PHOTO: MEC LEBOGANG MAILE AT THE RATANDA FACILITY AMONG A GROUP OF LEARNERS
Gauteng’s Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC, Lebogang Maile, has officially opened a new multi-sport facility at Bertha Gxowa Primary School in Ratanda, Heidelberg, in a move the province says will boost school sport and youth development.
The facility will serve learners and young people from Ratanda and surrounding communities. It is designed to host netball, basketball, tennis and volleyball.
Handing over the venue, Maile said sport can play a major role in tackling poverty and social ills. “This facility will provide a safe and empowering space where learners can develop their talents and feed the desire to pursue their sporting dreams,” he said.
The MEC also praised the school’s record in both sport and the performing arts. Bertha Gxowa has consistently excelled in football, athletics and volleyball, and has also distinguished itself in music, gumboot dance and poetry.
PHOTO: MEC LEBOGANG MAILE SPEAKING AT THE RATANDA FACILITY
“Their success demonstrates what can be achieved when schools provide holistic development opportunities beyond the classroom,” Maile said, congratulating the school’s leadership, teachers and learners.
Lesedi Local Municipality Mayor Mluleki Nkosi, who attended the handover, welcomed the completion of the facility and thanked the provincial government for investing in township communities. He said township schools were built without amenities for many years during apartheid, but that this was now changing, “restoring the dignity of our learners”.
PHOTO: YOUNG LEARNERS GETTING SPORTY AT THE RATANDA FACILITY
Gauteng Sports Confederation President Vivian Lottering urged the school and community sports organisations to work together to make the best use of the facility. He said it offered schools, clubs and community structures an opportunity to develop young talent while keeping youth positively engaged. Maile reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to equal access to quality education and sporting infrastructure. “We are on a mission to ensure that no learner is disadvantaged because of where they live,” he said, adding that all new schools in the province are built with comprehensive infrastructure that supports education, sport, arts and recreation
For more information, contact MEC’s spokesperson Onwabile Lubhelwana on 071 531 4513 or onwabile.lubhelwana@gauteng.gov.za.
