Alert Level 2 Regulations now allow for the resumption of sporting activities, including professional and non-professional matches, authorised by recognised sporting bodies, subject to the following:
Directions for sports matches issued by the Cabinet member responsible for sport, after consultation with the Cabinet member responsible for health:
Guided by the National Directions issued by the Department of Sport and Culture, all sport federations were invited to submit COVID-19 compliance plans to their respective recognized sport bodies for the National Minister’s approval. Various federations have done so and to date, 49 codes were granted right to play, train and organize matches. These codes can be viewed here.
The National Department of Basic Education (DBE) has cancelled all sport activities at schools until further notice. Once an official national directive is communicated, the Provincial Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, will be able to engage at school level.
As the National Conditional Grant was cut by R22,7 million, provincial trials for the Winter Games, Indigenous Games, Golden Games and leagues & festival support for Club Development have been adversely impacted as these events will not be taking place this year as scheduled.
There will also be no Provincial Sport Awards ceremony for 2020. Despite all the limitations now faced, the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport believes that by transferring available equitable share funds, federations will be able to safely move forward and commence some of their activities in the communities most in need of them.
Yesterday, 14 September 2020, our Sport Promotion Directorate embarked on cheque handovers across the various districts in order to support sporting federations in their re-opening of the sector. At the Piketberg handover, Minister Anroux Marais handed over a total of R610 000 to the West Coast District Sport federations to empower affiliated federations and clubs with funds needed to again administer, develop and host capacity building workshops in the months to come.
Following the official welcome from Executive Mayor of Bergriver Municipality, Alderman Ray Van Rooy, Chief Director of Sport and Recreation, Dr. Lyndon Bouah, opened the socially distanced proceedings with the following words: “We believe that all sport federations must within the precautionary protocols start to resume training and playing as sport and recreation is important for communities. The West Coast sport federations play an important role in bringing communities together and we hope that this funding ceremony and the funds will assist in rebuilding social cohesion.”
In her keynote address, Minister Marais spoke about the challenging past few months but also expressed her optimism about the way forward and said, “We have changed the way we live, how we say hello and even how we play sport and practice recreation. As many restrictions have now been relaxed and as we head into the recovery phase, we can now safely move forward in the Western Cape and get to work as the task ahead of us is great as we together forge our new norm in the sector. ”
This was the first of six handover events planned across the province. The next handover will take place in the Central Karoo district on 22 September 2020.
Stacy McLean
Spokesperson for the Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Anroux Marais
083 504 1171