127363 Gauteng Sports 2020.indb

GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF SPORT, ARTS, CULTUREAND RECREATION: VOTE 12

of an environment that makes it easy to ensure mass participation as well as channels to high performance for learners. Despite the compact nature of the province, there are several schools that have sporting facilities that can be used to host district and provincial tournaments. There are many federations active in the province and most have maintained a good working relationship with their respective School Sport Code structures (sports teachers). School Sport, unlike sport in general, is a shared competency between two departments both at national and provincial level. This has necessitated the drafting of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the departments. Gauteng remains exemplary in fostering a good working relationship between DSACR and GDE. This has made it easier to access learners in schools and to organise school sport with the support of the federations, districts and teacher unions. Challenges that remain include: Gauteng has more facilities than other provinces but they are not enough for the population of learners in the province that attracts more people every year. Sport as part of extra-curricular activities is often less prioritised in schools. It is hoped that the re- introduction of games such as the Wednesday League will help to address this. Teachers that do school sport usually work overtime and of their own free will within a highly unionised environment. It is dif ¿ cult for learners from poor homes to participate at the highest level due to lack of ¿ nancial support.

programmes through the regional academy programme and opportunities to compete at various levels. The Gauteng Sport Awards honours athletes, coaches, technical of ¿ cials, administrators and media that have achieved in their sport. Often, the people who are ¿ nalists and winners are from the smaller codes not always recognised at the National Awards. Water safety programme is a life skills programme. If swimming pools are properly maintained and local municipalities assist to ensure that lifeguards are trained as Learn to Swim instructors, the programme will expand. School Sport Service The 2019 school calendar will be remembered as a year of success for school sport in Gauteng. Team GP, as the provincial school sport team is affectionately known, managed a “clean sweep” across all championships on offer and took ¿ rst position in the National Primary Schools Athletics (Germiston, Gauteng); National Secondary Schools Athletics (Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape); Disability: National LSEN Athletics (Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape); National Winter Games (Durban, KZN); National Schools Indigenous Games (Polokwane, Limpopo); National Cross-Country Championship (White River, Mpumalanga) and the National Summer Games (Tshwane, Gauteng). True to the “Home of Champions” tag line, Gauteng has maintained its status as the preferred province for young school-based athletes. This as a result

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ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20