R12.9m boost for 145 affiliated sport federations across the province

Yesterday, 22 April 2021, Minister Anroux Marais visited Caledon as part of the final leg of six ceremonial cheque handovers in which a total of approximately R12.9 million in support was provided to 145 affiliated sport federations across the province.  

 

As we now adapt and recover in the sector, Minister Marais presented the following funds to the six district sport councils and respective municipalities to assist with administration, development, capacity building support and adhoc funding as well as major events to enable affiliated federations to fulfil their significant mandate of developing and promoting their respective codes and clubs in the Western Cape: 

 

 

As we build-up to the 2023 Netball World Cup, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) has prioritized upgrading and providing Netball facilities across the province in support of the much-needed Legacy Project.  To increase access to the code to optimize our local pool of talent for participation at higher levels of excellence, the Langeberg and Saldanha Municipalities also received an additional R800 000 and R600 000, respectively, during this round of handovers to upgrade the Netball facilities at the Robertson Sportsground and Ronnie Louw Sport Field in Hopefield.     

 

Minister Marais said: “Together we need to do the hard yards at grassroots level providing as much funding and support as possible. This is the only sustainable way to achieve transformation and development and to build capacity in sport. I wholeheartedly thank all the sport federation representatives for their voluntary efforts and co-operation with the DCAS Sport directorate which has worked around the clock this past year to proactively respond to the unprecedented circumstances with innovative solutions. Our passion for our work is from an understanding that sport and recreation not only promotes an ethos of lifelong activity, it also foregrounds social inclusion and exposes youth to an environment that provides a healthy alternative to the social ills plaguing our society.

 

While the sector may take two to three years to recover, the DCAS Major Events Component will continue to create space for sport tourism throughout the province by assisting federations to host inter-district, inter-provincial and international events in the Western Cape. In so doing, the events contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the province but more importantly provides temporary jobs in the regions in which they take place.”

 

At the Overberg District cheque handover ceremony yesterday, Chairperson of the District Sport Council, Mr. Rudolph Johannes said, “The Sport Council wants to commend the Minister and her department for making these funds available so that the Sport Federations can get the opportunity to promote their sport at all levels to the benefit of their members”.