Encouraging partnerships for sustainable sport development

Working together to ensure a sustainable future for sport during the drought in the Western Cape was the message at the Sport Water Summit. The summit was hosted by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), and was held at the Nedbank Clocktower campus at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Friday, 22 February 2019.

Delegates from various municipalities, sport federations and representatives of the Department of Local Government and the City of Cape Town attended the summit and shared information and ideas on how to maintain and develop the sport industry in the Western Cape. Dr Lyndon Bouah, Chief Director of Sport and Recreation welcomed guests and gave a brief overview of the content for the morning.

DCAS Head of Department, Mr Brent Walters, thanked the attendees for their willingness to learn from each other. He challenged the sports community to find innovative ways to adapt and sustain sport promotion and development in the dry climate. “The sports and recreation community needs to advise on what is suitable, and what their needs are, given that we face a dry future” he said.

Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais, delivered the keynote address at the Summit, and spoke about the new relationship citizens of the Western Cape have with water since facing the possibility of a Day Zero. “Despite the various innovative water saving measures which transpired, and a much-needed mindset shift on our relationship with this natural resource, the drought indeed affected and continues to adversely affect sport promotion and development in the Western Cape,” said Minister Marais. She encouraged the attendees to go out of their way, and to make the best of the current situation by working together and sharing success.

Presentations by the City of Cape Town illustrated what has been done to mitigate the effects of the drought, as well as alternative sport services that are available to use.

Let us continue to be innovative in combatting the effects of the drought in sport and recreation in the Western Cape, BETTER TOGETHER.