Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula stuck to his guns over his decision to impose penalties on various sport federations when he presented his budget vote in Parliament on Friday.
Mbalula has faced sharp criticism for banning four federations from bidding for international tournaments.
The Sport and Recreation committee had long grappled with sporting federations for dragging their feet on their respective transformation targets.
Mbalula took a moment in the budget vote to address the reactions to the penalties.
“Since I made the announcement of the EPG (eminent persons group report) on transformation of sport in SA…I have been denigrated‚ insulted and called the “k” word by some white supremacist…I am eagerly awaiting the Human Rights Commission ruling on this‚” Mbalula said‚ to applauding African National Congress (ANC) committee members.
Mbalula said he would forge ahead with the penalties imposed on athletics‚ cricket‚ netball and rugby as the penalties are based on their failure to meet their own set target.
“I will never retreat on that. I have signed memorandums of understanding with the federations and expect them to act on their commitments. In sport today you must either shape up or ship out‚” he said.
ANC committee member Samuel Mmusi defended Mbalula‚ saying it was better for him to be proactive on transformation than to allow slow transformation to languish unaddressed.
In response to the budget vote‚ Inkatha Freedom Party committee member Khethamabala Sithole said no efforts to transform sporting codes and federations would yield any fruit if transformation were ignored at a development and school level.
“If we can identify sport talent from a young age‚ resources equipment should be made available. If the Department of Sport and Recreation and the Department of Basic Education fail to meet transformation in our schools‚ how can we expect to see transformation in our sporting codes?” Sithole said.
National Freedom Party committee member Sicelo Mabika said the minister could have handled the challenge of transformation among the sporting federations in a way more effective and diplomatic than “wielding a stick”.
“We are in favour of transformation and processes must be accelerated but it is also the mandate of the department to give effect to chapter 14 in the National Development Plan. This matter has caused national polarisation‚ which we trust was not the minister’s intention‚” Mabika said.
Mbalula also told the Old Assembly chamber that the department’s allocations grew R48.1m to R1.28bn for the 2016-17 year. He said 66% of the budget would be channelled to the department’s development programmes‚ including school programmes.
Mbalula remains firm about penalties on sports federations
Mbalula has faced sharp criticism for banning four federations from bidding for international tournaments.
The Sport and Recreation committee had long grappled with sporting federations for dragging their feet on their respective transformation targets.
Mbalula took a moment in the budget vote to address the reactions to the penalties.
“Since I made the announcement of the EPG (eminent persons group report) on transformation of sport in SA…I have been denigrated‚ insulted and called the “k” word by some white supremacist…I am eagerly awaiting the Human Rights Commission ruling on this‚” Mbalula said‚ to applauding African National Congress (ANC) committee members.
Mbalula said he would forge ahead with the penalties imposed on athletics‚ cricket‚ netball and rugby as the penalties are based on their failure to meet their own set target.
“I will never retreat on that. I have signed memorandums of understanding with the federations and expect them to act on their commitments. In sport today you must either shape up or ship out‚” he said.
ANC committee member Samuel Mmusi defended Mbalula‚ saying it was better for him to be proactive on transformation than to allow slow transformation to languish unaddressed.
In response to the budget vote‚ Inkatha Freedom Party committee member Khethamabala Sithole said no efforts to transform sporting codes and federations would yield any fruit if transformation were ignored at a development and school level.
“If we can identify sport talent from a young age‚ resources equipment should be made available. If the Department of Sport and Recreation and the Department of Basic Education fail to meet transformation in our schools‚ how can we expect to see transformation in our sporting codes?” Sithole said.
National Freedom Party committee member Sicelo Mabika said the minister could have handled the challenge of transformation among the sporting federations in a way more effective and diplomatic than “wielding a stick”.
“We are in favour of transformation and processes must be accelerated but it is also the mandate of the department to give effect to chapter 14 in the National Development Plan. This matter has caused national polarisation‚ which we trust was not the minister’s intention‚” Mabika said.
Mbalula also told the Old Assembly chamber that the department’s allocations grew R48.1m to R1.28bn for the 2016-17 year. He said 66% of the budget would be channelled to the department’s development programmes‚ including school programmes.
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