Mbalula talks up the value of education

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula says South Africa needs to produce educated athletes because pupils will not want to be coached by former players with no academic credentials.

Speaking to sports legends and federations at the launching of the National Sports Volunteer Corps in Johannesburg yesterday, Mbalula also delved into politics and without mentioning names he said future generations will demand educated "leaders" if they are to vote.

"In South Africa, going forward, I don't think you will be any leader of political significance; they are going to ask you 'ufundephi mfondini?' [where did you study?]," he said.

Mbalula said that if a president or a minister was to get approval from society he would have to list his academic credentials.

"We understand that time when you were in jail and all of that ... but today, no. Wait. Where did you go to school?

"So this thing of people just getting elected, our kids who are coming now, they are not going to entertain that thing, of being led by people who didn't go to school.

"... mama akafundanga, he is not educated and I will not vote. They are going to do that," Mbalula said.

With the ANC Youth League leadership campaigning for Mbalula to take over from ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, his comments are likely to be viewed with suspicion.

In a bid to temper Mbalula's comments, his spokesman Paena Galane later said the minister's comments were "not about anything outside of sports".

He said Mbalula was making reference to the players who will be identified through the leagues, who will be given bursaries to allow them to have academic credentials should they be used as future coaches in schools.

Sports department director-general Alec Moemi said the National Sports Volunteer Corps will be introduced at all schools.

The programme, which has invited former sports legends and administrators, including former Bafana Bafana players Phil Masinga and Pollen Ndlanya, and former 800m record holder Hezekiel Sepeng, will see them deployed to coach at schools across the country.

Mbalula called for a debate to look at reviewing the current legislation in order to give him and future sports m inisters powers to intervene in federations where bad governance existed.

He also called on the SA Football Association to look at introducing an insurance or pension fund for soccer players to survive beyond their playing careers.