Minister bemoans dying municipal sport
MUNICIPAL sport is on its deathbed and there is need to revive participation of local authorities in sport if the country is to improve its performance in international competitions, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Speaking during a tour of sporting facilities in Mutare on Wednesday morning, Minister of Sport and Recreation, Makhosini Hlongwane, said municipalities used to provide platform for nurturing of sporting talent in the country.
Hlongwane who started his whirlwind tour of the 32 urban local authorities countrywide on Wednesday in Mutare, said sports facilities were being left in derelict state at the expense of talent development.
“The reason we are going around the country is that we have noticed that municipal sport is dying and it is no longer what it used to be.
“Sports facilities are being allowed to decay without any maintenance work whatsoever.
“This is a generic problem that we are witnessing in all urban centres across the country.
“We are also aware that when the economy is not performing well, be it in a nation or in an organisation, sport is sacrificed, yet we all know that the highest paid people on the globe are in sport.
“Why are we denying our youths the chance to earn handsomely through sport?
“The structures of our local authorities no longer have stand alone sports departments and that makes it difficult for issues related to sport to be articulated well,” said Hlongwane.
Speaking to delegates in a briefing held before the tour of the sports facilities in Mutare, Minister for State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Mandi Chimene, bemoaned the attention being given by the public to foreign sporting idols ahead of locals.
Hlongwane who was set to appear before a Parliamentary Portifolio Committee on Sports on Thursday (yesterday), is expected to continue with the tour of Manicaland in Chimanimani and Chipinge today ( Friday).