This would have meant national championships for school sports would not be able to continue as planned
Pressure from AfriForum leads to decision change by Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
20 June 2022
The civil rights organisation AfriForum welcomes the decision of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to reconsider the procurement processes established by the department. On 23 May 2022, AfriForum sent an urgent letter to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture regarding their decision to put procurement processes on ice, which would mean that national championships for school sports would not be able to continue as planned. This decision was based on the false pretext that the procurement process had to be radically reviewed after the suspension of provisions of the Preferential Procurement Regulations of 2017 for 12 months.
AfriForum argued that the loss of opportunities to participate in meetings should not be taken lightly, and that it could not be justified by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. The acquisition of goods and services necessary to host national school sports championships cannot be postponed indefinitely while disadvantaging young athletes in the process.
Ronald Peters, Manager of Sport at AfriForum, mentions that this decision only proves once again that the department is not in touch with the actual impact that their decisions have on communities and children’s lives. “This decision was made without considering that children have been preparing for months to qualify for these championships to showcase their talents. Participation in and achievements at these championships open doors for these children and we must not allow hard-working children to be deprived of these opportunities because of the unfounded decisions of uninformed officials.”
Peters further mentions that the organisation took note of the fact that the department had stopped the process by which the private sector obtained the necessary goods and services for hosting these championships. “This decision is extremely worrying and is completely contrary to the department’s goals in terms of youth development and nation building in South Africa. The private sector plays a critical role when it comes to the development of South Africa’s economy and these opportunities offer these role players the opportunity to make a real impact on their immediate communities.”
