Mbalula seeks to open funding channels for sport, recreation

"We intend to engage the Ministry of Trade and Industry with the intention to amend the National Lotteries Act, with a view to open a window of opportunity for the sport and recreation sector to independently access lottery funding and resources for sport and recreation service delivery," he said.

Presenting his 2013 budget vote to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Mbalula also announced his plan to meet Cooperative Governance Minister Richard Baloyi to consolidate all matters related to the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG).

"We further intend to pull together all the funding opportunities for MIG into a single-pot in the Department of Sport and Recreation in order for the department to deliver sport and recreation infrastructure," said the minister.

In November 2011, the department and various sport stakeholders adopted the first ever National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP).

At the heart of the NSRP is Vision 2030, which seeks to end poverty and reduce inequality.

"We have, indeed, committed ourselves that at least by 2030, the playing fields in sport and recreation should be levelled. The majority of our sports people should have equal access to sport and recreation facilities.

"Our national and regional teams should be representative. Our school sport programme should be optimally resourced and implemented, and the administration and management of sport and recreation should be enhanced to the extent that it achieves our goal of optimal performance and functional excellence," Mbalula said.

The minister said Cabinet would have to budget an amount of approximately R10 billion towards the fulfilment of the objectives of the NSRP.

"We will, in the next coming months, submit a Cabinet memorandum to canvass support for the budgeting and funding of the NSRP.

"We will do this, promoting in the main, the funding of the broader School Sport Programme, while Cabinet is considering the cost of the NSRP," he said.

Returning glory to boxing

Mbalula said he gave his Deputy Minister Gert Oosthuizen the task of heading a steering committee that will convene a Boxing Indaba at the end of July 2013.

He said he expected Parliament and provinces to play an active role in the consultation processes towards the National Boxing Indaba.

"Local and provincial izindaba will assist in ensuring that the broadest possible consensus is reached on a number of critical issues prior to the National Indaba.

"For us, at the heart of the indaba must be the interest of the athlete and sustainability of Boxing South Africa," he said.

The department's budget allocation for 2013/14 financial year amounts to R1.073 billion. Seventy-three percent of this amount, which is R815 million, is transferred to provinces, municipalities and sports federations.

A bulk of it goes to Provincial Conditional Grants and the School Sport Programme and only R258 million will be utilised by the national department for all its activities, including salaries.