Mpumalanga MEC for education to revive Wednesday school sports

The MEC for education, Bonakele Majuba, convened a meeting at the Capital Hotel Mbombela on Thursday February 15 to revive the Wednesday School Sports Day for the schools in Mpumalanga.

Various sports associations in the province, including Safa, sent representatives. Building on previous efforts, the department has established a steering committee, drafted a concept document and engaged several key institutions. The focus now shifted to intensifying consultations with all stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach.

Majuba said, “It is our turn to rewrite Mpumalanga school sports’ success story. Imagine underprivileged children in the rural areas of Nkomazi, Marapiyane, Mkhondo or Daggakraal discovering their hidden talents and showcasing it on the world stage for all to marvel. The Wednesday School Sports Day is more than just a competition; it’s a beacon of hope, a chance to break free from societal ills. It is an investment in the future, for torchbearers who will illuminate their communities. Together, we can unleash the transformative power of sports and empower the next generation of South African champions.

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“Picture a future Bafana Bafana captain like Ronwen Williams and Amabokoboko captain Siya Kolisi emerging from the heart of our communities and their dreams and fortunes being rekindled by the opportunity that you as a collective are creating today. The reality is that social ills have made their way into our communities and schools; nyaope’s dark grip on our youth is a stark reality. But instead of despair, let’s offer an alternative through the exhilarating world of sports as stated by the great tennis star, Billie Jean King, who endured hardships and all odds to become a champion,” he said.

Majuba said there is a lot of unearthed talent sitting idly in classrooms.

Kaizer Sibanyoni, the deputy president of Safa Mpumalanga, said they had approached the MEC about the resuscitation of the programme. “Our main role as Safa is to make sure that we play organised football. As per Fifa requirements, a child needs to play 40 games in a year, at school and outside school. When we play organised games, children will be able to play more. We have already done pilot programmes.”

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Sibusi Magagula, the secretary of the Mpumalanga School Sport Organisation based in Nkomazi, but which has an office in Mbombela, saidm, “What we are doing now is to make sure that we bring back school sports as it was before. We will now have leagues that we used to have when we were young. We will make sure that on a Wednesday every learner takes a break at 13:00 for extramural sports. This is according to the proposal we have made.”

Magagula said some of the challenges faced previously were transport issues, and these contributed to the collapse of school sports in the province. “Scholar transport has to collect children at a specific time, and some children could not participate because they had to go. There are a lot of things. Our children are also no longer interested in sports, and they love social media instead,” he said.