A Netball team from a poor Dutywa school, crowned provincial champions for the last three years, could miss the national finals without the government’s financial support.
Now parents and teachers from Upper Falakhahla Junior Secondary School have to find at least R40000 or the U15 netball team will have to forfeit a chance to represent the Eastern Cape in Boksburg.
The team’s coach, Nomathamsanqa Makalima, said the provincial department of sport, recreation, arts and culture (Dsrac) had in the past paid for the trip to the national championships when they were crowned the province’s schools netball league champion.
But when contacted for comment yesterday, Dsrac provincial spokesman Andile Nduna defended the department saying it had never received correspondence from the school.
“We acknowledge how the school is excelling in sport but our district officials have indicated they never received any correspondence from them regarding financial assistance.”
Nduna promised to follow the matter up with the department.
The national finals start on July 31 and run to August 2.
The team was allegedly told after its provincial victory in June this year that the department would not fund the trip.
“We were only told last month that they won’t be able to pay for us this year,” said Makalima.
“The children were really looking forward to the trip and they made sacrifices just to make sure that they won again this year.
“Why didn’t they tell us before we even started playing?”
Makalima said they had even tried asking parents to contribute around R200 each for the trip but many were dependent on social grants.
“Their payday is far away and many families are very poor.
“We are trying our best not to disappoint these children.”
Players like team captain Zingisa Gebengu said the team was demoralised. “Our spirits are down,” she said.
Zimkhitha Totsa said she had high hopes of becoming a professional netball player and representing the country one day.
Her disappointed father, Mgcineni Totsa, said netball meant a lot to the children.
“We have a lot of young people who frequent taverns and abuse drugs. What this sport does is to keep our children grounded and disciplined.
“But now to be disappointed by the department like this is really painful,” he said.
Makalima said they had never been informed of any need to write to the department in the past two years.
“Since it’s their competition it is always them who just tell us when the national finals will take place and that they will foot the costs for the trip.
“But this time they just told us that they will focus on assisting other age groups,” she said. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
No state funds at 11th-hour for netball champs
Now parents and teachers from Upper Falakhahla Junior Secondary School have to find at least R40000 or the U15 netball team will have to forfeit a chance to represent the Eastern Cape in Boksburg.
The team’s coach, Nomathamsanqa Makalima, said the provincial department of sport, recreation, arts and culture (Dsrac) had in the past paid for the trip to the national championships when they were crowned the province’s schools netball league champion.
But when contacted for comment yesterday, Dsrac provincial spokesman Andile Nduna defended the department saying it had never received correspondence from the school.
“We acknowledge how the school is excelling in sport but our district officials have indicated they never received any correspondence from them regarding financial assistance.”
Nduna promised to follow the matter up with the department.
The national finals start on July 31 and run to August 2.
The team was allegedly told after its provincial victory in June this year that the department would not fund the trip.
“We were only told last month that they won’t be able to pay for us this year,” said Makalima.
“The children were really looking forward to the trip and they made sacrifices just to make sure that they won again this year.
“Why didn’t they tell us before we even started playing?”
Makalima said they had even tried asking parents to contribute around R200 each for the trip but many were dependent on social grants.
“Their payday is far away and many families are very poor.
“We are trying our best not to disappoint these children.”
Players like team captain Zingisa Gebengu said the team was demoralised. “Our spirits are down,” she said.
Zimkhitha Totsa said she had high hopes of becoming a professional netball player and representing the country one day.
Her disappointed father, Mgcineni Totsa, said netball meant a lot to the children.
“We have a lot of young people who frequent taverns and abuse drugs. What this sport does is to keep our children grounded and disciplined.
“But now to be disappointed by the department like this is really painful,” he said.
Makalima said they had never been informed of any need to write to the department in the past two years.
“Since it’s their competition it is always them who just tell us when the national finals will take place and that they will foot the costs for the trip.
“But this time they just told us that they will focus on assisting other age groups,” she said. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
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