Minister Nathi Mthethwa vows to tackle sports and culture issues in Mpumalanga
Community members told the minister that lack of financial support for artists and creatives should be adressed urgently
Lack of proper and well-maintained sporting facilities and financial support for athletes in various sporting codes were some of the burning issues raised by community members within the City of Mbombela.
These issues and many others were communicated to the national minister of sports, arts and culture, Nathi Mthethwa, during the ministerial and sectoral imbizo held in Tekwane South on Friday.
Community members told Mthethwa that a lack of financial support for young artists, creatives and authors, was also a challenge that needed government’s urgent intervention.
“We have a lot of girls who play netball, but they don’t have proper netball courts. They don’t have proper equipment, yet we are proud to say we are hosting the Netball World Cup next year.
The department has been preaching that communities must support this specific sport, but how can we support something we don’t even play in our communities due to lack of facilities? We lack all facilities here and instead, all we have are too many teenage pregnancies,” said a community member, Ncedo Sive.
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Maggie Thulare, a netball convener in the Ehlanzeni District, said schools within the township do not progress due to having no qualified coaches.
“We have serious problems with local schools not having the necessary facilities, which affects the growth of school sports. Private schools consistently outperform public schools in sports, because they receive full support from the private sector and have coaches who are qualified to handle sports instead of old teachers who played it years ago.
To enhance school sport, we implore the minister and MEC Thandi Shongwe to improvise and engage only skilled coaches and deploy them to local schools.”
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Mthethwa, responding to the issues raised, said, “We commit to work diligently and to generate results rather than simply talking without taking any action in order to address all of the community’s problems. Some problems will require some time to resolve, while others may be handled right away.
“The issue of sport facilities should be handled directly by local municipalities as they get budgets for them. My team and the relevant department, in conjunction with us, will be working to develop this place.
Lebogang Mokoena from our department will be spearheading a programme of building an outdoor gym and a children’s fun park. I implore the MEC in this province to address the issues of sports equipment and to help you all, and I believe by next week, all the people who mentioned they needed sport gear will have received them. Sport plays a significant role in our lives. It also serves as the foundation for all of our professional athletes’ careers and fosters social cohesion and a sense of team values among our youth,” said Mthethwa.
