Speech by MEC Barbara Creecy on the occasion of the Sport Programme Launch at Gugelethu / Everest

13 Aug 2008

It makes me very happy to stand here on behalf of Gauteng Provincial Government today. It is said that sometimes a really positive initiative can emerge from a very bad experience. Only three months ago this community was torn apart by Xenophobic violence.

As a result many important leaders including the President of the ANC Comrade Jacob Zuma, the Mayor of Ekhuruleni and a number of MECs visited this area to listen to residents concerns. One of the issues residents raised was the fact that young people in the community had nowhere to play sports and no support in developing recreational programmes.

During these visits this community was asked to help government to restore peace and stop criminals from looting and terrorizing this community. It was explained that unless there is peace in this area, service delivery cannot continue. The community was also asked to re-integrate foreign nationals who wanted to return to the area. I want to congratulate members of this community for listening to our leaders and restoring peace and calm to this area.

It is now our turn as government to respond positively to your community's concerns and to officially launch the Gugulethu/Everest Unity Games. As you can see since our last meeting our department working with City of Ekurhuleni, have graded two soccer and netball grounds which are fully equipped with poles and nets.

Comrade Mayor I think it is important to thank you and your officials for the wonderful working relationship provincial government has had with the City of Ekurhuleni in working on this project.

From now on, there will be regular games taking place during the week on Wednesdays and on Weekends. Officials from Dept of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation will be deployed here to work with the sports organizations from the community to drive this programme. Once again we will be calling on community organisations from Gugulethu/Everest to help us involve all age groups in these Sports Activities. Sport activities are not only for people who want to be Champions, but sport can be used by all of us, as an effective tool to build healthy lifestyles and productive bodies.

Gugulethu / Everest has also been included on the list of communities which will benefit from our Department's Sports Club Development Programme. The main aim of this programme is to ensure mass involvement of communities in sports activities through establishment of community based and driven sports leagues. This programme is designed to accommodate both males and females and all ordinary people. We will focus mainly in Soccer, Netball and Fun Runs / Walks.

During the implementation of this programme we will transfer skills by training at least 08 Sports Organisers on Project Management and Leadership Development. At the end of this training in November, We will provide these trainees with a NQ Level 4 Certificates which are accredited by South Africa Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The trainees will be expected to transfer their skills to the community by training the rest of the Sports Committee Members on both Leadership Skills and Project Management.

Programme director I also want to take this opportunity to hand over to the community two sports equipment bags which contain four sets of Soccer Kit and Two Sets of Netball Kit which include balls, whistles, bibs, jerseys, socks, pumps and cones.

Last month we celebrated the 90 th birthday of our former President e Dr Nelson Mandela and Ithink it is only appropriate that I end today's speech with a quote his very famous words which say: " Sport has the power to change the world and the power to unite people in a way little else does. It has the power to bring hope where previously there was only darkness and despair ".