Gauteng sporting facilities are in a dire state and lack much-needed resources, yet the Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR) has spent over R13 million on the Hanyane Wellness Programme in the past two financial years.
The purpose of the Hanyane Wellness Programme is to encourage and heighten the importance of living a healthy lifestyle by hiring service providers to conduct two-hour exercise sessions in communities.
However, residents won’t be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle or put it into practice as sporting facilities in our communities are in terrible condition.
This information was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR), Morakane Mosupyoe, in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).
According to MEC Mosupyoe, the department hosted 39 programmes in the 2021/22 financial year and 11 programmes in the 2022/23 financial year.
Below is a list of service providers appointed and the monies paid for these one-day events:
Enzomonde received R991 00,00 for an event in Klipspruit,
Thabora Project received R852 429,16 for an event at Altitude Beach,
Nyakubatsi received R893 240,00 for an event at Nkomo Village Mall in Atteridgville,
Cosmetic World t/a Flaaz Blismilla received R901 600,00 for events at Tswelepela Sports Grounds Tembisa and Zonkiziwe Sports Grounds,
ALONA Trading & Projects received R495 519,00 for an event at DKNY in Dayveyton,
Road Show Marketing received R495 181,25 for an event at DH William Hall.
It is concerning that thousands of rands have been spent on two-hour exercise sessions instead of spending the money wisely by maintaining the existing sporting facilities. This shows that the department’s priorities are skewed and lack proper planning and financial management.
Projects like the Mabaleng Sports Complex are still incomplete, the Kagiso Memorial is still not fully functional, and the residents are forced to pay to utilise the gym services.
This money could have been used to ensure that these sporting facilities are completed and fully functional to benefit its residents.
Gauteng residents need service delivery through fruitful spending of money, not this reckless and irresponsible expenditure by the department on a programme that has little to no impact on their lives.
The DA believes that Gauteng residents can only be encouraged to maintain good health, only when government provides well-equipped sporting facilities.
The DA will be writing to the Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi seeking his immediate intervention to stop the department’s reckless spending on programmes that do not have an impact on the lives of Gauteng residents.