TACKLING SPORT
Levelling the playing field
Zingisa Mvumvu: You come into a job left by someone very energetic in how they present themselves publicly. Will you be trying to match that or will you remain your cool self as we have come to know you in the legislature?
Bulelwa Tunyiswa: I must say that myself and my predecessor [Pemmy Majodina] are two different characters but I enjoyed working with her while I was at the legislature because of her energy. I have a background of being involved in youth and sport affairs therefore I have a clue about my new job. My focus is on tightening the screws because my predecessor has done a lot of work but also mine is to keep to my character and personality.
ZM: Did the appointment come as a surprise to you?
BT: I do not think it came as a surprise because there were talks about changes in government. My appointment as a person within the nine months came as a surprise because I thought they would allow other people to finish their term. But because we belong to this province, I have learnt to expect anything at anytime.
ZM: I have learnt that the handover with your predecessor was a smooth one. What would you say are the challenges facing DSRAC?
BT: Where the department’s offices are located, I am told the building was meant for milling therefore I am not sure it is conducive to house offices where people work. But the most important one is how the ministry has been relating to its officials. I think I must bring back that culture where there is a difference between the role of the political head and the administration. I think the ministry was too hands-on as a result there was laxity in terms of how officials operated. The accountability lines were very blurred. I would love these accountability lines to be clear so there is no confusion. There is also a need to strengthen policy.
ZM: What do you mean accountability lines between the political office and administration were blurred?
BT: Let me make an example. I for instance looked at the budget of sport and requested some information with regards to the funds transferred to federations to get a sense of what exactly is happening to those funds. That kind of information was not forthcoming from administration. When I as the political head requested that info I expected to get it to get a sense of what is happening in the province. What I am trying to say is that I would be more of an oversight internally so that everyone understands what is expected out there.
ZM: You speak of oversight which is what in essence you were doing in the legislature. Is that the culture you want to instil at DSRAC to strengthen accountability at DSRAC?
BT: My understanding is that our’s is not just about service delivery but more about the impact that our activities are making. Officials normally present the concept document, who is going to participate, how many people, what are the financial implications so everything is costed. That is the kind of information I have requested of the programmes the department is funding and I am still waiting for that information so that we know what is entailed in every activity we are involved in. We should know the impact and how communities benefited. We should not wait for an annual report to know those details, it should be done monthly.
ZM: Talking about funding of activities. What is your take on the funding of activities that are people’s private businesses such as boxing promoters and sport events owners and the impact thereof to the Eastern Cape people because there are differing views in this regard?
BT: I agree with those that say there are economic spin-offs for the province. Partnerships are key in terms of achieving economic growth for the province. If for instance Safa approaches the department to organise a soccer event where you are expecting international teams, that will definitely assist the province in terms of tourism, hospitality industry will benefit something and these contribute a lot to the economy of the province which in turn benefits everyone. However, we cannot fund blindly without knowing what the benefits will be for the people of the province.
ZM: What is your take on the department’s policy speech for the financial year which is not yours but that of your predecessor?
BT: The department of sport, recreations, arts and culture is not only about sport. However, I believe that sport is key given the population and statistics about those that are involved in sport. They are in the majority so we need to focus on that. The budget is never enough for the challenges we have. If you compare last year’s allocation to what is there this current financial year you can at least see the department is taken seriously. Our’s is to make sure that we do what we can with the little that we have.
ZM: Do you have a sense of the expectation by various stakeholders of the department?
BT: I have scheduled meetings with the various stakeholders just to listen to what their complaints are about but also to ensure what is planned by the department is translated into actions. The important fact though is that the policy speech has already been delivered and there is nothing we can do about that.
ZM: There is nine months left before the end of the financial year. Is this enough time for you to make a meaningful contribution?
BT: I have already told management let us treat everything as a project because we do not have time. For instance if I want to meet stakeholders, the only way is to meet under one roof instead of moving around the province. So there are those scheduled meetings.
ZM: One of the big issues in sport for years now is the talk on transformation that many feel is going at a snail’s pace. What is your personal view on the matter?
BT: The cry over the snail’s pace of transformation will be a thing of the past if everybody is involved. The role of communities and parents in ensuring that kids are supported is very paramount. But also the commitment of the people managing sport is very critical. At the moment there is a gap between politicians, the managers and the actual players. There are young kids out there who are talented and go out to represent the province and the country at junior events but no one keeps track of that talent to ensure that it is nurtured and guarded so that they do not disappear from the system.
ZM: But above transformation in terms of race, there is needed transformation on gender basis to elevate women sport to level of male sport. Your take?
BT: We need a scientific analysis of what is happening in the province. This will help us because if a particular area plays more soccer than rugby. That should be strengthened and enhanced so that you produce something out of it. But the focus is on school sport rather than creating something that is not there. Infrastructure is the main problem.
ZM: On a lighter note, I hear you played netball how far did you go with that?
BT: I stopped in High School. I am a chorister and I can sing. During our time of the struggle, instead of focusing on the formal choral structure, we sang revolutionary songs in revolutionary choirs in the University of the Western Cape. Everything was about Tambo. These days I only sing in church but also not in the church choir because I do not have time.
ZM: What would you have pursued had you not been a politician?
BT: I used to admire journalism and law so I would have probably become a journalist or a lawyer.
Bulelwa Tunyiswa was cool, calm and collected as the deputy speaker of the Eastern Cape legislature. Now, the ANC moved her to lead the department of sport, recreation, arts and culture where she replaced Pemmy Majodina. Senior political reporter ZINGISA MVUMVU caught up with Tunyiswa to talk about the new role