa ditaba go tša dipapadi. Maloba ale ngwana wa maloba, ka pušo ya kgatelelo, o be a potoka ma šela go dira kgwele ya maoto. Mapatlelo wona e le masetlapelo! (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)
[Hon Minister, we can see that you are working very hard. You are trying hard to change the situation in the Sports department. Previously, during the apartheid era, one used to search for cloths to make a soccer ball. Stadiums were a disaster.]
Limpopo is grappling with this issue. In the previous year we conducted an audit of federations with the intention of measuring the following: the accessibility of sport codes to blacks, particularly those codes which were previously inaccessible to them; the demographic representation of federations’ executive councils and their administrative components; and the scope of operation of such federations as some of them operated as exclusive family clubs, which monopolised public facilities to the exclusion of marginalised groups.
This audit was an eye-opener to the challenges that we still face on the transformation front. What is clear and very real is that for sporting codes such as cricket, hockey, swimming, golf and rugby transformation is still very elusive. However, we are grateful that the Minister has made it his priority to visit provinces and engage all role-players on sports transformation. This will happen in Limpopo in July.
One of the greatest challenges in sport remains the participation of women in codes which are traditionally men’s sports. Our efforts to empower them are really bearing fruit. A proud example are the three women judges and two referees in boxing. One of these referees is conducting her responsibilities at an international level. We were truly humbled by her selection as a referee during a world boxing tournament, which was held in Polokwane earlier this year. In most of our sports structures the participation and representation of women is taken into serious consideration, though we still have to do more to ensure that that reaches the maximum level. That does not happen by chance, but is clearly guided on how it should happen.
Since the new dispensation, sport has been viewed as a vehicle for nation- building and economic development. In that regard, our province has hosted major sporting events of a national and international character that have contributed not only to the growth of sport but also to tourism and the provincial economy. An account of these events is as follows: the Limpopo provincial games; the world practical shooting tournament; the Cosafa tournament: Bafana Bafana versus Swaziland; a world boxing title fight; and the Davis Cup international tennis tournament.
These sports events have rekindled the interest of our people in sport and have made a significant contribution to our economic growth. Our tourism industry also got a positive boost as most of the visitors took great interest in our tourist destinations. We celebrate the job opportunities that were created for black empowerment companies employed to render services during those events.
Thirty days from today, in June, we will be staging one of the major sporting events for the province - the O R Tambo Games. These games were formerly known as the Limpopo Provincial Games. They have been renamed the O R Tambo Games to honour the memory of this great leader who was a source of inspiration and a role model for our youth during the apartheid days. Subsequent to this event, another major event on the calendar is the National Indigenous Games festival in September.
We have no doubt that these events will have the same impact as the ones we have had already in terms of job creation and poverty eradication, and that they will contribute to sports development and growth.
Talking about these events reminds all of us of the critical lack of facilities in most rural parts of our country. In our province we are inundated with requests from communities to provide them with sports facilities. These are always tall orders because at provincial level, owing to the meagre budget for the sport portfolio, we do not budget for capital projects.
We, however, appreciate the allocation from the Building for Sport and Recreation Programme which has made it possible to establish basic sports facilities in most communities. Last year in September we handed over 12 facilities to municipalities, some of which were renovated and others newly erected. Another batch will be handed over this year. These facilities create a conducive environment, which has begun to turn our disadvantaged communities into playing communities. Throughout the years, we have ensured that nodal points receive 30%, as required by the allocation framework of these funds.
The other area which the province still struggles with is that of school sport, whose rightful location has not been pronounced in terms of policy, that is whether it belongs to the Department of Education or the Department of Sport and Recreation. This matter we urge the Minister to give urgent priority so that the funding of schools participating in sports activities does not remain a permanent dilemma. This situation hampers the focused development of sport at school level.
However, good news is that one of our primary schools, Klaas Mothapo, came out champions in the Ussasa MTN under-17 soccer tournament, which positioned them to participate in the World Schools Tournament in China. Unfortunately, owing to Sars - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - this tournament is to be held in abeyance until an alternative host country is identified. We congratulate our boys on this rare achievement.
This is an overview of the sport and recreation landscape in Limpopo. Obviously, this does not exhaust the whole range of issues that we can share in this debate. Our impression is that our sport is growing though there are some stiff challenges … [Time expired.] [Applause.] Mr K PANDAY (KwaZulu-Natal): Madam Chair, hon Minister and hon colleagues, in a very sporting spirit I bring felicitations and greetings from the Kingdom of the Zulus.
The hon Minister today touched on a wide variety of issues much of which emphasised the need for transformation and the upliftment of sports performance. Sir, you have our fullest support. South Africa has proved to the world, post-1995, that it is one of the greatest sporting nations in this universe. May our sporting heroes continue to make us proud of them.
Sport and recreation are human phenomena that in the past two decades have become the focus of serious social and economic research internationally. As Prof Richard Rottkov succinctly put it, they thoroughly deserve the scientific attention they receive, as they are an integral and vital part of human, economic and social life. In South Africa, almost 10 years into our democratic dispensation, sport and recreation continue to be the joy of all our people throughout the country. Like every other aspect of our post-liberated, democratic society, the legislative frameworks are in place for the implementation of the transformatory agenda so instrumental in moving our people beyond the bondage of apartheid. This means that legislators need to unite with communities throughout our country in a colossal effort of solid and sustainable implementation that can only be successful if it encompasses the struggle for equity, transparency, accountability and capacity- building. This, in turn, will enhance our democratic and collective values and solidify our unity as a nation and as a people.
Allow me to thank the hon MEC from the Free State for his call for one central authority for sport in our country. Taking a cue from the hon MEC, the hon Minister should ensure that all sporting bodies in this country register with a central body and that each should sign a performance agreement. In this way we would get a fully representative team in each code of sport. No one would be sidelined, and no one must be left out.
In this gallant fight, the access of our women and the physically challenged to facilities and opportunities is of paramount importance. We are all proud of the achievements of our physically challenged athletes in many international events such as the Olympics.
Hence, it is a priority for all of us to ensure that the opportunities and resources are made available for the continuation of such processes at all levels. We need to ensure that all women feel free to participate in sport and recreation activities throughout our country.
There is a serious backlog in sporting resources, and thus the existing coherent and comprehensive developmental policies need to be implemented in order to achieve our precious aims and objectives. These need to be based on scientific assessments of the developmental needs of our communities.
Our continual efforts to relate sport and recreation to the growth in and development of tourism will be a catalyst for economic growth and development, the eradication of poverty and the acceleration of black economic empowerment at all levels.
We want to elaborate on school sport and recreation as a fundamental basis for creating a healthy and well-educated youth, hence a healthy, powerful and prosperous nation. In terms of school sport, we need to resuscitate the interschool and intraschool sports programmes with the educators and the communities as the vital links, that is both the stakeholders and the role- players.
In the KZN legislature, I suggested incentives for educators to become seriously involved in this process, by utilising weekends in order not only to instil the culture of Batho Bele in our learners, but also the pleasure, joy, dignity and discipline associated with sport. One needs to acknowledge the lack of infrastructure in the majority of our schools, especially in the poorest and rural areas.
I want to wholeheartedly support the vision and hands-on approach of the new KZN Minister of education, the hon Mr Narend Singh, who suggested the use of bulldozers to create level sporting fields in our beloved province. Indeed, we need to level the sporting fields, both literally and figuratively. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: I now call the hon C M Dugmore, the chairperson of the standing committee on health, cultural affairs, sport and recreation. Hon Minister, I hope you could take in that long name.
Mr C M DUGMORE (Western Cape): Chair and Minister, I am deeply honoured to take part in this policy debate in the NCOP today. I would like to formally convey the apologies of our MEC, MEC McKenzie, who is unable to be here.
For the benefit of the Chairperson, I would like to say that until a few weeks ago I had a very simple title behind my name - the chairperson of the health committee, but for my sins they have now asked that cultural affairs, and sport and recreation be added to this committee. So, I am looking forward to the work that lies ahead.
In fact, a very long time ago, I was a former secretary of the then National Sports Congress in this province. It was a very long time ago, a time when the Minister, sitting opposite me over there, and ourselves were in the trenches doing things like fighting against rebel tours and, in fact, at that stage, trying to persuade people, even in the nonracial sporting fraternity, that unity was, in fact, the best course.
I have always had a passion for sport and its ability to bring people together, to contribute to nonsexism and nonracism and, in fact, to be a catalyst for development to assist with the moulding of our youth. So it appears from what I have heard today that the battle lines are still drawn and that there is a lot of work that still needs to be done.
Voorsitter, dit is eintlik merkwaardig om te sien hoe ver ons as die ANC- regering gevorder het in die laaste 10 jaar. Maar daar is mense wat nog raas wat daardie tyd geraas en geskreeu het. Eintlik net soos die lid Raju wat ook aanhou om te raas en te skreeu oor die feit dat die ANC-regering aangedring het op die noodsaaklikheid van transformasie in sport, om spesifieke stappe te neem om bruin en swart spelers geleenthede te gee. Die feit bly staan dat dié stappe nodig was. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, it is in fact remarkable to see how far we as ANC Government have progressed during the past 10 years. But there are people who made a noise and shouted at the time who are still making a noise and shouting. Actually like the member Raju who keeps making a noise and shouting about the fact that the ANC Government insisted on the necessity of transformation in sport, to take specific steps to afford coloured and black players opportunities. The fact remains that these steps were essential.]
The reality is that unless we are prepared to continue taking specific steps to affirm our players, our administrators and our coaches, and also to continue our work to build and upgrade facilities in communities which have never had them, we will not be building equity in sport. All of us acknowledge that much has been achieved, but more needs to be done. I think the sentiment reflected in what the MEC from the Free State said today is a very real one and should, in fact, serve as a spur to all of us to increase the pace of transformation.
Apha eNtshona Koloni, uRhulumente wethu uyazama okokuba abantu bethu
bamanyane, kwaye savuya kakhulu akuba uMphathiswa wethu encedile ukunyula
iKapa xa aBafana Bafana beza kudlala apha kunye neJamaica phantsi
kweWorld Cup 2010 bid''. Thina bantu baseNtshona Koloni siza kuyinceda
ibid committee’’ yethu ukuze siwine ngo2010. Asifuni ukuba sibuye sidane
kwakhona kule ``bid’’. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph
follows.)
[Our government, here in the Western Cape, tries to unite our people, and we were exhilarated by the help when our Minister chose Cape Town as the venue for Bafana Bafana/Jamaica match of the 2010 World Cup Bid. We, people of the Western Cape, are going to assist our bid committee so that we come out at the top in 2010. We do not want to be disappointed again this time round. [Applause.]]
We cannot afford to fail again. In fact, I want to put it on record that our province appreciates the role that our Minister has played over the weekend in developing a compromise between Safa and the bid committee. This particular intervention has, I think, taken us a long way forward in terms of tomorrow’s game.
However, what I find very disturbing is the fact that people like Mr Raju stand up in this House today and, in fact, contribute to creating a sense of crisis and, by raising concerns about the way Safa has handled the issue, begin to question the bid itself. I think this is very, very dangerous. All of us acknowledge that there are concerns and problems, but to then begin to say that we are in danger of hosting the bid, is a particular connection that I don’t see.
We have, in fact, emerged from hosting very successful activities and, simply because of a selection problem, to then begin to question whether this country can host the bid itself, is something that I don’t think goes any way towards supporting what we know our country can actually perform. [Interjections.]
I think it is, in fact, cheap politics to stand up here and raise questions about our capacity to host the bid itself when dealing with the problem which we saw last week. I do not think this is correct. Sometimes I find that the organisation that that particular member represents rejoices when there are problems, because that allows them to create cheap politics and to mouth what newspaper headlines do every week, and they do not, in fact, contribute to finding solutions to these problems.
For us in the Western Cape issues of equity, redress and access are critical to the transformation agenda of our national and provincial government. I think it is important to remind members of this House that, until very recently, we had a provincial government which was, in fact, one of the loudest critics of attempts to transform sport, of attempts to transform recreation and culture in this particular province.
However, our new provincial government has, in fact, taken a very bold step to consolidate the departments of sport and recreation, and arts and culture into one department and, for the first time, to begin to appoint officials in this province that begin to reflect the people of this province.
Until almost a year or two ago we did not have a department of sport and recreation in this province that actually represented the people of this province. We had a situation in which African administrators from the Western Cape were consistently not appointed to drive the transformation programme. Lip service was, in fact, being paid to the need to transform. [Interjections.] Now that we have actually implemented the new provincial government arrangement, people are being filled with hope for the first time that we are going to take transformation seriously.
In fact, what has been done under our new Minister is to take steps to ensure that each and every code in this province submit development plans so that the department can assist in achieving equity by monitoring and supporting each one of those plans. One of the steps that our MEC is busy implementing at the moment is ensuring that we have a dedicated transformation unit within the directorate to ensure that all the federations in our province participate in achieving the goals which have been set. I think sentiments expressed in this House, which have been about the need to actually register those federations, need and deserve our support.
In addition to our work with the federations, we are as a province actively working with four regional sports councils as well as the Western Cape Sports Forum to monitor the implementation of these plans. With regard to one of the initiatives which has been taken now, our department insists that all applications for funding by federations have to include progress reports in regard to the advancement of women and the disabled, and attempts to build nonracism and encourage rural development. Those are looked at before federations are considered for funding.
One of the concerns that we had identified in our province in regard to sport was the fact that when it came to disabled sport, there were a number of different structures in existence in our province. I am pleased to inform the House and the Minister that only last week our department took steps to unite these organisations and, in fact, launched Disability Sport Western Cape on 16 May in Vredenburg. The structure was launched and an executive elected on the first day. The following day over 600 athletes participated in six different sporting codes. So, we have actually moved a long way towards uniting and co-ordinating the disabled sports section in our province.
Another issue where I think we have seen progress in the last year is that of more active support for the policy objective of developing the participation of women and girls in sport, both in the playing and in the administration of our codes. This particular programme also includes capacity programmes to develop women as technical officials, coaches and managers. However, a key challenge remaining is the need for much greater efforts to draw in women and girls from historically disadvantaged communities where levels of participation are clearly inadequate.
I think another major challenge facing the department is also to align our
work with the new economic growth and development strategy for the Western
Cape, which was announced by MEC Rasool during the budget speech. This
strategy, Ikapa Elihlumayo'' orDie Groeiende Kaap’’, aims to identify
key sectors which have the potential to grow our economy. It also calls on
each department to look at ways in which development takes place across the
province and not only at areas which have benefited historically.
We remain convinced that sports tourism is a sector with even greater
potential for growth in our province. We want to attract further major
international and national events to our province in an ongoing way, and
also to promote the use of facilities in areas outside of the metropolitan
one. I will convey to our MEC the urgings of our Minister that the event in
George is one which is not only successfully run, but also contributes to
golf development in that particular region.
Central to this programme is providing opportunities for previously disadvantaged service providers at these events, and also ensuring that the whole sports and events management sector, as a part of our regional economy, provides opportunities for black economic empowerment. Just as we need transformation within sport itself, we also need transformation within the sports industry within our particular province.
I think the Minister’s announcement in regard to the agreement reached with the Minister of Education is welcome. In fact, there has been progress in our province over the last year and a half among the department of cultural affairs and sport, the department of education and the department of community safety. In addition, in our own provincial budget an amount of R12 million had been allocated to facilitate the delivery of sports programmes in school. I think the new announcement means that we need to engage with the Minister to actually look at how we are going to continue working with the three departments, because the department of community safety has also become involved. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! I now call Ms N P Khunou who will making her maiden speech today. [Applause.]
Ms N P KHUNOU: Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, sport is a diversity of languages that the whole world understands and speaks. It is thoughts brought together into a more practical form. Though there are times when you cannot express yourself, you always have a way of expressing yourself through sport. Sport shows people outside of you the creativity inside you. Not only does it bring about a sense of team building, but also a sense of nation- building. Sport is magic. It is unifying and healing. It brings everyone together to see the creativity that was given to us from the beginning.
The preamble to our Constitution states:
We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity. We therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to -
Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on
democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights;
Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which
government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is
equally protected by law;
Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of
each person; and
Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful
place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.
South Africans recognise past injustices and so does the Constitution. This country has seen unknown systematic exclusion of black participation in sport. In other words, we could not display the artistry within ourselves. We were indoctrinated to become obscure, since our abilities to perform were removed. To our mind, sport can provide the healing qualities for our nation. Sport and recreation are providing us with an enabling environment to excel and demonstrate discipline. Right now we are recapturing part of what was lost for a long period. I would like to quote from the 1995 South African yearbook under RDP and sport. It states:
Enforced segregation of sport and recreation during apartheid years has denied millions of South Africans the right to a healthy life.
It also emphasises the view that sport and recreation play an integral part in establishing a healthy society.
The youth are involved in drugs, substance abuse and other crimes. It is also a fact that our prisons are overcrowded with juvenile offenders. This is because they are still deprived of the opportunity to play sport and live healthy lifestyles. Just like a goal on a soccer field brings celebration, our young men and women should be able to set themselves goals that bring them joy.
Transformation in sport is a guided process that can be planned, controlled and co-ordinated. It is a process of taking stock of what has been achieved by comparing agreed policies against performance on the sporting field. It means that we not only achieve the stated objectives, but sustain that which has already been achieved. For example, in the past, soccer was predominantly a black sport, whereas now it is reflecting the demographics of our country.
It is incumbent upon all of us to remove every obstacle and barrier based on unfair discrimination, specifically relating to racism, disabled persons, disparities and gender. We remain committed to selecting teams that reflect the demographics of our country, with an emphasis on quality irrespective of race.
It is clear that sport is a national asset. Therefore everyone has an important role to play in giving back to the communities what was taken from them. It is our responsibility to give communities equitable access to all facilities by high-performance training.
In the Free State we have multipurpose facilities in all five districts. They were all completed in record time - by the end of March 2003. I would also like to emphasise proudly that we have not forgotten our cultural sport in our province. We are introducing indigenous sports in acknowledgement of the rural nature of our province. Sport should not benefit the residents of urban areas alone, but should benefit everyone in that it should be extended to all remote communities. We are in the process of accrediting training: `dipapadi tsa Basotho, diketo, kgati, moraba- raba’’ [the games of the Basotho people (names of games)], to mention a few. This shows some of the richness of our cultural activities which can boost education and health.
Women were forgotten in the past in sport. They are now participating not only in their historical sports, but also in soccer, boxing and so on. We now have a national soccer team called Banyana Banyana. It is also quite an achievement to know that disabled people are now recognised and given an enabling environment unlike in the past. They have accessibility to sports, which is what our Constitution requires. They now partake in different sports.
This is precisely the aim of our ANC-led Government: to improve the quality of lives through sport and recreation and free the potential of each and every individual. This Budget Vote before us today seeks to ensure that access and opportunity are translated into action. The ANC supports the Vote. God bless us all. Thank you. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION: Chairperson, let me start very quickly by referring to the maiden speech of Mama Khunou. Thank you very much for your contribution to sport. I think what you mentioned first was the unifying aspect of sport, interestingly enough. You are very, very correct. All South Africans are mad about sport, irrespective of age or gender. They love their sport.
The problem sometimes with most of us South Africans is that we don’t use our minds and brains to think when it comes to sport, as we do in other aspects of life. When it comes to sport, we think with our hearts. That is the problem in most cases. People become too emotional and use their hearts for thinking. The heart is not for thinking, it is for pumping blood and making sure that life goes on. [Laughter.] The mind is there to do the analysis, to think and to rationalise, but the problem is that we don’t use it.
Regarding the whole debate that was referred to by Mr Raju, I did mention
in my speech that in most cases I am supposed to respond to media reports -
screaming headlines that say: Chaos in Jukskei''. Everybody runs and
asks:Where is that Minister?’’ [Laughter.] ``Where is that Minister?
Things are going wrong’’. Here I am not just referring to people from other
political parties, but even to people from my own organisation, my beloved
ANC.
When people throw bottles and stones and what have you onto the field, as
has happened in a game in South Africa, I am not sure how many people phone
me asking What are you doing about that?'' [Laughter.] I said to one of
them, who came from Ngqushwa:Ncumisa, I am at home at my sister’s place
in Middledrift.’’ [Laughter.] I am enjoying home-baked bread and jam. Why
do you phone me when people at FNB stadium decide to throw bottles and
everything else?'' She said: No, no, no. Go and do something about
that.’’ [Laughter.] That is why I say that people think with their hearts
rather than with what God gave them to think with. Mntaka Khunou …
[Khunou’s child.] … you are quite correct. This is supposed to be a
unifying aspect, but it’s not.
If your own team loses, people phone and say, ``Did you see that referee? Minister, do something about these referees.’’ [Laughter.] As I go around, I carry my own referee cards. Here’s my yellow card, here’s my red card. I have them because I am sick and tired of not being able to have my own cards, so that when you say do something, I can tell you to forget about it. Do you think I am going to go there and tell those Kaizer Chiefs and whichever other supporters who are throwing stones to stop? I am in Middledrift. How do I do that? So you are red-carded. The police and the administrators on the field are supposed to do this, not the poor Minister
- Bhumbhum’s father - who has to run all the way there to stop that. If your team loses, then it’s ``Minister, do something.’’ Thank you, Mntaka Khunou. [Khunou’s child.]
At home nobody touches my remote control, because it’s something that I don’t share with anybody. I decide what I am going to watch. I see a team doing well so I want to watch. For instance, I see Phunya Selesele is doing very well; or that team is doing very well. So if anybody touches the remote control and I do not know where it is, it’s war, because if you phone me and say that referee so-and-so is not doing the right thing, I will know exactly what you are talking about. Then I can respond to you. That’s how difficult it is to run sport in a country which is sports mad.
Kgoshi will ask me: Why are Black Leopards not doing well, Minister?''
From the Eastern Cape they will ask me: Why are Bush Bucks facing
relegation?’’ I don’t play football. You can see that. [Laughter.] I’m not
physically … [Interjections.] I don’t play football.
Let me respond quickly - I don’t want to take up too much of your time, Chairperson. All the things that you have mentioned, I have taken note of. I have taken note of the issues that you raised, Mr Panday. First of all, the special delegate is quite correct. If there could be a separation of the sports department from that of education and culture - so that it stands alone, whether that means sports, arts and culture - that, to me, would make a lot of sense. At the moment, being with education, it does not make sense, because it will always be the stepchild of education. Dit maak nie sin nie. [It does not make sense.] So, talk to hon Narend Singh - he has been given the job now - to really make sure that sport is run properly within that province. Otherwise, you will never be able to do that.
What has come out throughout is the issue of school sport. I am happy that members have been concerned about this, as I have been concerned too - the funding and placement of school sport. It always follows that you start with placement and then funding follows. You cannot start the other way round. You start with placement first. You know where it is, then you follow it with funding. Now that we have agreed with Prof Asmal, it is going to be very easy. I hope provinces do not confuse issues here.
School sport is solely my responsibility. It is my core business to look after sport. The Department of Education does not have the core business of looking after sport. Their core business is education. My core business is sport. It’s overarching for both of us. So we have agreed to separate the two, but in a very good relationship, working together so that they look after the curricula aspects. These are human movement; PT, which we used to do; and all those kinds of things so that you know where the muscles are, for instance where the hamstring is - you can’t have a hamstring here. It should be somewhere here. They will be able to do that. Regarding the competitive aspects, we’ll be able to look after them and fund them. We have agreed. We are meeting on the 28th in the morning with Prof Asmal. We have a joint minmec with the Education and the Sport and Recreation minmecs. They call it the council; I call it minmec. We will get them together. We’ll talk about this so that it cascades down to the provinces and so that every teacher, even in the rural areas, knows what is going to happen.
The second issue is indigenous sport. You spoke about it, Mama Khunou - diketho, uqgaphu, stick-fighting and all those sports. Those are sports that we want to recognise. The Sports Commission is doing very well. The provinces are launching them, and I am very happy with the way they are coming on. I love skipping ugqaphu - you know, rope skipping.] EsiXhoseni ngugqaphu. [In Xhosa we call it ugqaphu.] It is played by counting one, two, three; ele ele; one, two, three; ele ele; and then you jump. I can still do it, and I love doing it. My children get embarrassed when I do these things. [Laughter.] On the issue of Wassa, Women and Sport SA, I am aware that the Eastern Cape province has already launched its own association. I hope all others do the same. Bring in people who can be of benefit to women in sport. I would love to see that happening. This shouldn’t just include women who are activists only, but also those who are in sport. Put them together so that they can then be able to monitor what’s happening with sport in their provinces. I am a father of three daughters. So I have a vested interest in seeing that women’s sport is taken seriously.
Regarding transformation, everybody has spoken about it, and I fully agree with them. We will march on and come up with a sports national transformation charter. We are left with few provinces. We are going to Limpopo - you are quite correct - within the next few weeks. We are launching this in Limpopo. We will do this with the other provinces as well, finish it and come up with a charter. If we can do that in mining, commerce and other spheres of our lives, then why don’t we do that in sport? Therefore we are busy doing that in sport so that nobody is confused. We don’t confuse Mr Raju and his party anymore, because at the moment they are very confused.
MEC Tata Mfebe spoke very well. He is a good orator. He spoke very, very well. To have MECs of that calibre in all the provinces makes my job very easy, because they are clued up. They know exactly what needs to be done. So I am very happy with the contribution.
With regard to the motor grand prix, yes, I do welcome what you have said. I don’t have a fat budget. There is a difference between fat and big. You see, people think that Ngconde is fat. No, I am not. I am big. [Laughter.] That’s what makes sportspeople think before they say anything to me. Ek is groot. [I am big.] So, before you say anything silly, you think twice. You just don’t say whatever you like. [Laughter.] I am present, you see. [Laughter.]
You spoke about the issue of disabled sport. These are the sportspeople who bring us the most medals. Can we give them, the disabled sportspeople, a big hand? [Applause.] They give us the best and bring the biggest haul of medals to this country. These are people such as Zanele Situ, Pringle and Terrence Parkin. They really make us very proud, and we should be looking after them. So each and every province should be looking after these people.
Western Cape, thank you very much for uniting the associations for disabled sportspeople. This then will link up with Disability Sport SA at national level. Last week I visited the Efata School for the Deaf and the Blind near Fairfield Senior Secondary School where the ANC in Cicirha held the provincial conference of the ANC. I visited that area to give them equipment. I am going to be going back there to assist Efata to be in the mainstream of disabled sport in our country so that they can participate.
Lastly, I will keep on interfering and intervening. I will not stop doing that. You can write, you can squeal, you can complain, you can throw your toys out the cot, it won’t help. You can see that I am thick-skinned, and nothing is going to stop me from doing that. I’ve been given a task to do by the President of this country and the ANC and, by golly, I’m going to do it. It’s as simple as that. You complain, and you’ll do anything from another party, but please just forget about that. Join us to do what is correct. Your complaints on the side are not going to help us.
Lastly, facilities are a problem. I’ve spoken about them, and I know exactly what needs to be done because I visit most areas. We need to look at this issue. Also, regarding the issue of this World Cup, I agree with what the members have said, especially Mr Dugmore whose brother was also one of the best fly halfs I have ever seen play for UCT. It was your younger brother? [Interjections.] Oh! Kwakulamba usana apho. [Oh! That game was tough.] He was good. He was a youngster to me. He got in when I had just finished playing. I really thought that one day I could get him back and try to show him what we did in our time. He was very good. [Interjections.] Yes, you are right, my days are gone. I wish that 40 years could be taken off my age. [Laughter.] Taken off, and I can just be, you know …
You see, when we talk about the bid and other things, I think we should look at our country holistically. The little issue of a mishap between the coach, the what-have-you, and everything else, does not say that we don’t have the integrity, we don’t the capacity, nor the commitment to be able to refocus ourselves. We should not make a big issue out of one little incident. By actually driving it further and further and making it a big issue, we are really not doing this country any justice. So I am really hoping that whatever comments we make about this, they are comments that can be beneficial to the country.
I am not here as the Minister to demonise South African sport. I am not here to do that. I am here to enhance sport and to make sure that it is assisted in order that it is run efficiently, democratically and transparently. So, this is not about demonising sport.
I am not going to read the headlines of a newspaper and start saying: ``Look at these people! What are they doing?’’ No. My job is to make sure that I call them together, intervene and convince them that this is not in the best interests of the country. Leadership suggests that we refocus people. We make sure that we persuade them. We make sure that we coax them into a particular position, and we make sure that we reach compromises, compromises that are in the best interests of sport and in the best interests of the country.
So, whatever happened last week on Thursday, it is not something that is
going to make me stand up and say: You were wrong; you were right; you
were this or that''. That is not for me to do. For me it is to sit down,
listen and give leadership, and then come up with a position in order that
we can say to the country:We are out of this morass now. We are focusing
this way’’.
At the present moment the compromise that has been reached is that Jomo will coach the team on Thursday. That has been accepted. The coach, Shakes Mashaba - I am saying the coach as well - accepts that. We are going there on Thursday as a country to launch the international bid and to make sure that we send a message out there that says: ``Dempsey or no Dempsey, this time we are going to host the football World Cup in our country.’’
Regarding whatever problems we encounter, Bra Steve used to say that you use all gears when you drive a car: first gear, second gear, sometimes reverse gear when you see that you’re in the mud. You reverse and get out. I respect Mr Raju. He is a sportsperson. He knows sport. If some people in the party he belongs give him the wrong advice, the credibility that I think you have as a former sportsperson is going to wane and fall. Don’t take any advice they give you. [Laughter.] [Interjection.] Don’t take that advice. They really are messing you around, Mr Raju. [Laughter.] Trust me when I say this. I am younger than you. Trust me.
They are really messing you around. I don’t want to look at you and see a bitter old man who is confused. I want to look at you and say that that’s the man who said to me one day … Papwa Sewgolum was given his trophy in the rain in this country. Mr Raju was there. Mr Raju knew what was going on. He brought that whole thing to him. Do not be made a pawn by people who do not like this country. Don’t be made a pawn. Don’t do that to yourself.
We are on course. We know what we are doing. Come Thursday, we will be playing in Durban, launching this bid. After that we will sit down with the coach and with Safa. Again, this Minister will intervene and give direction, and we will move forward. Thank you. [Applause.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Thank you very much, hon Minister, for the exciting debate. It really shows that we have a Minister who is very active in all the sporting codes in this country. Thank you very much. We wish that all Ministers would do the same to keep us happy and be able to address real issues in this House.
Debate concluded. SALUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF AFRICA - THE 40-YEAR CONTRIBUTION OF THE OAU TO AFRICA’S FREEDOM AND UNITY
(Subject for Discussion)
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Madam Chairperson of Committees, I am pleased to have this opportunity to introduce this very important debate. As members are aware, on 25 May we shall commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity - an important commemoration indeed. The celebrations that we held last year to welcome the launch of the African Union and those that will mark the OAU’s contribution to African freedom and progress this Sunday are a rare opportunity for South Africa and Africa to mark the historic achievements of Africans.
In an address to the Ghana National Assembly on 8 August 1960, against the background of the crisis in the Congo created by the presence of the Belgian troops and the secession of Katanga, Kwame Nkrumah argued as follows: The African struggle for independence and unity must begin with political union. A loose confederation of economic co-operation is deceptively time delaying. It is only a political union that will ensure a uniformity in our foreign policy, projecting the African personality and presenting Africa as a force important to be reckoned with.
I repeat, he said:
A loose economic co-operation means a screen behind which detractors, imperialists and colonialist protagonists and African puppet leaders hide to operate and weaken the concept of any effort to realise African unity and independence. A political union envisages a common foreign and defence policy, and rapid social, economic and industrial developments. The economic resources of Africa are immense and staggering. It is only by unity that these resources can be utilised for the progress of the continent and for the happiness of mankind.
It is clear from these words that the formation of the OAU was a response to a desire, a desire that the shared African experience made necessary; that geography and history made necessary; a desire to give Africa the appropriate hearing in the councils of the world, a hearing that it deserved.
As Salim Salim, one-time Secretary-General to the OAU, wrote:
The founding fathers and mothers recognised then, as we recognise more vividly today, that the salvation of Africa does not lie in individualised action, but in the collective approach at the continental level. Consequently, the search for unity has continued to be a guiding philosophy and an ideal to whose achievement the Organisation of African Unity has dedicated itself.
We as South Africans are correct to commemorate the Organisation of African Unity’s contribution to unity, liberation and democracy on the continent. There are many commentators both on our continent and outside who tend to be negative about Africa, yet few can deny the important impact of the OAU on South African and African affairs.
One of the most significant contributions to the liberation struggle is that made by the liberation committee of the Organisation of African Unity. The liberation committee worked to ensure African support for our struggle and ensured that South Africa under apartheid was never off the agenda of the Organisation of African Unity.
The existence of the Organisation of African Unity also ensured African attention to the resolution of conflict. As the report of the South Commission states: ``The Charter of the OAU sets up ways for the peaceful resolution of intra-African disputes.’’ And although these were not always effective, the OAU has time and again succeeded in dampening incipient conflict or in adding pressure for settlement.
The various OAU charters on rights place Africa in the domain of continents that were ready to give attention to universally recognised human rights. Many countries on the continent failed to observe these rights or to produce laws that advanced the exercise of them. Nevertheless, for many African people they served as a guiding standard, one that was often woefully absent from the lives of our people.
This lack of implementation of OAU charter agreements is, in my view, an important signpost for African parliaments and for the new African Union, because in their founding protocols we find similar provisions. We as parliaments have a responsibility to encourage action on international agreements and to ensure that our governments act to make charters of rights a practical reality.
We often engage as parliamentarians in deliberations on these charters and other international instruments and yet, very rarely, do we spend time assessing the degree to which they are indeed acted upon in our country and countries on the continent. I believe as Parliament that we need to take on this review and role far more seriously.
The African Union, as a further advance of the Organisation of African Unity, must also seek to develop monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance with resolutions of the union. The Commission on Peace and Security should, for example, initiate a process of ensuring that governments and parliaments are alert to action that should be taken to ensure compliance with humanitarian law. Just last week a uniform report on the impact of conflict on women was launched in our Parliament. The report clearly points to the need to ensure observance on our continent and elsewhere of humanitarian law. Our countries and our parliaments must ensure that the security services are trained in these areas and that school curricula focus on humanitarian issues and conduct geared toward humanitarian law.
Our commemoration of the OAU also needs to be a celebration of African achievements and, unfortunately, as Africans we don’t often celebrate. It is a fact that most of the positive developments of note in Africa occurred in the postindependence era, that is during the life of the Organisation of African Unity. For example, education provision and development was a focus of African governments after independence and not an outcome of colonialism. We often tend to have a view that it is the colonisers who introduced education on our continent, but it is the governments after independence that, in fact, pursued educational development and provision in many of our countries.
Many of you would know, for example, that when Botswana achieved independence, there was only one secondary school in the whole of the country, whereas today there are more than 30 secondary schools in Botswana, introduced by the government of Botswana after independence and not in the colonial era. We need to begin to acknowledge the history of African achievement. We need to ensure that the achievements of Africa are part of our historical record and part of the historical record of the Organisation of African Unity. One of the most significant issues that I believe we should all confront and seek answers to is the need to popularise the work of the Organisation of African Unity and the work of our new body, the African Union. We, as African people, are often forced to accept negative definitions of Africans, because our sources on African knowledge are non-African sources and often are commentators who are ignorant of the condition of Africans, or are persons who have internalised the pessimistic view of African progress. We need to develop our own record of our progress. These commentators succeed in the morale disarmament of Africans, because Africans and African organisations have neglected the development of indigenous records of African progress, of indigenous records of African achievements, of indigenous records of African challenges.
The African Union has to begin promoting writing on African affairs as an ongoing activity. A popular, accessible, multilingual annual publication on the African Union should be produced each year to keep our communities abreast of the African Union. We could also look at giving nongovernmental organisations a role in this regard.
Alongside preparing this 2003 African Union popular report, the African Union could also ensure that a publication on the Organisation of African Unity is commissioned so that the historic contribution of the OAU, its offices and its participants are preserved for all time. Who will ensure that we remember Salim Salim? We do not have a record of his contribution as Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity, and much of the record of the Organisation of African Unity is absent from our bookshelves.
The Organisation of African Unity was established primarily to assist Africa in coping with the postcolonial challenge. It did vital work in ensuring a transition to full liberation and to African unity. The creation today of the African Union provides for increased attention to the large number of outstanding development challenges that the OAU sought to address, but couldn’t fully win victory on. On the economic front, as Africa, we must focus on economic integration and on ensuring that for the first time the natural resources of Africa are exploited in the interests of Africa and not the interests of the North. In the daunting areas of social development, the key objectives we face are universal primary education for all children by 2015, adequate housing for all the people on our continent, improved communication in all our countries, expanded infrastructure so that we are able to travel and move goods on all our roads throughout the countries of the continent, and the combating of the scourge of HIV/Aids.
Reaching these objectives will require open, democratic and transparent governance if we are to succeed in transforming the continent. We as Africans, will have to assume responsibility for our progress, and we will increasingly rely on the leadership of the African Union.
Our development strategies must be people-centred and should lead countries into a future of equitable and sustainable development. The priority has to be meeting the basic needs of the people. Our focus should be on food security, on health provision, on educational access, on employment creation and on national economic development for sustainable growth.
Success in such a focus will require attention and resources to the development and support of women on our continent. As is now well documented, it is impossible to ensure development of our continent if 50% of our people are underdeveloped, neglected and exploited. In Africa, despite their marginalisation, women play a vital role in productive activities and in supporting families and communities. Therefore equity and national growth require due prominence to the specific concerns of women.
Our continent must urgently address the challenge of mastering science and technology. The gap of development in the world today is a gap of access to science and technology. We do not, as a continent, have the luxury of delaying this access. It is critical that we close the gap. Our countries will need to overhaul their educational systems in order to give greater attention to education in science, in engineering and in a wide range of technical skills.
Our economic growth will have to be improved through improved and expanded production of goods and services. Agricultural development and food security can also be improved through learning, perhaps, from India and China. We need to encourage domestic food production and to ensure that food imports are not a requirement for Africa. Land ownership and redistribution, plus support for new owners of this means of production, would be part of the solutions that we need to adopt.
As the OAU found in the years of its existence, conflict is the greatest inhibitor to development and social progress. The African Union needs to ensure that we end conflicts on the continent. The Organisation of African Unity provided the foundation for the pursuit of these objectives. Our Parliament has a duty to commemorate the OAU and to ensure positive action and progress in realising the new aspirations of Africa.
As we face these challenges, it is important to remember that all of them have been part of the OAU’s contribution to deliberations on the continent for more than 40 years. In fact, at a meeting in 1963 of the African heads of state in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Economic Community for Africa secretariat was reporting on the structure of production and trade in Africa. The commission indicated that there was a growing need for Africa to look at developing common markets, and that we needed to ensure that we plan African economic progress on a continental basis.
The ECA was a body established by the Organisation of African Unity. Thus, we have the record which tells us which path we should follow. All that our Parliament must now do is take up the cudgels of what has been left as a legacy by the Organisation of African Unity in order to ensure that indeed on our continent we do see freedom and democracy thrive. Thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.] Mr B J TOLO: Chairperson, hon members and special delegates, 40 years ago next Sunday the heads of state of the then independent African countries gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to found a great African organisation, the OAU, an organisation which was charged with the responsibility of, amongst other things, ridding the continent of the then remaining vestiges of colonialism and apartheid, promoting unity and solidarity amongst African states, co-ordinating and intensifying co-operation for development and the defence of sovereignty, territorial integrity and consolidation of independence of African states, and promoting international co-operation within the framework of the United Nations.
These lofty ideals that the African leaders set for themselves were based on the historic conditions Africa found itself in then. These were a culmination of decades of debate on Pan-African unity and the struggle against colonialism.
Looking at conditions today, one might be tempted to say that those founding principles were inadequate. But given the conditions that prevailed then in Africa, and looking at them through the lens of time, those ideals were revolutionary and need to be applauded. These leaders and other forces for progress on the African continent have worked relentlessly for the past 40 years to liberate the African continent from the shackles of colonialism and neocolonialism. That, in essence, was a struggle for a better life for the African people.
Today as we take stock of the achievements of the OAU, we can safely say that they fought a good fight. It was a good fight, because as we speak today, 40 years later, Africa is liberated from Cape to Cairo.
We must pay tribute and salute the African countries, especially the liberation committee of the OAU and the then frontline states, for the unconditional support they gave us during our own struggle against apartheid.
The frontline states were steadfast, even at a time when their own people were being killed and maimed by the regime whose aim was to force them to expel the ANC from their countries. We owe it to those who died in the frontline states to see us free to continue to fight for a better life in Africa. We have in mind here people like Samora Machel.
African leaders, since the formation of the OAU, have made several attempts to rid the continent of backwardness. Between 1990 and 1995 alone, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU adopted a series of policy documents to galvanise the international community to provide the necessary and requisite resources for the social and economic transformation of the continent.
The demise of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries led to the end of the East-West conflict, thus the end of the bipolar world and bringing into being a unipolar world. The development of new democracies in Eastern Europe made the world switch attention from Africa to Eastern Europe. It became clear that European countries would choose to help poor Eastern European countries rather than African countries. The concept of common European rule, developed by European countries, forced African leaders to have a new and fresh appraisal of the international situation.
It was therefore considered time for Africa to return to the principle of African solutions to African problems. Herein lies the origin of the African reawakening or the African Renaissance. This takes us back to 1997, to the ANC Mafikeng conference. There the ANC passed a resolution that we would strive for a better Africa and a better world. The developments that took place on this continent after that conference, as co-sponsored by our President, Comrade Thabo Mbeki, must be seen in that very light.
It is for this reason that the advent of this new century in the year 2000 was then referred to as the African century. The African Renaissance concept is a vision of African leaders as, I quote: … to place Africa in its rightful place among the community of nations and the continents in the world’’.
To realise this vision, there was a need for a programme and an institutional framework. That programme is Nepad which, as we are all aware:
… is a commitment and a pledge by African leaders to rid the continent of poverty and to place their countries individually and collectively on the path of sustainable growth and development.
They further committed themselves to good governance, democracy and human rights, as these are prerequisites for development and growth.
The institutional framework to achieve these global objectives that African leaders had set themselves in the AU, as the successor of the OAU, and all its organs, such as the African Assembly, the Council of Ministers, the Pan- African Parliament, are part and parcel of that. Nepad and the AU are, in essence, the continuation of the struggle for a better Africa by the OAU, albeit at a higher level and under new conditions.
We support Nepad and all its programmes. It is for that reason that we support economic partnerships in the areas of transport and energy with countries in the Southern African region and further afield on the continent. The partnerships that Eskom, Transnet and other state enterprises are building with Ghana, Nigeria, Namibia and Uganda give material reality to a process of African development and our commitment to it.
The establishment of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park between South Africa and Botswana, and the more ambitious Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park between South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe make even doubting Thomases pause to appreciate Africa’s commitment to home-brewed solutions to Africa’s problems. The potential is there for Africa to become a world giant, given its resources.
We want to also indicate that, yes, the potential is there, but it is not a bed of roses. There are problems that we need to tackle if we are to be equal to the high ideals we elaborated in Nepad. Not all the problems of African countries are as a result of colonial history. Some of them are subjective and are caused by Africans themselves. The whole question of corruption, bad governance, skewed income distribution, coups and countercoups are but some of the problems that are … [Inaudible.]
THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mr M J Mahlangu): Hon member, your time has expired.
Mr B J TOLO: In conclusion, we must also recognise and remember the great walls of Mapungubwe, the great civilisation of the Nile River, and the Rift Valley, for we are because they were. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mnr P A MATTHEE: Voorsitter, die OAU het beslis ‘n baie belangrike rol gespeel om Afrika te bevry van die bande van kolonialisme en ook om deur middel van steun van Afrikalande aan die vryheidstryd en die druk wat hulle uitgeoefen het op daardie lande wat steeds die apartheidsregering gesteun het, ‘n groot bydrae te maak tot die beëindiging van apartheid in Suid- Afrika.
Dit kon egter net gebeur, omdat Afrikalande ten spyte van al hulle rasse-, etniese-, godsdienstige-, politieke-, linguistiese en kulturele verskille saamgestaan het, en onder die vaandel van die OAU ‘n verenigde front kon vorm, saamgebind deur hul passie om die stryd van bevryding teen ‘n gesamentlike vyand te wen.
Daardie stryd is nou verby. Vorige koloniale owerhede en witmense wat van oor die water gekom het, is nie meer die vyand nie. Daar is egter nou ‘n nuwe bevrydingstryd in Afrika. Dit is die stryd teen armoede, teen misdaad, teen MIV/vigs en ander siektes soos malaria en tering, werkloosheid, korrupsie, swak regering, outokrasie, skending van menseregte en die stryd teen Afro-pessimisme en natuurlik ook interne etniese konflik.
Net soos wat eenheid en konsentrasie van poging en fokus op die doelwitte vir al die Afrika-lande nodig was in die bevrydingstryd teen kolonialisme en teen apartheid, is dit ‘n absolute vereiste om te kan slaag in die nuwe stryd.
Net soos wat dit nie in die bevrydingstryd teen kolonialisme en apartheid toegelaat is dat enkele lidlande die bevrydingstryd kon kortwiek of lamlê nie, net so kan dit nie in die nuwe stryd van Afrika om bevryding van armoede en misdaad en al die ander dinge toegelaat word nie, omdat die bereiking van die groter gesamentlike doelwit wat in die belang van al die miljoene mense van Afrika is, soveel belangriker is en soveel groter is as die ego’s en die grille van enkeles wat nog vasgevang is in stryde van die verlede.
In die belang van al die mense van Afrika moet ons diesulkes help om dringend aan te pas by en deel te word van die nuwe bevrydingstryd, of waar hulle nie kan of wil nie, om hulle te help om vrywilliglik die leisels oor te gee aan mense wat wel bereid is om deel te word van hierdie nuwe bevrydingstryd. Want u sien, die sterkste ketting van eenheid is net so sterk soos die swakste skakel daarin.
Die lidlande van die OAU het in hulle wysheid ook ingesien dat die OAU die bevrydingstryd teen kolonialisme en apartheid suksesvol afgehandel het, maar dat dit nie ten beste geskik was om die nuwe bevrydingstryd effektief aan te pak en met sukses deur te voer nie. En het daarom besluit om te ontbind en om op te gaan in die nuwe Afrika-unie wat ontwerp is om daarop te fokus om die probleme en enorme uitdagings van Afrika aan te pak en ook op te los. Hulle het ingesien dat die afwesigheid van ‘n koherente stel Afrika-instellings grootliks bygedra het tot die afwesigheid van voldoende, volhoubare ontwikkeling en die afwesigheid van behoorlike en volhoubare demokrasie in die meeste lande van Afrika.
Dít is waarom die AU en die inisiatiewe soos Nepad gestig is en waarom daar besluit is op ‘n Pan-Afrika Parlement en ander strukture. Dit is nou vir ons as leiers om ons bes te doen om te sorg dat hierdie en ander nuwe instellings tot hul volle potensiaal ontwikkel en aangewend word, sodat die nuwe bevrydingstryd van Afrika ook gewen kan word.
Dit is belangrik om voortdurend te let op al die doelstellings van die Afrika-unie. Ek het nie nou tyd om op hulle almal in te gaan nie, maar dit is nie net toevallig dat die eerste doelstelling daarvan is om groter eenheid en solidariteit ook tussen Afrika-lande en die mense van Afrika te bewerkstellig nie.
Wanneer ons onsself ten volle in die stryd inwerp in hierdie nuwe bevrydingstryd met die passie wat ons as werklik patriotiese Suid- Afrikaners en Afrikane betaam, soos ek hoop ons almal onsself sien, dan kan ons … (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr P A MATTHEE: Chairperson, the OAU definitely played a very important role in freeing Africa from the bonds of colonialism and also, by means of supporting African countries in the struggle for liberation and the pressure they exerted on those countries that still supported the apartheid government, made a big contribution to ending apartheid in South Africa.
It could however only happen because African countries, despite their racial, ethnic, religious, political, linguistic and cultural differences, stood together, and under the banner of the OAU, could present united front; united by their passion to triumph in the struggle for liberation against a common enemy.
That struggle is over now. Previous colonial authorities and white people who came from across the waters, are no longer the enemy. Now there is a new struggle for liberation in Africa, however; that is the struggle against poverty, against crime, against HIV/Aids and other diseases like malaria and tuberculosis, unemployment, corruption, poor governance, autocracy, the violation of human rights and the struggle against Afro- pessimism and, of course, also internal ethnic conflict.
Just as unity and a concentration of effort and focus on the goals for all the African countries were necessary in the struggle for liberation from colonialism and against apartheid, it is absolutely essential to be successful in the new struggle.
Just as it was not allowed for single countries to handicap or paralyse the struggle for liberation against colonialism and apartheid, it cannot be allowed in the new struggle to free Africa from poverty and crime and all the other things, because the bigger, joint objective is in the interest of all the millions of people of Africa, so much bigger than the egos and the whims of individuals who are still trapped in the struggles of the past.
In the interest of all the people of Africa, we must help these people to urgently adapt to and become part of the new liberation struggle, or where they cannot or do not want to, to help them voluntarily hand over the reigns of power to people who are in fact willing to become a part of this new struggle for liberation. Because you see, the strongest chain is as weak as its weakest link.
The member countries of the OAU in their wisdom had the insight to see that the OAU successfully completed the struggle for freedom against colonialism, but that it was not best suited to effectively and successfully executing the new liberation struggle. And therefore they decided to dissolve and to become part of the new African Union which is designed to focus on addressing and resolving the problems and enormous challenges of Africa. They have seen that the absence of a coherent set of African institutions greatly contributed to the absence of adequate, sustainable development and the absence of proper and sustainable democracy in most of the countries of Africa.
That is why the AU and the initiatives like Nepad were established and why it was decided to establish a Pan African Parliament and other structures. It is now up to us as leaders to do our best to make sure that these and other new institutions are developed and applied to their full potential so that the new struggle for the liberation of Africa can also be won. It is important constantly to take note of all the objectives of the African Union. I do not have the time now to touch on all of them, but it is not a mere coincidence that its first objective is to bring about greater unity and solidarity amongst African countries and the people of Africa.
When we throw ourselves fully into this new liberation struggle with the passion becoming of us as real patriotic South Africans and Africans, as I hope all of us see ourselves, then we can …]
… then we can be encouraged by the words of John C Maxwell when he says
… problems are solvable. They always have an answer. Perhaps the answer is hidden, but there is an answer. The difficulty lies not so much in finding the answer, but in being unwilling to pay the price for solving it.
The question is: Are we, all of us, prepared to pay that price? I thank you. [Applause.]
Nkk J N VILAKAZI: Mphathisihlalo ohloniphekileyo neNdlu yonke, isihloko esikhuluma ngaso namuhla siphakamisa sibonga iqhaza ebelibanjwa yi-Afrika iminayaka engama-40 kwabunjwa inhlangano yobumbano yamazwe ase-Afrika, i- Organisation of African Unity, i-OAU lena esizoguquka ibe yi-African Union. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Mrs J N VILAKAZI: Chairperson and the House at large, the topic we are discussing today commends the role that was played by Africa in the 40 years since the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was formed, which is now going to be known as the African Union.]
The OAU we are talking about today was founded on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa. Its main aim was to unite and deal with common problems and issues affecting the African continent as a whole. Today is 20 May, just five days before the 40th anniversary of the founding of the OAU on 25 May.
Inhlangano yobumbano yamazwe e-Afrika ibaluleke kakhulu ngoba ibe yisisekelo sokuhlangana kubhungwe ngezimo eziningi ezithinta inhlalo yabantu e-Afrika jikelele.
Sibathulela isigqoko abaholi be-Afrika ababamba iqhaza kwadaleka lesi siksekelo esibaluleke kangaka okumanje nje sikhuluma ulimi lwenhlangano yobumbano lwe-Afrika, i-African Union ezinjongo zayo kungukubamba iqhaza elithe xaxa kuleli ebelibanjwe yi-OAU kule minyaka.
Siyazi sonke ukuthi amazwe ase-Afrika abehlaseleke kakhulu izifo, indlala nokusakazeka kungekho ukubumbana nokubambisana. Lokhu kwenze izinga lomnotho lehla amandla. I-OAU ibibambe iqhaza elikhulu ekubhekeleni ukuphepha nokukhuseleka kwamazwe e-Afrika. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[The African Union is a very important organisation because it forms the basis for discussing various situations that affect the society of Africa generally.
We commend African leaders who played a very important role in the establishment of this important institution, which now talks about the unity of Africa. The African Union aims to be more involved than the OAU was.
We all know that African countries were mostly affected by diseases, poverty and the fact that they were not united. This led to a decline in the economy. The OAU played a crucial role in monitoring safety and security in African countries.]
As Africans we are all aware that the African continent has been afflicted by wars, fragmentation, famine, HIV/Aids and national disasters. We do hope that the transformation of the OAU into the AU will promote the economy and development of Africa as a whole.
Sihlalo ohloniphekileyo, igalelo lale nhlangano yobumbano lwe-Afrika i-OAU, leminyaka engama-40 libalulekile kule mikhakha. Owokuqala, ukuxazulula izingxabano emazweni ase-Afrika. Okwesibili, ukubamba imihlangano emikhulu ebiphuma nezinqumo eziqondene namasu okuletha intuthuko e-Afrika lonke jikelele. Okwesithathu, amakhomishane anhlobonhlobo abebhekela izimo ezithile emazweni njengekhomishana yokulamula izingxabano, eyokubuyisana, eyezomnotho, eyezenhlalakahle, eyezokuthutha, eyezemfundo, eyokuxoxisana, eyezempilo neyezokuvikela amalungelo. Angazi ngingabala ngithini, kuningi.
Isebenzile kakhulu inhlangano i-OAU kule minyaka engama-40 yabunjwa, esethemba ukuthi inhlangano ezongena engumphumela we-OAU, yona eyi-AU, izondlondlobala nayo ngelayo izinga. Egameni le-IFP siyawubonga kakhulu umsebenzi neqhaza ebelibanjwe yi-OAU kulama-40 eminyaka. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, the OAU played a very crucial role with regard to, firstly, resolving conflicts amongst African countries; secondly, holding major conferences where decisions concerning strategies to bring about development in the whole of Africa were made; and, thirdly, different commissions that looked after certain situations in different countries such as the commission for resolving conflicts, reconciliation, economy, social welfare, transport, education, negotiations, health and human rights. The list is endless.
The OAU worked very hard during these 40 years of its existence, and we hope that the AU will play its part. On behalf of the IFP we commend the work and the role played by the OAU during these 40 years. [Applause.]]
Mr L G LEVER: Chairperson, I am delivering this speech today on behalf of Ms Sandra Botha who is part of a delegation of the Joint Monitoring Committee on Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Women, which has decided to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo. They have done so using their own resources, and I believe they have done so in the interests of peace and unity on the African continent. I am sure all of us wish the whole delegation the best of luck in their endeavours and success.
Kofi Annan had the United Nations in mind when he delivered his millennium report and said the following:
We must adapt international institutions, through which states govern together, to the realities of the new era.
He might as well have heralded the formation of the African Union, which superseded the formation of the Organisation of African Unity.
It would be entirely misleading to view the future of Africa without acknowledging the foundations laid by the Organisation of African Unity or recognising the vision of people such as Kwame Nkrumah who was so influential in forging today’s unity.
As for the freedom we cherish today, some African leaders could take some credit, but it is to the African peoples that we owe our real gratitude. These cherished values were brought about despite a long history of internecine wars, slavery, relentless colonisation, and regional, linguistic and political differences. But, much as the OAU brought into being the notion of Africa as a continental entity and political unity of purpose, it was the regime change in South Africa which heralded the beginning of a new awareness of the need for deep-seated change in the governance of African states and unity on the economic front.
It is a sad fact that Africa is 30% poorer today than when the Organisation of African Unity was formed. Our hope of countering this trend is deeply rooted in participation in a global economy. Multilateral institutions need global strategies which are, inter alia, dependent on standards of governance hitherto only present in African states in a very fragmented fashion.
Therefore, the peer review mechanism of the new African Union, with its express need for self-criticism amongst African peers, is the cardinal element to distinguish it from the OAU which brooked no intrusion on state sovereignty. Without this new element, the future of African unity and freedom may well be obsolete. Thus far its credibility has been sorely undermined by the overt support of Nigeria and South Africa for the Mugabe regime.
Africa can take heart from the continued struggle for agreement which typifies the working of the European Union. Every new membership is the result of complicated negotiations, and for every solution a new problem arises in its place. But despite differences so vividly demonstrated with regard to the invasion of Iraq, the European Union has become an economic powerhouse and world power. They have, however, taken adherence to transparency and standards of governance which invite investment. They realise that participation in a global economy needs global strategies, and that progress is advanced by diversity and strengthened by the acceptance of modernisation and democracy as two sides of the same coin.
If we manage to see beyond our present tendencies towards xenophobia and exclusion, accept the diverse elements which constitute our demographic make-up as an asset and not as an historic accident, and prevent the old style of imperial leadership which focused on elite enrichment rather than on the advancement of peoples, there is no reason to believe that Africa cannot advance from its present achievements to even greater heights. I thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]
Mr K D S DURR: Chairman, it grieves me to say that I consider the motion to be slightly extravagant and an unrealistic interpretation and generalisation of the role of the OAU these past 40 years.
I think that what we need to do is to love Africa and to build Africa in spite of its past, rather than because of its past. It would be wiser, in my view, and more productive of us to focus on a hopeful future, rather than trying to gild the lily of the OAU’s rather flawed past.
The reality is that we have seen some 70 coups d’état by military dictatorships in Africa. We have seen governments preying on their people and consuming what wealth there was. With the exception of a few states like South Africa, Botswana and Namibia that have been exemplary, there is not much for Africa to celebrate from the past, though the future is much more hopeful.
Just as the 19th century was the century of the entrepreneur and the 20th century the century of management, the 21st century is the century in which the focus has swung to legitimacy and effectiveness in government - it promises to be the century of governance.
Understandable measurements will help to judge that stewardship, performance and sustainability, and that information will be available to everybody worldwide at the click of a mouse. The world will invest in a country where they trust the government, the people and its institutions, governments like South Africa. The greater the trust, the greater the investment; the greater the certainty, the greater the investment. Money is ``fungible’’ it will go where the returns are highest and where the safety is greatest. The days of kneejerk loyalty to political parties are over, and also so in Africa. The days when leaders could exploit and prey on their citizens and then still expect their support and loyalty are over. The days of governments that govern by fear are over. The giant charade of collectivism was shattered when the Berlin Wall came down and we could all see the emperor was not wearing any clothes.
Unlike Africa, in South Africa we have done well these past nine years. We have laid the basis for a successful society. We have laid the basis for a springboard for Africa. Others can emulate us, others can join us, and others can be inspired by us. We must love Africa and build Africa in spite of the past.
Let us go forward in faith and hope to a reformed, restructured, revitalised and improved African Union. Let us take hands and build this great continent. Let us take hands and build this great country. We also need to build our great institutions. It is said today that the number of private companies that a country boasts is a better guide to its status than the number of battleships it can muster. It is interesting that even mighty South Africa - if you compare it to the Dow Jones: the first top 500 companies on the United States stock exchange - would rank eighth in terms of its GDP. Harvard University has roughly the same budget as the Republic of South Africa.
I say that not to demean us, but to show what enormous opportunity lies before us. There is indeed enormous and immense potential wealth in Africa, but we have to realise that even with that immense wealth of Africa today, we only have a GDP less than that of little Holland, which is smaller than the Western Cape, and which has a population of 27 million. So, there is a great task ahead; a great challenge ahead. It beckons us; it beckons the brave. It should inspire us. The opportunities are legion and unlimited.
The private liability company is the most radical engine of progress and prosperity, and the key to the wealth and power of successful nations worldwide. It is interesting to see South African companies all over Africa starting branches and local partnerships wherever you go in Africa. This is the beginning, and we will be pioneers and lead the world into Africa and build this great continent. I thank you. [Applause.]
Nksz N C KONDLO: Mhlalingaphambili, mandiqale ngokuthi, eneneni imbali esisuka kuyo njengabemi baseMzantsi Afrika ayifani. Xa ndimamele eli lungu lisandula ukuhlala, lithi akukho sizathu sakuyibhiyozela iminyaka engamashumi amane eNgqungquthela yeZizwe eZimanyeneyo zaseAfrika, inene iyibonakalisa phandle iyantlukwano ngokwembali yethu kweli lizwe. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Ms N C KONDLO: Chairperson, let me start off by saying that we as South Africans come from really different historical backgrounds. Listening to the hon member who has just left the podium saying that there is no reason to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the OAU, it is clearly an indication of our different historical backgrounds in this country.]
Our country is proud to be part of the African continent. Many of our comrades and current leaders of Government, during our own struggle for liberation from apartheid, found various nations on the African continent more than willing to keep them safe, house them and offer them refuge. So, we are indeed grateful that our leaders and comrades were protected then and therefore able to serve us so well in all their different areas of deployment.
This Africa Day is celebrated throughout the continent of Africa as a reminder of the various African nations’ struggles for democracy, equality and independence. On 25 May this year, at the Johannesburg Stadium, we will be celebrating Africa Day as well as the 40th anniversary of the OAU through music, dance and song, representing various nations of Africa. On the eve of Africa Day therefore, it is fitting that we take time to look back on the achievements of Africa as it emerged from the shackles of colonialism to the present-day realities.
The OAU was founded in 1963 primarily to promote unity and solidarity among African states; to co-ordinate and intensify their co-operation and efforts to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa; to defend their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence; to eradicate all forms of colonialism from Africa; and to promote international co-operation. So, the establishment of the OAU was indeed a momentous occasion especially in view of the devastation and ravagement that Africa suffered at the hands of European invaders.
It was the conference in Addis Ababa which finally succeeded in overcoming the linguistic, regional and political differences. It was there that the foreign Ministers of 32 African states discussed issues such as the creation of the Organisation of African Unity; co-operation among African states in economic, social, educational, cultural and scientific areas; collective defence; decolonisation; apartheid and racial discrimination; the effects of economic grouping on the economic development of Africa; disarmament; the creation of a permanent conciliation commission; and Africa and the United Nations.
The heads of state conference in May 1963 drew up a charter of the Organisation of African Unity, which was then signed by heads of 30 states on 25 May 1963, as has already been said. Other states have gradually joined the OAU over the years, with South Africa becoming the 53rd member in 1994. Since the establishment of the Abuja Treaty, which formed the African Economic Community, improvements have occurred in the co- ordination, harmonisation and progressive integration of the activities of existing and future regional economic policies.
In an extraordinary summit in 1999 in Sirte, heads of states, under the theme, ``Strengthening OAU capacity to enable it to meet the challenges of the new millennium, concluded with a declaration aimed at effectively addressing the new social, political and economic realities in Africa and the world; fulfilling the people’s aspirations for greater unity in conforming with the objectives of the OAU Charter and the treaty establishing the African Economic Community; revitalising the continental organisation to play a more active role in addressing the needs of the people; meeting global challenges; and harnessing the human and natural resources of the continent to improve living conditions.
The OAU discussed, mediated and intervened in a large number of conflicts in Africa over the years of its existence. It imposed economic sanctions in volatile situations in which, and when, this type of intervention was needed. More positively, it hosted summits and conferences and approved plans such as the peace plan for Somalia in 1999, aimed primarily at Africa’s improvement as a continent.
The AU was launched in Durban, South Africa, in July 2002. It is the successor to the OAU. The AU, based in Addis Ababa, like the body it replaces, aims to unify 53 African member states politically, socially and economically. The assembly is made up of heads of state of all member states and is the most important decision-making body of the union. Decisions are made by consensus or two-thirds majority, and it has the function of deciding on common policies for the union. It considers applications for memberships, adopts the budget and directs the process of conflict resolution, and appoints judges of the court of justice.
The executive council is made up of Ministers of foreign affairs and member states and is accountable to the assembly. The council decides on matters such as foreign trade, social security, food, agriculture and communications. It prepares material for the assembly to discuss and approve. The permanent representatives’ committee is composed of ambassadors to the AU, and has the responsibility of preparing the work of the executive council.
The commission forms the secretariat of the AU and is made up of a chairperson, a deputy and eight commissioners. It deals with administrative issues and implements decisions of the union. It is responsible for the co- ordination of AU activities and meetings.
The specialised technical committee deals with monetary and financial issues, the rural economy, trade, immigration, industry, and science and technology. The Pan-African Parliament consists of elected representatives nominated from five regions of Africa. It will ensure civil-society participation in the AU. The three financial institutions which will be set up under the auspices of the AU to provide funding for projects and programmes are the African Central Bank, the AMF and the African Investment Bank.
As South Africans we have a great deal to be thankful for, especially the solid foundation set by the OAU. We are confident that the new African Union, reborn out of the OAU, will assist Africa in claiming its rightful place in the global political arena. As we celebrate this Africa Day, we are reminded of the words of Kofi Annan with reference to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Nepad: Africans are addressing the conflict in their midst by coming together as African leaders determined to solve their own problems.
[Time expired.] [Applause.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Chairperson, I thank the hon members for their participation in this debate.
As a means of beginning a commentary and response to both the hon Lever and Durr, I’d like to quote from this book that I have before me. The quotation, and I shall clarify exactly the intention once I have read it, reads as follows:
The struggles of the various African peoples for liberation and against imperialism were essentially interdependent. We cannot underestimate the strength of territorial nationalism and ethnic particularism beloved of Western commentators, and which the West itself did a great deal to foster and sustain.
What has been clear from the major steps forward in many African countries
- the Egyptian revolution in 1952; the independence of Ghana in 1957; Guinea’s no vote in the 1958 referendum; the winning of Tanganyikan independence in 1961; the prolonged and terrible struggle of the Algerian people during the seven and a half years of their revolution, from 1954 to 1962 - is that they produced a chain reaction and stimulated the development of liberation movements in what had hitherto been regarded as the almost impregnable fortresses of imperialism - the Belgian Congo, the Portuguese colonial territories, the Central African Federation and South Africa itself.
Anticolonial revolts, such as the so-called Mau Mau revolt in Kenya, and acts of colonial retaliation and repression, such as the Sharpeville shootings and the murder of Lumumba, became tremendously significant within the context of African history - thought about, talked about, and made the occasion of demonstrations in Casablanca and Lusaka, in Bamako and Mogadishu.
As Franz Fanon has stressed, this was in marked contrast with the situation in the mid-1940s, when the massacre of tens of thousands at Sétif in Algeria and in Madagascar passed almost unnoticed outside the territories concerned. By the late 1950s, in spite of all the diversities of history, culture and language, the idea of a common experience of Western domination, common sufferings, interests and problems, which provided a solid basis for unity among the various African peoples, had become a powerful force. And the vehicle for the expression of that force was the Organisation of African Unity. It is for that reason that we debate this subject of commemoration today.
Those of us associated with the struggle for liberation are fully aware that it was in the corridors of the Organisation of African Unity that our liberation movements received support, nowhere else; that it was in the meetings of the Organisation of African Unity that the liberation movements could articulate their desire for freedom; that it was in the countries of the membership of the Organisation of African Unity that the liberation movements received succour and support - not in Western capitals, but within the OAU. It is for that reason that we commemorate as we do today.
I think it is vital that we, of course, do not fool ourselves into believing that the Organisation of African Unity had no faults. We are not here claiming that it was a perfect organisation in all guises. However, we can find no other example in Africa of an organisation dedicated to pursuing the unity of Africa, the freedom of all African peoples and, for ourselves, the defeat of the apartheid state in a collective African effort to ensure that, indeed, we achieved freedom.
It is untrue to hold the view that the West has, in some way, an interest in the progress of Africa, in the entire challenges that we face. All of us are aware that the West is directly interested only in itself and in how it can exploit Africa. It is for this reason that we welcome Nepad and the African Union, and the possibility they offer for Africans to begin to determine their direction themselves.
We all know that we are called on by members, such as the hon Durr and others, to have a regard for what is termed the free market, but this free market exists on subsidy in the free-market proponents of the West and on the absence of subsidies in Africa. We suffer from this free-market notion, because it is free for some and not free for others. It is patently an untrue model that is being sold to us, and we cannot allow ourselves to buy into it.
Where we will base ourselves is on looking at the degree to which the African Union, through Nepad’s programme, will assist Africa to begin to utilise the resources of our continent in the interest of the continent, the wealth of the continent in the interest of the continent, the wealth for the benefit of the people of the continent, rather than exploitation by the West.
Allow me to conclude by saying that I do have concerns about the march of South African business into Africa. I’m not sure it has been entirely beneficial. I have noted, for example, how as you drive through Lusaka, that there don’t appear to be Zambian-owned small businesses. There’s no longer the corner cafe in Zambia. You have Shoprite, you have Woolworths, and so on. We need to begin to ask ourselves whether our march into Africa is, indeed, a march that is beneficial to the countries that our businesses are marching into; or whether, in fact, the march introduces monopolies that detract from the existence of small businesses, monopolies that destroy small entrepreneurs, monopolies that have no interest in developing local business strength, but are rather set to grow themselves and their profits. This is a concern that I think our trade and industry committees should be looking into far more carefully, to see whether, indeed, our march is bringing development.
In the area of telecommunications, I understand there has been some progress, because much of the telecommunications entry has been on the basis of joint ventures. I’m not sure whether the entry of our large department stores has been on the basis of these kinds of joint ventures that the MTNs and others seem to have established in Nigeria, Tanzania and other countries on the continent. So, I think, before we extol, before we praise, let us investigate the true nature of the entry of business and the relationships that it is espousing in those countries.
Of course, I have made reference to the importance of good governance and all the principles associated with that, which Mr Lever referred to, of transparency and accountability. Within the African Union, we would want to see those espoused. But we believe it is vital, given the record of oppression and exploitation that Africa has gone through, that where there has been support for freedom and the achievement of democracy, we recognise those efforts. The OAU played this role, and we cannot deny Africans the important need to begin to say that in certain areas there have been positive examples, and these examples will hold up as our example of some success that we have had. We cannot just lie and wallow in the quagmire of our exploitation. We also need to begin to admit that there were points of success and there are Africans who played an important role in ensuring that we achieved those successes.
Again, I thank the hon members for having participated and I insist that, indeed, the commemoration of the 40-year history of the OAU is important and that we, as free South Africans, need to recognise that importance and celebrate it. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
The Council adjourned at 17:40. ____
ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
FRIDAY, 16 MAY 2003
ANNOUNCEMENTS: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
- Draft Bills submitted in terms of Joint Rule 159:
(1) Black Economic Empowerment Bill, 2003, submitted by the Minister
of Trade and Industry on 7 May 2003. Referred to the Portfolio
Committee on Trade and Industry and the Select Committee on
Economic and Foreign Affairs.
TABLINGS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
Papers:
- The Minister of Finance:
(1) Proclamation No R.15 published in Government Gazette No 24974
dated 26 February 2003: Fixing of a date on which section 40(1) of
the Revenue Laws Amendment Act, 2001 (Act No 19 of 2001) and
section 130(1)(h) of the Revenue Laws Second Amendment Act (Act No
60 of 2001), shall come into operation in respect of certain goods
liable for Excise Duty, made in terms of section 40(2) of the
Revenue Laws Amendment Act, 2001 (Act No 19 of 2001) and section
130(2) of the Revenue Laws Second Amendment Act (Act No 60 of
2001).
(2) Proclamation No R.18 published in Government Gazette No 25007
dated 3 March 2003: Commencement of the Collective Investment
Schemes Control Act, 2002 (Act No 45 of 2002), made in terms of
section 118 of the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act, 2002
(Act No 45 of 2002).
(3) Proclamation No R.21 published in Government Gazette No 25027
dated 7 March 2003: Commencement of sections 20 to 31 of the
Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, 2002 (Act No 37
of 2002), made in terms of section 46 of the Financial Advisory
and Intermediary Services Act, 2002 (Act No 37 of 2002).
(4) Government Notice No R.505 published in Government Gazette No
24697 dated 11 April 2003: Cancellation of appointment of
authorised dealers in foreign exchange, made in terms of the
Currency and Exchange Act, 1933 (Act No 9 of 1933).
(5) Government Notice No R.506 published in Government Gazette No
24697 dated 11 April 2003: Cancellation of appointment of
authorised dealers in foreign exchange, made in terms of the
Currency and Exchange Act, 1933 (Act No 9 of 1933).
(6) Government Notice No 511 published in Government Gazette No
24731 dated 17 April 2003: Designation of institution of which the
activities do not fall within the meaning of "The business of a
bank" ("Ithala Limited", a wholly owned subsidiary of Ithala
development Finance Corporation Limited), made in terms of section
1 of the Banks Act, 1990 (Act No 94 of 1990).
(7) Proclamation No R.27 published in Government Gazette No 24639
dated 1 April 2003: Abolition of Special Courts for hearing Income
Tax Appeals and establishment of Tax Courts in terms of section
83(3) of the Income Tax Act, 1962 (Act No 58 of 1962).
(8) Proclamation No R.28 published in Government Gazette No 24639
dated 1 April 2003: Fixing of date on which sections 5(1), 10(1),
11(1), 14(1), 15(1), 53(1), 54(1), 55(1), 56(1), 57(1), 58(1),
59(1), 60(1), 145(1), 160(1) and 182(1) of the Revenue Laws Second
Amendment Act, 2001 (Act No 60 of 2001), shall come into
operation.
(9) Proclamation No R.29 published in Government Gazette No 24639
dated 1 April 2003: Fixing of date on which sections 6(1)(n),
111(1) and 114(1)(b) of the Revenue Laws Second Amendment Act,
2001 (Act No 60 of 2001), shall come into operation.
(10) Proclamation No R.30 published in Government Gazette No 24639
dated 1 April 2003: Fixing of date on which section 40(1) of the
Revenue Laws Second Amendment Act, 2001 (Act No 60 of 2001), shall
come into operation.
(11) Government Notice No R.466 published in Government Gazette No
24639 dated 1 April 2003: Determination of limit on amount of
remuneration for purposes of the determination of contribution in
terms of section 6 of the Unemployment Insurance Contributions
Act, 2002 (Act No 4 of 2002), made in terms of section 6(2) of the
Unemployment Insurance Contributions Act, 2002 (Act No 4 of 2002).
(12) Government Notice No R.467 published in Government Gazette No
24639 dated 1 April 2003: Rules promulgated under section 107A of
the Income Tax Act, 1962 (Act No 58 of 1962, prescribing the
procedures to be observed in lodging objections and noting appeals
against assessments, procedures for alternative dispute resolution
and the conduct and hearing of appeals before a Tax Court.
(13) Government Notice No R.468 published in Government Gazette No
24639 dated 1 April 2003: Circumstances under which the
Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service may settle a
dispute between the Commissioner and any person, as contemplated
in section 107B of the Income Tax Act, 1962 (Act No 58 of 1962),
and section 93A of the Custom and Excise Act, 1964 (Act No 91 of
1964). 2. The Minister of Public Works:
Strategic Plan of the Department of Public Works for 2003-2006.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
National Council of Provinces:
-
Report of the Select Committee on Finance on the Banks Amendment Bill [B 15B - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75), dated 14 May 2003:
The Select Committee on Finance, having considered the subject of the Banks Amendment Bill [B 15B - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75), referred to it, reports that it has agreed to the Bill.
-
Report of the Select Committee on Finance on the Insurance Amendment Bill [B 52B - 2002] (National Assembly - sec 75), dated 14 May 2003:
The Select Committee on Finance, having considered the subject of the Insurance Amendment Bill [B 52B - 2002] (National Assembly - sec 75), referred to it, reports that it has agreed to the Bill.
-
Report of the Select Committee on Finance on the Bophuthatswana National Provident Fund Act Repeal Bill [B 13 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75), dated 14 May 2003:
The Select Committee on Finance, having considered the subject of the Bophuthatswana National Provident Fund Act Repeal Bill [B 13 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75), referred to it, reports that it has agreed to the Bill.
-
Report of the Select Committee on Finance on the Sefalana Employee Benefits Act Repeal Bill [B 14 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75), dated 14 May 2003:
The Select Committee on Finance, having considered the subject of the Sefalana Employee Benefits Act Repeal Bill [B 14 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75), referred to it, reports that it has agreed to the Bill.
MONDAY, 19 MAY 2003
TABLINGS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
Papers:
- The Speaker and the Chairperson:
Report and Financial Statements of the Commission on Gender Equality
for 2001-2002, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
Financial Statements for 2001-2002 [RP 207-2002].
TUESDAY, 20 MAY 2003
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
- Classification of Bills by Joint Tagging Mechanism:
(1) The Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) on 20 May 2003 in terms of
Joint Rule 160(3), classified the following Bills as section 75
Bills:
(i) Mining Titles Registration Amendment Bill [B 24 - 2003]
(National Assembly - sec 75).
(ii) Petroleum Products Amendment Bill [B 25 - 2003] (National
Assembly - sec 75).
(2) The Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) on 20 May 2003 in terms of
Joint Rule 160(4), classified the following Bill as a section 76
Bill:
(i) Liquor Bill [B 23 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 76).
(3) The Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) on 20 May 2003 in terms of
Joint Rule 161, classified the following Bill as a money Bill:
(i) Exchange Control Amnesty and Amendment of Taxation Laws
Bill [B 26 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 77).
National Council of Provinces:
- Membership of Joint Committees:
(1) The following changes have been made to the membership of
Committees, viz:
Ethics and Members' Interests:
Appointed: Matthee, P A.
TABLINGS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
Papers:
- The Speaker and the Chairperson:
Report of the Public Service Commission on the Monitoring and
Evaluation of the Provincial Multi-Purpose Community Centres (MPCC's)
[RP 24-2003].
- The Minister of Finance:
Explanatory Memorandum on the Exchange Control Amnesty and Amendment of
Taxation Laws Bill , 2003.