Questions are being raised as to why IFP-led Amajuba district municipality failed to send about 250 athletes to the KwaZulu-Natal Salga Games, despite money being allocated.
The South African Local Government Association (Salga) Games took place in Richards Bay at the weekend.
The move by the district saw the Newcastle municipality forfeit the already disbursed R287,000 for councillors’ accommodation during their attendance at the games.
According to sources, Newcastle municipal manager, Zamani Mcineka, brought the matter to the councilast week, a week before the games.
During this annual sporting event, numerous districts engaged in 16 sporting codes, including basketball, chess, cricket, dance, golf, indigenous games, karate, netball, swimming and tennis.
Team Sugar South Africa expressed dismay over Amajuba’s failure to send participants, especially considering they hosted the games last year. They said this failure was unjustifiable, and called for someone in the municipality to be held accountable.
Musa Thwala, deputy mayor of the Newcastle municipality, criticised leadership for letting down the youth in the district, particularly in light of the prevalent social issues.
Thwala highlighted his frustration that the municipality only disclosed its decision not to participate in the games during the final week before the event, further compounding the disappointment.
“What message is the municipality sending? We’re dealing with serious issues like gangsterism, alcohol abuse and other pressing concerns that sports promotion could actively address. My heart aches at this situation, and there must be consequences for those accountable. We’ve instructed our district councillors to initiate a motion in council as early as January.
“Those responsible for this should leave because they lack concern for our youth. We maintain that there was ample time to explore various fundraising options for these kids. Participating in sports exposes our children and offers them opportunities that could potentially change their lives,” said Thwala.
Thwala said when Mcineka brought the matter to the council, he raised concerns about the forfeiture of the funds since there would be no necessity for councillors to attend if the district wasn’t sending any athletes.
Thwala said he suggested reallocating the accommodation intended for councillors to accommodate the athletes instead.
“I also proposed that if Amajuba failed to participate, they should formally transfer all responsibilities regarding the Salga games to us (Newcastle municipality) due to financial constraints. Unfortunately, these discussions came too late, and consequently, our youth were denied opportunities. If they had approached us about this issue around three weeks before the games, we could have taken action and found a solution to ensure our kids could participate,” said Thwala, adding that none of the councillors went to the games.
Thwala said the party would persist in pursuing this matter until a resolution is reached.
Amajuba district said due to long-standing budget constraints, they had to prioritise service delivery, reduce spending and focus more on water and sanitation provision.
It said participating in this year’s edition of the Salga Games would have meant the municipality would have to have a budget allocation of just above R3.5m to cover costs of about 450 athletes, coaches, technical officials and supporting staff members.
It said these costs excluded the amount that would have been spent on the final selection of the team to represent Amajuba district at the games.
It said the final steps to select the district’s team were unfortunately disrupted after the cancellation of the Amajuba Games, which were called off due to budgetary constraints.
The municipality said all considerations and attempts did not bear fruit, which included engaging private companies to lend a helping hand.
By not participating, we’re denying our children the opportunity to showcase their talent. Some kids from these municipalities might have been fortunate enough to be chosen. Personally, I wouldn’t be at peace knowing that children were deprived of a significant opportunity.
— Sabelo Gwala, Salga provincial director of operations
“It is also an urgent requirement that we look into plans to reduce our debt accounts to put this municipality in a better financial position. All these require that we make huge sacrifices. Our withdrawal from the 2023 Salga Games does not mean we disregard the role played by sports. Our financial situation has compelled us to take such a decision,” said district mayor Prince Ndabuko Zulu.
Zulu apologised to the sports federations, athletes and all those who were affected.
Sabelo Gwala, Salga provincial director of operations, confirmed the non-participation of the Amajuba district and mentioned that the uThukela and Harry Gwala districts also did not send any athletes.
He said Amajuba and uThukela cited financial difficulties as reasons for their non-participation. However, there was no communication from the Harry Gwala district regarding their absence.
Gwala said they would request a formal response from the district.
Expressing disappointment over the absence of some municipalities, Gwala clarified that attendance was not compulsory, despite their hopes for broader participation.
“Each municipality decides to select the programmes in which they participate. This weekend, about 10 players from different municipalities in KZN were selected for national colours in netball, and five were chosen for provincial colours. Additionally, we’ve had boys scouted for soccer and signed by professional teams.
“Therefore, by not participating, we’re denying our children the opportunity to showcase their talent. Some kids from these municipalities might have been fortunate enough to be chosen. Personally, I wouldn’t be at peace knowing that children were deprived of a significant opportunity, simply because we couldn’t participate,” he said.
Nevertheless, Gwala said the event was a success, and they were extremely happy, especially for girls’ sports after a lot of participants were selected and would get a chance to develop their talents.
Harry Gwala municipality spokesperson Ndabezitha Ntenza, said they decided to implement cost containment measures several years ago. Not participating in the Salga games was a deliberate part of these measures outlined in their comprehensive plan, he said.
“We started last year not participating. However, it must noted that we have been part of these games since their inception until last year. Once the situation becomes normal, we will be back in these games with a bang,” said Ntenza.
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