Monday, October 09, 2006

POLICY FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT

POLICY FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT

PROVINCIAL UNITY AND DEVELOPMENT
By Rishi Hansrajh

INTRODUCTION

The political ideology of apartheid has historically shaped the sport and recreation policy in South Africa.
This has expressed it in, among other things:

1. a sport system fragmented along racial and ethnic lines

2. gross disparities in the provision of resources for different groups, involved in sport; and
3. the lack of democratic administrative structures in sport example, the exclusion of the majority from
the decision making processes

What is patently obvious is that these above limitations of the past have posed serious implications for
the development and growth of the sport sector in South Africa. What the system did was not only
isolate South Africa in the international context but also ensured that local; they stymied and destroyed
development. The virtual absence of a culture of sport emerged among most of South Africans during
the era of apartheid.

The worst affected communities were invariably the poorest sectors of our population and the effects of
the past are evident in, for example, the rural communities, the marginalised youth, and women.

What we need in South Africa is a unified sporting culture; an integrated system designed to redress the
injustices of the past with the sole objective of creating a new South Africanise aimed at unfurling the
hidden and previously untapped potential in our midst. In addition existing talent should be harnessed
and nurtured to develop its full potential.

We can only achieve the above if we transform the present structures into a single unified and
representative system completely committed to the goals and aspirations of the present Government of
National Unity. This is only possible if all of us, in all our deliberations, do not lose sight of the issues
raised in the GNU's White Paper on Sport.

GOALS AND VALUES

Sport and culture must be viewed in any democratic society as a basic human right. It must in the
future address the needs of historically disadvantaged groups, the youth, adults, women, the
unemployed and the rural communities.
Its paramount goal should be to promote goodwill, peace, stability, tolerance and national unity,
adapting the richness of the diverse cultural backgrounds of our rainbow nation.

PRINCIPLES IN RELATION TO A SPORT POLICY

The principles of a sport and especially we must relate an athletic policy to the above goals and values.
These principles include the following:
1. That the state has a central responsibility for provision of resources
in consultation with the appropriate bodies and federations for a sports policy;
2. That the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) should aim at human resource
development as the basis for sport and recreation policy;
3. That the existing national policy frameworks should guide policy makers, as elucidated in the White
Paper, with the goal;
4. That the principle of democracy should govern all policy with the active participation of all role players
and stakeholders, noting the inclusion of formerly disadvantaged communities.
5. That mechanisms for ensuring access to sports facilities and club membership need to be urgently put
into place;

6. That sport and recreation policy should be based on the ethos of cooperation, tolerance, and civic
responsibility between all stakeholders and for all communities;
7. That the central principle of UNITY must govern all the policy processes of the future with respect to
sport and recreation policy

UNITY AND DEMOCRATIC PRACTICE

Our priority towards realising this goal is to develop an integrated and unified administrative system
which recognise the historically disadvantaged and to validate the unity process and transformation of
existing structures.

Provinces can implement national policy which will ensure uniformity of approach throughout the country
which will also serve as a means to ensure nation building.

The reconstructed and unified administrative system must deal with the legacy of past fragmentation
and make certain that we put a democratic system into place. This system must represent the
demographic and racial realities of South Africa at both national and provincial levels.

The system of administration should operate at four levels:

1. The national federation should be responsible for establishing policy frameworks, standards, norms,
quality control and rules and regulations nationwide in collaboration with the appropriate ministry and its
international body.

2. The provincial associations in consultation with national sports councils and the MEC for sport in the
region should implement national policy adapted for provincial needs and be in charge of provision,
delivery and management of resources.

3. Provinces will in some instance=s institute regional bodies for effective management and work in
close cooperation with the provincial bodies.

4. Local and community-based structures will work at lower levels in close cooperation with the
community and educational institutions
5. The principle of democratic participation must underpin all the above and include all stakeholders and
role players

MAJOR CHALLENGES FACING UNITY

To arrive at genuine and meaningful unity that is acceptable and democratic we must immediately come
to terms with the following changes articulated in the GNU White Paper. The sooner the administrators
get their act together the easier would it be to meet the challenges. These challenges include, among
others, the following:

1. Human resource development

2. Physical resources development
3. Sport support services
4. Physical recreation.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

The richest resource we have in our country is our person. Ensuring their full development can and will
have extensive consequences for the sport and recreation structures in South Africa. Some areas that
require immediate focuses are:

1. The sport development continuum.

2. The training of administrators and sports leaders.
3. Training of officials and coaches
4. The training of teachers in sport organisation, etc.

PHYSICAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

This aspect is central to successful sports provision. Despite the vast array of facilities in South Africa
there is urgent need to develop facilities for the disadvantaged communities. Attention needs to be given
to :

1. Development of school facilities

2. Community facilities
3. Competitive facilities
4. Sports institutes and academies

CONCLUSION

To `turn the system around' national and provincial unity is essential prerequisite. Reconstruction and
development of our sporting family will only occur through cooperative partnership of all sectors of the
South African society. We need to continually underscore the need for unity if we are to achieve our
goals. There is indeed a window of opportunity currently and we are fortunate to be around at a time
when historic changes are taking place. The victory of Bafana Bafana, our rugby squad and our
cricketing geniuses are in effect testimony of the work that you as sport administrators have put in over
the years. To sustain this momentum, we need to unite in our common objective of providing for our
present and future generations. This is the important responsibility we will all have to shoulder.

Rishi Hansrajh Athletics South Africa Commissioner

17:02:96