KZN Sport Federations urged to fast track transformation
Sport Federations in KwaZulu-Natal have been encouraged to up their game in driving transformation and ensure prudent financial management.
This emerged during the Stakeholder Consultation Workshop hosted by the Department of Sport and Recreation (KZNDSR) with 43 Federations at Coastlands Hotel in Durban on Saturday, 27/02/2016. The Department provides federations with transfer funding and goods and services to support development programmes to unearth talent in different parts of the Province. In the 2015-2016 financial year the Department set aside an amount of R45million to support the Federations. Over the past five years the Department transferred a total of R189m to federations.
Head of Department, Rohini Naidoo said the Department will be focusing on ensuring that transformation takes place in all codes and to ensure that there is value for money on the funds provided by the Department. The Department is currently conducting an audit to scientifically measure the extent of transformation in the Province.
“As the Department we are getting into a new dimension. Our focus is going to be on transformation. It is about opening up opportunities for our youth and mentor them to excel and become future leaders,” she said.
She also highlighted the need to bring more youth into the administration of sport as the majority of current administrators were ageing.
Interim President of the KZN Sport Confederation Thami Mchunu emphasised the need for federations to lead the transformation agenda.
“We often complain that politicians are interfering in sports administration, but if we don’t fill the space someone will come in. As sport people we are best suited to lead the transformation agenda.”
“The key pillar of transformation is decentralisation by ensuring that we do not only focus on big cities like Durban and Pietermaritzburg. We are going to be the monitoring instrument for the Department to ensure that the money and development programmes reach the districts. The Province has districts and wards and that is where we want to see sport taking place,” he said.
Federations were also encouraged to implement good governance principles in order to ensure that the money they have is utilised efficiently.
“In the current economic climate there can be no wastage,” said Naidoo. “We are hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and we have to make it happen with the resources that we have.”
Mchunu encouraged federations to look for other sources of funding and not to only rely on government. “We also need to tap into funding from other sources. With the budget cuts and economic down spiral, we are not sure how much this is going to affect us in the future.”