Somlomo noogxa bam, kwiminyaka engamashumi amane anesithoba agqithileyo, kunye neentsuku ezimakhulu mathathu neshumi elinanye, abantu beli lizwe babhengeza besithi “ amasango emfundo nenkcubeko ayakuvulwa”. Badlulisa bathi “urhulumente uyakuphuhlisa, ze akhuthaze isakhono samasiko nezithethe apho imigodi yezenkcubeko yeentlanga zonke iyakuvulwa ngokuthi kwabelwane ngeencwadi, izimvo nokufuthelana kwabantu beli”

Somlomo, isebe lezemidlalo, ulonwabo nezenkcubeko lingundoqo kwaye liphendula ncankasana kwingxaki zokumanya eli lizwe. Umculo, umxhentso, kwakunye nemidlalo yiyo kaloku indlela esalwa ngayo ingcinezelo kweli lizwe. Bekusezintolongweni apho besitshotsha khona sivuma amagwijo enkululeko. Namhlanje lomagwijo abenegalelo ekukhululeni eli lizwe.

Emangcwabeni, apho besivuma khona lamagwijo, sityibilika kwimizimba namagazi amagorha awayelwela inkululeko, edutyulwe ngurhulumente wangaphambili, maxawambi sibeleka abo bangxwelerhekileyo. Kodwa sobuye sicule sisithi SENZENI NA? ISONO SETHU BUBUMNYAMA NA?

Ewe Somlomo masivume kulendlu ukuba umculo owaqanjwa ziimvumi zethu ezinjengo Brenda Fassie ongasekhoyo, ooHugh Masekela, Caiphus Semenya, Letta Mbuli, Ray Phiri nabanye abaninzi, babenegalelo elikhulu kwinkululeko yethu. Ngalo ntshayelelo mandinike imbeko kwezo mvumi ezathi zasandulelayo kweli lizwe.

Somlomo, Mna nesebe lezenkcubeko nemidlalo sithathe iphulo sajikeleza kweli phondo, nje phambi kokuwuphetha lonyaka uphelileyo ngeenjongo zokuva izimvo zabo sikunye nabo kule ndima, sifuna ukuqwalasela iimfuno zabo.

Eli phulo kaloku liphendula umqulu wenkululeko othi “abantu bayakulawula”. Nangoku ke bayalawula kuba okuninzi okuqulathwe kokuhlahlo-lwabiwo mali luhlangabezana nezomfuno.

Ezinye iimfuno nezigunyaziso zoluntu obesilundwendwele zibandakanya oku kulandelayo:

• Amathuba alinganayo okuphuhlisa italente kwezenkcubeko nezimidlalo
• Amathuba alinganayo okubonelwa ngezixhobo
• Amathuba alinganayo okubonelwa ngezakhiwo namabala
• Amathuba alinganayo ophuhliso noqeqesho
• Ukutshatyalaliswa kocalu-calulo
• Namathuba alinganayo okubonelelwa ngamathala olwazi
• Nezinye zininzi

Speaker, a very clear observation was that these demands varied from community to community. This was evident and manifested itself in race and class. Due to time constraints, I am not able to list all the demands. But to give this house an indication of how this manifested itself, I want to mention the following. In one town, the request was for a plush clubhouse with all the frills. In that same town, another request was for grassed fields where there was nothing at all. On one side of the community there is no hall or venue to perform in, but on the other side of the same town people were requesting very expensive and sophisticated instruments and equipment.

As we drove through these towns, the stark reality of our divided past is still evident. Schools in certain parts of these towns have an athletic track, hockey fields, rugby fields with seating, some even stadiums, soccer fields, cricket fields with turfs and nets as well as swimming pools. On the other side of the same town you have schools with absolutely nothing, just sand and gravel.

The challenge therefore is how do we level the playing fields and ensure that all talents are developed equally. Is this possible given our limited resources?

Mr. Speaker, there are also some bright lights that came through. In Saldanha for example, we met Mr. Newman who is busy setting up a museum that reflects the history of that town. His very humble and small museum depicts, the history of all the people in Saldanha Bay. This is an example of where we need to be moving to as a Province.

These visits brought back the reality of the demands of 26 June 1955 in Kliptown. It placed on us as a Government, the responsibility to ensure that those who have given their entire lives to achieve these demands have not done so in vain and that we should do more in less time, to implement these demands.

I therefore dedicate this budget speech to those artists, musicians, sports people and activists who have gone before us, and I pledge that we will do more with less time to ensure that their demands are met. I also want to make special mention of the ailing Mr. Robbie Jansen. Our thoughts are with you and your family.

To the people of the Western Cape, the Department has listened and wants to place before you what we think should be done to achieve your demands.

With the budget speech being delivered here today, I wish to give you an indication of how we intend to give effect to this through practical programmes and through our new vision: "A WESTERN CAPE COMMUNITY UNIFIED AND EMPOWERED THROURH SPORT AND CULTURE"

Let me first give you an indication of the financial resources at our disposal. As you know money is tight and one has limited room to manoeuvre, especially if you do not get additional resources. The Department's share as a percentage of the total provincial allocation is 0.8 %.

During the 2004/05 financial year, the Department’s budgetary allocation was R153 239 000 and for the 2005/06 financial year, our allocation is R167 799 000. This amounts to an “increase” of 9.5%. This “increase” includes a once-off forced saving of R5.8 million amounting to 3.78 % and the language policy implementation and mass participation programme accounts for R3 million or 1.96 %.

Thus, the only new allocation the Department received was for the implementation of the language policy (R1.335 m) and a conditional grant of R1.67 million from the National Department of Sport and Recreation to further rollout the Siyadlala Mass Participation programme. The rest of the money was freed up through a process of forced savings and slight re-allocations. The Department thus had to go through a vigorous re-alignment of its base line allocations amongst the various components.

There has been a re-allocation of resources due to our community visits and other strategic imperatives. The Department underwent a rigorous exercise to free up some resources in order to deliver on some of the new imperatives for the 2005/006 financial year. The following indicates where these freed-up resources will be spent:

• Funds were re-allocated to provide more mobile library wheelie wagons to deliver library services to more rural communities (R535 000)
• An amount has been set aside to enable the cultural services component to have more departmental specific arts and culture projects in communities, particularly over public holidays (R600 000)
• Increased allocation for the building of sport and recreation facilities, particularly in rural disadvantaged communities (an additional R1, 4 million)
• An increased allocation in order to have specific programs to get more women and disabled people to partake in sport (an additional R400 000)
• Funds were set aside to have an oral history project in order to capture the rich cultural diversity and history of our people (R350 000)
• An initial allocation of R500 000 has been set aside as part of our initial contribution for the establishment of the sport school
• To enhance the strategic planning, monitoring, research, and evaluation capacity within the department (R1, 8 million)
• To strengthen the marketing and communication initiatives (R500 000)
• To Finalize the departmental re-alignment and re-engineering process (R800 000)
• To roll-out our integrated and targeted social capital projects in the Presidential nodes-the so-called incubator approach (R1 million)
• To finalise the Nobel Peace Laureate project at the V&A WATERFRONT (R2 million)

The Department also received an additional R 500 000 to be reimbursed to the Western Cape Culture Commission for their contribution towards the Kaapse Karnaval in 20045. The 2004/05-year was also the last year that the Department could commit R 1m to the Kaapse Karnaval as per the decision taken 3 years ago. No additional funding has been received to fund the Organisation for the 2005/06 budget period nor for the MTEF period.

With the exception of the dedicated funding for language policy and the mass participation, the Department did not receive any new allocation for the 2005/06 budget and MTEF baseline allocation.

We can only deliver on our mandate with the people at our disposal and I briefly wish to talk about this:

It is absolutely critical that we invest in our people and build their capacities. The Department, in collaboration with THETA, will initiate a learner-ship in Sports Coaching during this financial year and will target 40 learners in this field. Its intention is to link this learner-ship with its incubator social capital project to ensure that accredited skills development is an important success indicator of this intervention. An amount of R150 000 has been allocated for this purpose.

During this financial year, the Department will also commit an amount of R108 000 to provide an ongoing workplace-learning environment for 30 students through its internship programme.

With respect to our commitment to contribute to social capital building this Department will also have an internal focus by providing the following social cohesion programmes for staff:

• R165 600 for an employee assistance programme including financial and legal assistance to support family strengthening and employee wellness
• R50 000 for Life skills training and personal development programme to promote social responsibility and healthy lifestyles
• R100 000 for a HIV/AIDS workplace programme to improve staff ability to positively manage being affected and infected with HIV/Aids
• R100 000 for co-ordinated gender and disability equity programmes to eliminate barriers and build capacity to integrate all delivery projects and programmes
• R150 000 to build the diversity management capability of staff in line with the employment equity strategy of the Department

The Department will focus on internal human capital building and in this regard; we have committed R 669 200 (1% of our personnel budget) to building the capacity and capability of our staff to deliver on our mandate. The skills development plan will focus on: strategic leadership development, performance management, human resource management, programme and project management, event management and professional and technical competency development.

In addition there is an ongoing commitment to contribute towards assisting staff to improve their qualifications especially those related to the core business of the Department and as such, R240 700 has been allocated for bursaries to 28 staff members.

In order to make sure that as a Department we are ready and equipped to meet the challenges posed by the new mandates, an assessment was made of the Department’s organisational ability to meet this objective. A decision was made to realign the Department’s structure, culture and climate, skills and competencies as well as business processes to improve its ability to deliver on this new mandate. As such a process is underway during the first half of this financial year to achieve this goal and to maintain a sense of objectivity so that we are not accused of evaluating ourselves. A consortium of private service providers is facilitating this. The projected outcome of this project is to better position the Department to improve its service delivery capability to beneficiaries of its projects and programmes.

As for making sure that our staff reflects the demographic profile of the Province so that people can relate to us better, I can report that we have made significant strides although more can still be done. Our top management is representative of our demographic profile and our appointments are all being made in accordance with the departmental employment equity plan.

I now wish to focus on the external issues of the Department. In doing so, I wish to touch on some of our achievements during the last financial year and give members a glimpse of what we intend to do during the new financial year. Our strategic and annual performance plans as well as our annual report contain more details around these matters.

Transformation in the Arts and Culture field was lagging in this Province and it may have seemed an insurmountable task within this Department.

To address this challenge, our Department hosted a Cultural Transformation Indaba with key arts, culture and heritage stakeholders in the Western Cape during August 2004. The purpose of hosting the indaba was to develop a transformative policy framework that would aid efficient, effective service delivery in the arts, culture and heritage field.

The main objectives of the indaba were to:

• Consider the needs and expectations of the community;
• Ensure the representation and inclusion of arts and culture in the Western Cape;
• Ensure that service delivery in this area is in line with the Western Cape developmental strategy of Ikapa Elihlumayo, and
• Develop a framework for transformation that will guide service delivery in the Arts and Culture field for the foreseeable future.

As an outflow of this indaba, in true partnership and in the healthiest spirit of cooperation, civil society representatives and staff members of the Department worked together in drafting this policy.

The draft policy was also presented and discussed at workshops in the rural areas of the Western Cape, during March of this year. The inputs were incorporated in the draft policy as this strategy is geared towards ensuring the inclusion of rural constituencies in the policy formulation process.

Once the Cultural Policy is adopted, the Department intends to review all our legislation in the field of Arts, Culture and Languages in order to align them with the new policy framework.

Furthermore, the Department promotes cultural activities and programmes, and manages the conservation of cultural and historical resources of the Western Cape by rendering a variety of services as required and prescribed by relevant legislation.

Its priorities and objectives are to:

• Increase involvement of youth in arts, culture and heritage programmes, including women and the disabled.
• Ensure all cultural facilities are accessible to previously disadvantaged communities.
• Harness cultural activities, events and craft production to contribute to economic growth, job creation and tourism development in the province.
• Employ arts, culture and heritage to unify the people of this province.

The following are achievements by the component in the past financial year:

• Funded 150 Organisations through the Western Cape Cultural Commission to the tune of approximately R2, 5 Million
• Organised various public holiday celebratory events in 2004
• Contributed financially to the Launching of the Slaves Logde, which is part of Iziko museums, during the Reconciliation Day in 2005
• Rendered much needed assistance to the Performing Arts companies through the Western Cape Cultural Commission

Allow me to briefly talk about museums, heritage and language, and libraries.

The priorities and objectives of our museums will be to:

• Increase the involvement of the youth in our museums especially in our educational programmes by using museums as an educational resource;
• Make museums relevant and accessible to all the people of the Western Cape;
• Provide museums as venues for cultural events and crafts to contribute to tourism growth and economic empowerment in the Province;
• Make sure that museum collections and exhibitions reflect the diversity and inclusive history of the people of the Western Cape;

Siza kusebenzisana neHeritage Western Cape ukuzisa iinkonzo eluntwini kule nkalo. Ukuqhubela phambili, iSebe liyazi ukuba kukho isidingo sokuba singaneli ukwazi malunga nemvelaphi yethu kuphela, koko siyiqonde kwaye sidlulise nolwazi esinalo kwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana. Sizimisele ukuqinisekisa ukuba imithombo yemveli yaseNtshona Koloni ibonakaliswa ngendlela eyenza ukuba kube lula ukuba uluntu lonke lwethu lukwazi ukubhiyozela imbali yalo nokwamkela ikamva eliqhakrazileyo ngezandla ezishushu zomntu wonke kweli Phondo.

Xa ndithetha ngemithombo yemveli, ndibhekisa kwizakhiwo zembali, iimonyumenti namatye ezikhumbuzo, iziza zeakhiyoloji nobugcisa obungokrolo ngamatye. Nangona imbali yethu ingasichazi ukuba singoobani, kodwa inxibelelanisa izizukulwana. Ikwanxibelelanisa iindlela zakudala kwaye ikwalanda umgama phakathi kwempumelelo noloyiso, indlela nganye ikhokelela kwinkululeko esingcamla yona ngoku.

In line with the Presidential initiative to ensure that spatial development frameworks are developed and finalized by all three levels of Government, we will this coming year, work closely with local authorities and local communities and volunteers to identify those heritage resources in the Western Cape that have, as yet, not received recognition.

Heritage Western Cape and the Heritage Resource Management Service will regularly market the heritage of the Western Cape and ensure that the heritage resources of the Province are interpreted in such a manner that it will allow communities to treasure the heritage resources of the Western Cape as diverse yet common, reflecting both the achievements and contestations of the past and a vision of a rich future for all the people of this Province.

Heritage Western Cape will also be requiring that the organisations that are established to ensure the conservation of the heritage resources in the Western Cape, register in terms of the relevant legislation to ensure closer cooperation with civil society.

I am glad to state that there is a close cooperation between the Department of Environmental Affairs and Provincial Planning with regards to the proposed law reform programme. Where appropriate, legislation will be reviewed to ensure a coordinated approach by applicants for developments without jeopardizing the heritage resources of the Western Cape. This will include competency evaluations of local authorities to assess management capabilities of certain heritage resources in their area of jurisdiction, the development of a policy for the delegation of permits, and approval functions for local authorities within policy guidelines.

Luxanduva lweSebe ukuqinisekisa ukuba zontathu iilwimi zeli laseNtshona Koloni ezisemthethweni ziyaphuhliswa kuba zibonisa imbali engenkcubeko yethu. Ndiziva ndichulumancile kakhulu ukubhengeza ukuba iKhabhinethi yaseNtshona Koloni ithe yamilisela uMgaqo nkqubo woLwimi ngoJulayi ka-2004 ukuqinisekisa ukuba oku kuyenzeka. Ngoku ndithethayo, abantu beli Phondo ngoku banelungelo lokuba bafumane uncedo kumagosa karhulumente nangaluphi ulwimi abazikhethele lona kwezi lwimi zintathu. Singabokuqala kulo Mzantsi Afrika wonke ukwenza oko.

NjengeSebe, sizimisele ukwakha intlalo ebumbeneyo nokuvala imisantsa ekhoyo phakathi koluntu olwahlukeneyo ngoku:

Qinisekisa ngomiliselo loMgaqo nkqubo woLwimi waseNtshona Koloni;
Khuthaza ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi zonke eNtshona Koloni;
Khuthaza uphuhliso lweelwimi zesiNtu eNtshona Koloni ebezifudulwa zijongelwe phantsi ngaphambili kubandakanya neSign Language;
Ukuphuhliswa kwesiXhosa.

Somlomo namaLungu aHloniphekileyo, ndinebhongo neqhayiya ukubhengeza ukuba kulo nyaka iYunithi yoLwimi neKomiti yoLwimi zeSebe ziza kubamba iVeki yoKwazisa isiXhosa ukusukela ngomhla we-16 kuJuni ukuya kumhla wama-24 kuJuni ka-2005 kunye noMnyhadala wesiXhosa ukusukela ngomhla wama-26 kuSeptemba ukuya kumhla wama-30 kuSeptemba ka-2005 kwaLanga. Iinjongo zale minyhadala kukwazisa ngesiXhosa, ukuphucula umgangatho wolwimi nokuqinisekisa intlalo ebumbeneyo ngokwabelana ngenkcubeko yethu yesiXhosa etyebe kunene namanye amaqela enkcubeko.

Kuza kubanjwa uMboniso woNcwadi ukubhiyozela imisebenzi yababhali baseNtshona Koloni abathe banegalelo kuphuhliso loncwadi lwesiXhosa, isiAfrikansi nesiNgesi. Lo mboniso uza kunyusa umgangatho weelwimi ingakumbi isiXhosa kwaye uza kukhuthaza ukusetyenziswa kweelwimi ngabemmi baseNtshona Koloni.

Kuthiwa xa kuthethwa ‘zininzi izizathu zokuba ababhali beenoveli babhale, kodwa kukho nto inye abafana ngayo – isidingo sokudala ilizwe elilelinye nelitsha.’ Kufuneka sibakhuthaze abantwana bethu ukuba babhale amabali, aza kusikhuthaza ukuba siwubone umbono welizwe elitsha, okanye mandithi uMzantsi Afrika oqhakrazileyo. KwiSebe lethu, siza kumilisela amaqela amaninzi eencwadi, ezababhali nocweyo lokukhuthaza isakhono sokubhala ukukhulisa italente yokubhala eNtshona Koloni.

The Library Service aims to improve the quality of life for all. The purchasing of relevant library material will assist in combating social ills such as domestic violence, crime, drug abuse and poverty. Providing free access to a wealth of informative, educational and recreational resources goes a long way towards empowering and equipping people with knowledge.

The availability of study areas for students and learners to study for examinations and complete study projects is an important aspect of building social capital. Special emphasis in the library planning process will be made on providing study facilities for our learners, so that the library becomes a resource in support of our schools’ curriculum.

More than 40 percent of the Library Service’s material budget will be spent on buying appropriate information sources. A special effort is being made to source Xhosa youth literature. Contact is being made with all local publishers in order to initiate the translation of appropriate children’s non-fiction books into Xhosa. All bookshop publishers have been asked to supply the Department with lists of books in Xhosa so that we will be able to ascertain which books are needed but not stocked at present. Currently, 100 titles have been identified and an amount of R200 000 has been allocated for the purchasing of these books.

The joint project between our Department and the Department of Economic Affairs and Tourism called the Library Business Corners, launched in 2001, now has 78 libraries in the Western Cape. The objective of this project is to promote entrepreneurial skills and provide informational and educational material for all groups, with a strong emphasis on youth empowerment.

During the past financial year R1.6m was made available for the building of new libraries and the upgrading of existing facilities. The following projects were funded:

• Swellendam Municipality - Buffeljagsrivier
• Beaufort West Municipality - Nelspoort
• Bitou Municipality - Kranshoek
• Breede River Valley - Rawsonville
• Cape Agulhas Municipality - Waenhuiskrans

The Department is now aiming to fund the following municipalities to build new libraries:

• Prince Albert Municipality in Leeu Gamka and Klaarstroom
• Saldanha Bay Municipality in Vredenburg and
• Knysna Municipality

The Library Service in-house publication, The Cape Librarian, that is used as an in-service training tool by public libraries, is now also available on the website of Cape Gateway. According to UNESCO, this publication is the only online journal on Public Library Science in Africa.

Public libraries act as agents for life-long learning by providing resources for formal and non-formal education. The Library Service will continue its role in providing educational resources through public libraries to all in the community, including learners.

Mr. Speaker, and Honourable Members, sport and recreation remains a valuable tool at our disposal to give effect to the growth and development strategy of our Province. It provides us with endless opportunities to effect lasting transformation within our society in an enabling environment created by service delivery and partnerships between Government and Civil Society structures. By striking the right balance between unity and diversity, the role of sport in our country cannot be questioned. As a Department, we are working towards building a healthy and unified Western Cape.

The overall sport development strategy of the Department is based on the understanding that, School Sport is the foundation on which we base our objectives. This is the first building block for skills development and talent identification.

Hereunder, follows a brief synopsis of our achievements in the area of sport and recreation during the last financial year:

• Completed 28 community facilities projects funded by Departmental and National BSRP Funds.
• Completed seven school sport facility projects funded by the Department.
• The Department contributed to the successful staging of 38 major sport and recreation events in the Western Cape
• 82 regionally affiliated sport and recreation federations received funding for development, and were able to send 221 participants in 22 sport codes to partake in accredited national and world championships as a pathway towards world class sporting excellence.
• The Siyadlala Mass Participation Programme was implemented with effect from 01 July 2004 in the following hubs: Mitchell’s Plain, Khayelitsha, Worcester, Oudtshoorn, and Saldanha Bay, and in the process contractual employment opportunities were created for 40 young people.
• The selection of team Western Cape for its campaign in the 2005 SA Games to be hosted by KZN in Durban, and a total number of 566 youths and learners with elite potential have been provided with a development pathway opportunity to represent the Western Cape in this prestigious event.
• A total number of 20 sport and recreation festivals, six public holiday sport and recreation events in each of the four DSR regions were held, as well as eight workshops for sport administration and coaches for HIV/AIDS awareness to promote sport health within the sector.
• The successful hosting of the Dispute Resolution Summit resulted in the drafting of a protocol document with contribution from federations and legal practitioners (including the Legal Services component). The successful hosting of the Transformation Indaba resulted in the finalization of the Western Cape Transformation Charter, and creating the framework within which the Transformation and Dispute Resolution component can now engage federations in bi-laterals in order to set targets, effect monitoring and evaluation of Western Cape Transformation plan.
• Code specific summits were held for: Cycling, Athletics and Boxing in order to boost good governance and growth in the aforementioned codes.
• The Western Cape Football Fraternity attended a successful summit that articulated the football needs of the Western Cape that constitute the core of the Western Cape plan for the FIFA World Cup 2010 and which is being driven by Government in conjunction with relevant SAFA affiliates of the Western Cape.
• The Department hosted a School Sport Indaba on the revival of school sport. There was general consensus that greater effort is required to revive school sport, but more importantly it was acknowledged that school sport was not as vibrant as it should be.
• Educators received training in the “playsport” programme to ensure that toddlers naturally acquire a love for movement and play activities. We hosted four Grade R and pre-school festivals. The areas that benefited are Oudtshoorn, Saldanha Bay, Langa and Mbwekweni. On each occasion pre-schoolers and Grade R learners (average of 1200 children per event) with their care-givers and educators were exposed to the “playsport” programme. Through this programme, Pre-school and Grade R learners are exposed to play and movement experience for children between the ages of three and six years. This programme has now been launched in the four regions of the Province.
• The continuous implementation of the Sport Stepping Stones project. This project was in response to the gang related activities particularly in coloured areas of the Western Cape. I want to report that this programme is still going strong and has the desired effect of providing alternatives to deviant behaviour in these communities.

Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members, a major challenge facing the facilities provisioning programme is the cessation of the Building for Sport and Recreation Programme, which was funded by National Government to address the facilities’ backlog in disadvantaged communities of the Province. As this has been incorporated into the Municipality Infrastructure Grant (MIG), the Department will continue to advocate and consult with all municipalities to ensure that they continue to provide sufficient budgets to provide disadvantaged communities with these much needed facilities. A challenge in this regard is to ensure that these funds are used for sport facilities, and not for other infrastructure related programmes. This will be crucial to ensure that the inequalities in facilities and infrastructure are addressed.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the FIFA World Cup 2010, I must say that we are fully in agreement with the Premier when he said that we should use this project in such a way that it leaves a sustainable and positive legacy for our people. That is the framework with which we look at everything relating to 2010. Needless to say, if the Western Cape Province is serious about securing these “golden 2010 World Cup opportunities,” it will have to become equally serious in availing required financial resources, and creating an enabling environment for joint-ventures with private sector to establish itself as a football supporting province. We are in the process of finalising a strategic framework to drive our approach to 2010. We will then, thereafter, have to make the necessary financial resources available to enable us to deliver on this project because time is not with us.

The apparent lack of serious development in soccer is however of concern to me. Much still needs to be done in our Province to ensure that professional football teams are representative of players from this Province. We will work with SAFA and the PSL clubs to ensure that our own soccer talent are unearthed and that we will be able to put forward players that will represent the Western Cape in the 2010 Bafana Bafana team.

Speaker, I am happy to announce that the Provincial Government has given its support to the 2011 Rugby World Cup Bid. In this regard we committed ourselves to make all government resources available to ensure the successful staging of the World Cup.

I however, want to make the point that this commitment must be accompanied by a commitment of the rugby administrators of our Province, to ensure that the rugby talents of all our people must be developed. I am not convinced that we are doing enough to ensure that all our people are represented in our Provincial teams. The declining participation of rugby players in particularly African townships is of major concern. A further case in point is the two players from our Province who were selected for the Springbok squad but could not find a place in our Provincial teams. The department together with local government will ensure that we provide the rugby facilities and infrastructure to develop the talents of all our players.

In line with its commitment to ensure effective and accountable governance, the Department instituted a financial audit on the manner in which the Western Cape USSASA accounted for finances received from the Department. The audit is now completed and the Department will engage the Western Cape USSASA on the way forward to ensure full compliance with requirements according to the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). We will also engage with this body to ensure that it is capacitated to facilitate school sport development as a great deal of unhappiness by the public was expressed about this structure and the way they conduct their business.

In the 2005/06 financial year, now that the Western Cape Transformation Plan and the Dispute Resolution Protocol are in place, and the School Sport indaba was held the Department will:

• Launch school sport clusters throughout the Province. These will be the priority of the Department for this year. At least 5 codes of sport will be promoted in each cluster. The development initiatives in the cluster will centre on educator- and volunteer-training, intra-school sport activities and inter-school sport competition between neighbouring schools. Cluster teams will then be selected for inter-cluster competition as well as for the linkage of selected cluster teams with Model C-school and federation activities.
• The resolutions of the recently held School Sport Indaba will form the platform for delivery over the next year. A more focused approach to facilitate and assist with school sport promotion and development will centre on the cluster approach, where schools will be recognised as the centre of community life. Linkages between sport federations and school sport code structures will be strengthened to give effect to better-equipped educators of the related school sport codes. Greater alignment and coordination between development initiatives by sport federations must result in better equipped and resourced schools. The integration of marginalised schools in the school sport structures will be given special focus. Although school sport teams are representative through the implementation of a quota system, more attention will also be given to athletes and officials to give meaning to merit team selection.
• Set clear targets and transformation deadlines that can be monitored and evaluated, in bilateral discussions with all recognised federations and sport and recreation bodies within the Western Cape sport and recreation sector.
• Increase participation in structured community sport development programmes that seek to build sport social capital in all Western Cape communities.
• Provide high performance programmes for elite athletes and athletes with elite potential through the Western Cape Sport Academy (WECSA) to build human capital within the Western Cape sport arena.
• Integrate disability sport into the mainstream of the Western Cape sport sector, including the possible establishment of a Disability Sport Academy with International Partners to serve the disability sport needs of the entire Southern African Region as a sport specific contribution to the NEPAD ideal.
• Enhance participation by women and girls as administrators, athletes, coaches and technical officials into the mainstream of the Western Cape sport sector.
• Increase provision of accessible sport and recreation facilities in communities essential to realise a culture of structured mass participation in sport and recreation activities in the Western Cape sport and recreation arena.
• Harness, and spread the strategic hosting of major sport and recreation events throughout the Province using sport and recreation tourism as a vehicle to contribute to job creation and economic growth.
• Develop a culture of physically active and healthy lifestyles within all communities in order to promote sport health and raise awareness levels around HIV and AIDS and other diseases within the Western Cape sport and recreation sector. Special programmes and emphasis will be developed for the health and participation of the elderly in sport and recreation activities. This will ensure that our elderly benefit through participation in sport and live a healthy lifestyle.
• Prioritise specific codes for increased sport human capital development in sync with SASCOC’s and the SRSA’s priority codes identification program.
• Work towards the establishment of a sports house to accommodate federations’ administrative needs.
• Introduce additional Hub-areas for the rolling-out of the Siyadlala Mass Participation Programme in rural, urban and informal settlement areas.
• Promote indigenous games in collaboration with the Culture and Heritage components to foster national pride and give impetus to the manufacturing industry.
• Introduce corporate mass participation programme for the benefit of all employees of the Western Cape.
• Prioritise specific school sport codes for increased talent development and nurturing.
• Optimise the sustainable sport human capital development amongst talented learners within the Western Cape sport sector through the establishment of a sport school.
• Promote school sport events and competitions, services with regard to Elite Sports and sports for “learners with special education needs” (LSEN), Farm Schools and Rural Schools as well as awareness programmes in respect of education, training and coaching. Identify the number and respective classification, thus establish the requisite baseline.
• Forge effective partnership with educators and parents to build the required capacity to promote school sport activities.
• Develop a skilled pool of school sport administrators, athletes, coaches and technical officials.
• Build and or upgrade school sport facilities in accordance with the accepted provincial facility plan framework.
• To optimise the sustainable sport human capital development amongst identified talented learners within the Western Cape sport sector through the establishment of a sport school housing the high performance programmes of WECSA.
• Ensure effective communication to all educators and schools through an agreed communication system within the WCED

Lastly, with regards to the infamous red tape and paper trails found between the four walls and corridors of any bureaucracy, I am happy to report that in our Department, a File Tracking System will be rolled out this year to assist us in ensuring a more effective and accessible management of records. Also, our new Issue Management System will enable the Department to provide stakeholders with efficient and timely responses to enquiries. This is all part of our practical contribution to making Batho Pele work in practice.

Mr. Speaker, the above is our attempt at addressing the demands of 26 June 1955. In our endeavours to build facilities, such as community halls, stages, sport fields and other facilities we can provide opportunities for skills and talent development and capacitate our sport administrators, coaches, musicians and artists. We are giving effect to the demand that the Government shall discover, develop and encourage national talent for the enhancement of our cultural life.

Through the accommodation of the heritage and cultural history of all our people at our museums and archives, and the access to books and ideas through our library service, we are giving effect to the demand that all cultural treasures of mankind shall be open to all.

I am also convinced that this budget statement responds to the request of the many people of the West Coast, South Cape/Karoo, Cape Town and Boland.

Speaker, the challenges of this Department and Government are many and big. The divide still runs deeply because we have limited resources, but the commitment and resolve to overcome them and create a South Africa and Province that belongs to all who live in it, is strong. My Department is ready for this challenge.

Finally, I want to give special thanks to my wife and family for the support and understanding during the past year and I am confident of their support for the years ahead. I also want to thank all the staff of the Department for their continuous hard work in pursuit of the objectives of this Government.

I place this budget statement before you.