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Programme Director,
Executive Mayor of Mafikeng, Ms Jane Matsomela,
Councillors present here today,
Kgosi J Montshiwa,
Chairperson of Sports Trust, Mr Bruce Fordyce.

It is a pleasure for me to be afforded this opportunity to address you on behalf of my colleague, MEC Mayisela, on this special occasion where we will be witnessing yet another attempt by the Sports Trust to uplift the standard of the previously disadvantaged in our province.

When one goes around the urban residential places which were previously allocated to the minorities in this country, it is disheartening to find that they have abundant sport facilities which the majority of this country still do not have access to.

It is for this reason that as government, we are informed by Integrated Development Strategy to approach the reconstruction of our country. We should use the same approach in the way sports facilities are utilised by our communities. In this regard, the integrated local government structures will serve as service points for our communities. We are also trying to make sure that together with local government structures we do away with two nations in this country.

Re le lefapha, re itumelela kabo e e boitshegang e ya setlamo sa Sports Trust ga mmogo le North West Cricket. Se se kaya tirisano e puso e nang le yona le ditlamo tsaporaefete. Go a itumedisa thata gore setlamo se abela baagi ba profensi ya rona ba ba mo magaeng mo go senang ditirelo tsa boitapoloso.

Re tshwanetse go itse gape gore kitlano ya go tsweletsa ditlhabololo e ikaegile ka dipuso selegae, re le puso ya porefense re tshwaraganetse kgetse e e tona e ya tiro le dipuso selegae go tsweletsa diphetogo tse di tseneletseng mo bathong ba rona.

Ke dumela fa kabo e, e tla rotloetsa bana ba rona mo motseng o gore ba iteke mo metshamekong e e farologaneng. Seno gape se tla thusa go ba faposa mo ditirong tse di sa siamang tsa botlhokatsebe.

Ke rotlwetsa batsha ba ba fa go dirisa dilo tse le di abetsweng, re rata go ka bona bo Baby Jake Matlala le bo Andrew Kelehe ba isago batswa mo motseng o.

Programme Director, the Department of Social Services, Arts, Culture and Sport is trying to make sure that by the end of this financial year, it announces a number of sports facilities that learners and the communities at large will be able to use. The main target here would be poor rural areas and we will look into how we can facilitate the sharing of existing facilities by all.

It is my belief ladies and gentlemen, that sport has and continues to play a vital role in the quality of life of our people. There are still too many of our people who cannot participate in sport for a variety of reasons. It is our task as government to ensure that every child who wants to play any sport must be given that opportunity. Our President has tasked us to ensure that greater numbers of our youth are engaged in sporting and cultural activities.

While the provision of facilities is the first step on this road to participation, it is also influenced by other factors such as opportunities, equity, fairness and justice.

The Sports Directorate has already identified 15 areas where facilities are going to be constructed and these include Bapong (Brits), Cyperkuil, Dithakong and Laxey in the Kgalagadi District. The objective is for government to provide facilities in terms of the buildings and seek support from private sector organisations such as Sport Trust to supply these communities with equipment for sustainability.

I would like to encourage you to be wary of the fact that indigenous games are important as well; games such as Dibeke, Morabaraba, Mmela etc. are games that are worth developing. This will assist in keeping with our vision of African Renaissance.

Let me conclude by saying that it is incumbent on you as the community to ensure that the people as a whole benefit. This hall should be turned into a hive of activity. One needs to also emphasise that you as the beneficiaries make sure that this equipment is kept in good state. All that Government wants to achieve is to create the opportunities for the youth of this country to have alternatives to anti-social behaviour. It remains our position that a child in sport is a child out of court.

Finally to the sponsors, Sports Trust and North West Cricket, I would like to thank you for this generous offer and encourage you to continue donating to other communities as this will ultimately turn our nation into a sporting nation.

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the MEC for Social Services, Arts, Culture and Sport, North West, 14 November 2001