With the country celebrating 20 years of democracy and preparing for its fifth general elections, Democracy20 Elections Show has looked at the transformation of sports in the country in the past two decades.
Sports Minister, Fikile Mbalula, issued a stern warning to sporting structures who do not comply with transformation requirements. Mbalula received the first Transformation Status Report from the Eminent Persons Group in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
The EPG was appointed to assist Mbalula in monitoring and evaluating the current transformation process in sport. The report deals with the transformation status of five sporting codes, namely football, rugby, cricket, athletics and netball.
Mbalula says: “The next 20 years of freedom are not about unity only. They are about agreesive transformation in terms of knuckling down, and addressing those challenges that face our people … facilities, integration, addressing inequality, demographic representativity guided by the agreements that we have.”
The new transformation status report is expected to improve the administration of sports in the country. To transform or suffer the consequences is a clear message from Mbalula to all sporting codes. The minister has promised rewards for those who comply but those who don’t, he says, will face punitive measures including the withdrawal of government support and funding.
Dr. Somadoda Fiken, who’s a member of the Eminent Person’s Group, says: “Each federation should examine this report and have a programme of transforming itself because annually, we will be having these reports and there will be sanctions and incentives.”
After twenty years of democracy, a team that was once known as the “kitchen boys” is now called the Spring Rose – and is the oldest rugby team in Port Elizabeth. It has made great strides.
Captain, Lubabalo Mpongose says they are proud to have qualified to play in the community cup.
“Also the fact that the Community Cup is mostly played by whites’ teams and as a black team or a team that comes from a previously disadvantaged background it really, really means a lot to us to qualify.”
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