By: Monelisi Sigabi
The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture with the leadership of MEC Bulelwa Tunyiswa hosted a Stakeholder Engagement session that was preceded by a fun walk in East London on Monday, 18 February 2019. The walk is part of a National Programme, Thuma Mina, ‘send me’ which is led by the President of the Republic where they had recreational activities, local athletes, artists and people of local running clubs from the Buffalo City Metro Municipality.
The purpose of the Stakeholder engagement session is for the MEC to brief stakeholders of the DSRAC management on the progress made in implementing of 2018/19 Policy Speech and also consult them on the draft 2018/2019 Policy Speech. “This forms part of a consultation to tell people that we will be going to a new financial year and the 6th administration, further, we want to know what people expect from us,” said Tunyiswa. The MEC added that stakeholders have a duty of going to communities to see what the department can improve on and where it lacks then further advise accordingly.
Various stakeholders were in attendance and included ECSC, ECAS, ECAVC, and ECPACC. One of the stakeholders, Eastern Cape Sports Confederation (ECSC) focuses on everything that has to do with sport around the province. They make sure that the funding received from department is shared amongst all sporting codes. Phumelele Hlathi, treasurer for ECSC expressed the importance of sessions of this nature. “It is important to host sessions like this, mainly to evaluate progress in ongoing programmes, to also see our achievements and where we have came short,” said Hlathi.
The confederation consists of 31 sport federations and receives a budget of 6 million rand from the department, with boxing, rugby, football, netball and sport for the disabled benefiting the most from the funds due to the number of participants.
Thulani Mhlubulwana, a member of the Buffalo City Boxing Federation said he is happy with the transparency shown by department and hopes more clubs will get equipment, opposed to only individuals benefiting.
ECPACC is a council that advises the MEC with everything pertaining Arts and Culture, they also promote artists through funding. The council’s CEO Phumeza Skoti said they are venturing into the research aspect of things. “Without accurate and reliable data, we won’t have a very compelling case to provide to the province, so it can take the arts sector very seriously, we know that the Eastern Cape is rich in talent but majority of the artists leave the province,” said Skoti.
East London actor Mlamli Mangcala aka Sthembiso Radebe on a popular local TV series ‘The Queen’ expressed how local artists can edify to the country’s GDP growth. “The scenery, locations and story lines that we have within the province can help us drive the GDP of South Africa using the Eastern Cape film and television industry”, said Mlamli.
The tabling of the 2018/19 Policy Speech will be held in March at the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, Bhisho.