OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 6.30pm.
THE Department of Sports and Recreation will not be wielding the big stick as far as sporting quotas are concerned, Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour said at a Johannesburg press conference on Thursday.
However, Balfour said, a meeting of all the major sporting representatives which would include the National Olympic Committee of SA, would be held in August to discuss the way forward.
Although the minister believes legislation will not be necessary, his department “will prioritise” the drawing up of a White Paper on the subject of sports transformation next year.
The basis for the White Paper will be the sentiments expressed at the “No Racism in Sport” indaba which was hosted by the department recently, and will define the framework in which each code should operate.
“I don’t believe it will be necessary for us to tell the sporting authorities how they should conduct themselves,” said Balfour after a meeting with some of the major sporting bodies, which included the United Cricket Board of SA, the SA Rugby Football Union and the Athletics South Africa.
UCB managing director Dr Ali Bacher said he was happy the minister was not going to be prescriptive.