Johannesburg - Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe says transformation in all sporting codes is non-negotiable and is a Constitutional mandate and part of government's agenda.
Speaking at the opening of the Sport and Recreation Indaba in Midrand on Monday, he said the Indaba constitutes a broad consultative process that will involve the entire nation in a robust debate on transformation and restructuring of sport.
Reminding delegates about the key focus of the 2008 National Sport Indaba, Motlanthe said: "The indaba reiterated the necessity to transform all sporting codes in the country, reminding both players and administrators that transformation is non-negotiable as it is a Constitutional mandate and hence government agenda."
The Deputy President said he was hopeful the deliberations would culminate in a clearer transformation framework and strategic sport plan for the country.
He said while the country had made great strides in the development of sporting codes since 1994, it seemed that things had ground to a halt in some sporting codes such as soccer and the Olympics.
This, according to Motlanthe, clearly indicated that the country's development was not always up to scratch.
"[To] the amazement of many, we won the Confederation of African Football in 1996, only to start backsliding from then on, till we failed to qualify for any international competition.
"The same seems to hold true for the Olympics. Overall our athletes have been successively doing poorly at continental competitions and Olympic level.
"Many other challenges remain, such as the lingering lack of transformation in some sporting codes, both [on-field] and at the level of administration and management."
Motlanthe also expressed confidence that the indaba would afford an opportunity to all stakeholders to reflect comprehensively on sport and recreation and thus come up with a way forward that would assist with the reconstruction and revitalising of the sports industry.
"This is a truly democratic engagement where there are no holds barred in giving vent to our dearly held views about what our nation needs to do to take sport to a higher level in a manner that augments efforts for national unity, reconstruction and development," he said.
The Deputy President said efforts at the indaba should be aimed at creating a South African sport sector where the country is acknowledged as a leader in world sport and recreation.
Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula urged delegates to actively participate at the indaba so that they could develop the National Sport and Recreation Plan.
"This is not a Truth and Reconciliation Commission of sport, but this is a strategic platform of battle of ideas, so let those great ideas out, there must be no holy cows here."
Some of the key focus of the indaba is to retrace the road traversed by the people of South Africa since the death of apartheid and to assess whether the country has been able to build non-racial, non-sexist and inclusive sporting landscape.
The gathering will also explore the possibilities of a national sport movement and Olympic movement with a view to build an active and healthy nation.
