Over E11m increase for sports

Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg delivered his national budget speech for the financial year 2023/24 in Parliament yesterday and sports was one of the biggest beneficiaries with an over E11m increase, nearly double the 2022/23 financial year budget allocation to the Eswatini Sport and Recreation Council (ESRC).

The allocation took a jump from E7 724 710 to E19 415 221, attractive by the country’s standards and also against a comment by Rijkenberg last term when he delivered the budget speech, suggesting sport was no major player for the country’s economy. ESRC, as a body governing all sports and recreation in the country, receives the money to cater for the over 30 sports associations.

The figures as seen in the Government Budget Estimates Book for 2023/24 show an E11 690 511 increase from last year’s allocation. This increment follows years of a stagnant allocation that had been ranging between over E6m and over E7m in recent years.

Allocated

According to budget speech presented by the minister, the Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Ministry has been allocated E85 million overall, as compared to the previous allocation of E65 million. This showed an increase of E20 million. From the overall allocation, it was the ESRC which received a lion’s share, it was followed by the department of Youth Affairs for Youth Development Fund with E13 798 135 compared to last year’s E12 600 000. There was no increase for Eswatini Football Association (EFA) as it has been once again allocated E5m for the three years

3-YEARS BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR SPORTS:

2021/22 2022/23 2023/24

– E7 338 474.00 – E7 724 710.00 – E19 415 221.00

running. The allocation to EFA is used to fund all the national teams as well as teams participating in interclub continental tournaments.

“If one considers this budget holistically, the E900m increase in the wage Bill is mainly for the youth, E286m increase in scholarship is 100 per cent for the youth, the E430 million in the education budget is 100 per cent for the youth and I can keep on going. These numbers are the true reflection of how this budget is focussed on youth empowerment,” Rijkenberg commented as he delivered the good news for sports ahead of the upcoming National Sports Awards next Wednesday.

Grateful

The Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Minister, Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga, said they were grateful to the government for the increment as it would increase the subvention of the councils under the ministry.

“This means that each of the parastatals, Sports Council, Youth Council and Arts and Culture Council will now receive an improved subvention, which means that the programmes that they would do will be supported both for development locally and international participation,” Bulunga said.

He said they really appreciated the increment as participating internationally required a lump sum, which was close to E10 million for all associations and national teams.

“The increment will relieve our squads from the frustration

of not competing in regional championships as sometimes we failed to fund other activities due to lack of money,” the former national team, Sihlangu mentor said.

Bulunga was also questioned about the zero allocation of a budget for a new standard to meet international standards. He said they were currently going to continue refurbishing the inactive Somhlolo National Stadium in a bid to meet the requirements by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) even though they kept changing with time. He revealed that currently, they were busy with the construction of the wall fence, but there were other issues that needed to be sorted inside the stadium. Meanwhile, ESRC, through their Communications Officer Dumsani Ntiwane, said the sports movement greatly appreciated government’s commitment towards the improvement and development of sports in the country.

“We have always appreciated what the government has been doing for our sports and with news that there is an increment, everyone should indeed be excited,” Ntiwane said.

Pivotal

He said sports played a pivotal role in the government’s development index, as sports contributed massively towards tourism and also in cutting down on government’s medical bills as sports actually countered chronic illness.

“We are over the moon with the news and would like to assure the nation that there will be a positive difference in our sports,” he said.

He finally encouraged the nation to allow them to go through the figures and study them in detail before commenting further. The budget allocation had also increased from E7.3m to E7.7 last year from the 2021/22 fiscal year.