The Mpumalanga Department of Education in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Sports and Recreation and Sport Associations has
elected to resuscitate the Wednesday School Sports Days. All Public Ordinary Schools are therefore encouraged to organise themselves towards
the realisation of this injunction to foster pride, honour and patriotism in our school –going youth through properly organised, managed and
coordinated schools sport programmes. This must help to develop functional and vibrant institutions of learning and centres for community life
and to ensure increased access to school’s sport programme. It must create access to mass participation of learners in sport activities.
Principals are expected to ensure that this programme is implemented within the school curriculum and to use sports to promote social cohesion.
Principals are further requested to work with the sports structures within their jurisdiction to ensure mass participation of learners in sport
on Wednesdays in a well-managed manner
In his address to the meeting with Sports Associations and Federations, the MEC for Education, Mr Bonakele Majuba said:
“The realisation of this dream has to be a product of broad consultation, bringing everyone on board and evoke mass participation in school’s sport.
Such a product needs to be aligned to the legal framework that governs the day to day running of schools and it must not be seen as an added
responsibility but an integral part of the schooling agenda. Our view is that Schools Sports must happen naturally especially to the poorest
communities so that it could serve as a vehicle for sports careers as well as the creation and fostering of a healthy life style.
Our success in this does not need to be only based and influenced by the availability of budget allocation, it must be school based and community driven.
Notwithstanding the fact that there needs to be proper infrastructure to enable this realisation, children must be able to play and showcase their talents in an organised and well managed
space,” he emphasised.