The MEC for Sport and Recreation, Mr. Amichand Rajbansi, demonstrates to the senior citizens that he too is living an active lifestyle as he takes them on bangara music.

Mr. Rajbansi, receives a portrait as a token of appreciation from Mr. Roshan Authar, a Board Member for the Clare Estate Senior Citizens Association

The MEC for Sport and Recreation, Mr. Amichand Rajbansi, attended the sports and recreation day for the Clare Estate Senior Citizens’ Association at the weekend. Over the past three years Mr. Rajbansi has attended all the organisation’s functions without fail. The Association’s Annual Sports Day forms part of the Department’s programme to create a nation of active citizens. The MEC stated that there was a mistaken impression that sport was for young people only.  Minister Rajbansi said that he was particularly proud of CESCA as it has programmes that keep the senior citizens engaged throughout the week. He encouraged other communities who have not done so as yet to get together and join the Department’s programme of Active Seniors.

Pastor Lazarus Israel representing the Shallcross Ministers’ Fraternal presented the MEC for Sport and Recreation, Mr. A. Rajbansi with a token of appreciation for his support and presence at the function. Seen with them are some to the other pastors who attended with their denominations. On the left is Pastor John Moses the head of the Shallcross Ministers Fraternal who organises the games

The MEC for Sport and Recreation, Mr. Amichand Rajbansi says religious organisations should be in the forefront of promoting an active and healthy lifestyle through sport. He was speaking at the sport and recreation day of the Shallcross Ministers' Fraternal at the week-end. The event is promoted by Pastor John Moses on an annual basis and brings together a number youth and parents of the Shallcross area for a day of fun and sport. The Department of Sport and Recreation assisted the organisation with funding for trophies and meals.

The MEC said “We support this initiative because it promotes social cohesion and the ethos of a sound mind in a sound body”.

The MEC for Sport and Recreation, Mr. Amichand Rajbansi and the Premier of KZN, Mr. S’bu Ndebele are seen with the men and women winners of the Comrades, Leonid Shvetsov and Elena Nurgalieva after receiving their awards

The Department of Sport and Recreation again played a major role in the success of this year’s ultimate human race, the Comrades Marathon.

Key to the role of the Department was the funding of the accommodation and transportation of 140 of the province’s formerly disadvantaged runners. They were provided with hotel accommodation and other logistics before and after the race, totaling R200 000.

The Department also provided further financial assistance of R100 000 to the Comrades Marathon Association to accommodate runners from other provinces.  The assistance given by the Department has ensured that the poor runners did not sleep in the streets as had been the case in the past. This support is in line with the policy advocated by Mr. Rajbansi when he assumed office, i.e. that poverty should never stand in the way of a talented sports person.
 
The Department also deployed a large contingent of employees and volunteers to assist in various roles including manning the Department’s water station near the halfway mark at Inchanga.

The MEC for Sport and Recreation, Mr. Amichand Rajbansi, was one of the few honoured guests who received the top finishers at the Oval in Pietermaritzburg.  Mr. Rajbansi, together with the Premier, Mr. S’bu Ndebele, and athletics officials subsequently performed the duty of presenting the awards to the top athletes, including the winner of the race, Russian Leonid Shvetsov.

In a tradition started last year, the MEC presented trophies and prize money of R10 000 each to the first KZN male and female runners home. These were  Mncedisi Mkhize and Carol Mercer respectively.  Mkhize, who also won the prize last year, came 7th overall, and Mercer was placed 10th in the women’s category.

The race was basically incident-free and overall a major success.