News and highlights Archives

Breidbach Awareness Programme 🗓

Breidbach Awareness Programme Improves the Lives of Youth Within the Community
The Sub-Directorate of the Special Programmes Unit (SPU) on the Rights of the Child is improving the local community one school at a time, after conducting a successful awareness programme at Breidbach Primary School on 2 November 2023.
The awareness session focused on the school’s pressing challenges, which included bullyism, substance abuse and crime leading to gender-based violence. Two members of Bhisho Youth Care Centre who were part of the day’s programme, relaying how a life of crime and rebellion had lasting consequences on their lives, urging the young learners to make the most of the opportunities made available to them and stray from living a life of crime.
An official of the South African Police Service (SAPS) was invited to educate learners on the consequences of bullying and substance abuse, also debunking common misconceptions that minors cannot face legal implications for their involvement in wrongdoing.
The awareness session was held in partnership with the Department of Education, SAPS and Social Development.

Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour in EC 🗓

East London Comes Alive as the Boks End Off the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour in EC
South Africans welcomed the return of their very own 4-time Rugby World Cup champions in an eruption of excitement to receive the Springboks and trophy back on South African soil as they touched down at the OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday 31 October 2023 ahead of the trophy tour.
The 4-day tour kicked off in Gauteng, just two days after the Boks’ return, making its way to the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and making its final stop in the Eastern Cape, in East London.
Crowds gathered at East London’s King Palo Airport to catch a glimpse of the Springboks as they landed on Saturday evening in preparation for the Eastern Cape leg of the trophy tour on Sunday, 5 November.
The tour route circled the city, starting from Garden Court, making its way through Amalinda main road, through Mdantsane, back to the town’s CBD, and ending off at the East London City Hall where fans had the opportunity to have their items autographed and take pictures with their favourite players.
The Eastern Cape is home to some of the best rugby players represented in the Springboks team; Captain, Siyamthanda Kolisi, Makazole Mapimpi, Jaden Hendrikse, Lukhanyo Am and Manie Libbok, as well as coaching and technical staff in the national team with the likes of Rassie Erasmus, Mzwandile Stick, Charles Wessels and Lindsay Weyer flying the Eastern Cape flag high, attributing to the city’s high spirits and immense pride at the Boks’ win.

O.R Tambo Choral Music Festival 🗓

The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture hosted the 20th edition of the O.R Tambo Choral Music Festival in East London on the 28th of October.
In celebrating the life and legacy of O.R Tambo, 27 choirs battled for the number one spot. The music festival forms part of the department’s plan to develop choral music in the province.
The festival, which has been named after the country’s struggle stalwart, Oliver Reginald Tambo, is aimed at preserving his legacy. Tambo’s love for choral music is well documented as he was a song writer, a choir conductor and member of the St Peters’ Junior Secondary school choir during his schooling years.
The choirs that participated included Matthews Singers and Butterworth Services Choir. These choirs have lifted the Eastern Cape choral music flag high and have won prestigious awards and prizes on national stages.
The department hosted the festival in partnership with the two music associations of the province, namely Guild of Choral Indigenous Music Practitioners in Eastern Cape (GCIMP-EC) and Eastern Cape Choral Music Association (ECCMA).

Umzila kaTambo Marathon Closes Off O.R Tambo Month 🗓

The Umzila kaTambo Marathon, hosted by Athletics Transkei and administered by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture in collaboration with FNB, Old Mutual, and other strategic partners, kicked-off on the 28th of October in Mbizana.

The annual Umzila kaTambo race traces the footsteps of the icon’s birthplace and creates space for athletes from all over Africa to participate and celebrate his life and legacy through sport. Culture and sport are integrated to serve as a platform to promote unity, reconciliation, peace, nation building and social cohesion.
The race encourages mass participation in sport and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, it uses sport as a tool for local economic development and supports rural development as a priority of our government.
The race included a 42.2km marathon, as well as a 21.1km, 10km and 5km race to suit different needs. All races concluded at the Mphuthumi Mafumbatha Stadium.

O.R Tambo Choral Music Festival – A Celebration Through Music 🗓

Children’s Awareness Programme to Curb Youth Drug-Abuse 🗓

The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture’s Special Programmes Unit held a children’s awareness programme on the 18th of October at Schornville Primary School.
The programme was attended by several key stakeholders including, officials from the Department of Education, SAPS and the Department of Social Development, alongside learners from a nearby youth care centre. The awareness programme aimed at educating on substance abuse leading to GBV, targeting the school’s Grade7 class ahead of their high school journey. The representatives from the youth facility appealed to the youth to shy away from substance abuse and the lasting consequences of succumbing to peer pressure.
This is the beginning of the Special Programmes Unit awareness campaign of partnering with schools to address issues faced by youth in their respective areas in a bid to promote social cohesion and nation building.

Chris Hani Jazz Festival 🗓

Cradock comes alive to the soothing sounds of the Chris Hani Jazz Festival
The Cradock local economy received a boost as jazz enthusiasts flocked to the town to watch their national and local artists perform at the Chris Hani Jazz Festival on 20 October 2023. The jazz festival was hosted by the department in partnership with the Chris Hani District Municipality and the East London Guild Theatre.
Amanda Mankayi, Bongeziwe Mabandla, Mthatha group 047 and Zadwesh were among the renowned artists that uplifted, inspired, and healed the audience with their soulful performances.
Various local artists selected from our 8 districts shared the stage with these great jazz musicians. The local artists rubbed shoulders with professionals and receive an opportunity to expose their talent.
The jazz festival is a provincial platform aimed at developing and exposing local talent. The festival provided a significant boost for the local economy.

DSRAC Hosts EC Provincial Summer Games 🗓

DSRAC Hosts EC Provincial Summer Games
Scores of young athletes flocked to East London to represent their districts at the Provincial Summer Games, which took place from the 13th – 14th of October 2023.
Schools from all eight districts competed in the selection process that determined the athletes that would represent the Eastern Cape at the National Schools Championships in December. The championships featured a range of sport and recreational codes, including softball, rugby sevens, cricket, gymnastics, morabaraba and kgati, as well as basketball, table tennis and goalball which featured both able-bodied participation, and adapted versions of the codes for athletes with disabilities.
The Provincial Schools Summer Games Championships continue to be the cornerstone of the country’s sport development as they identify and nurture school-level talent in the summer sport codes. It ensures that learners are provided the opportunity to participate in school sport activities, thus creating a platform for recognising top performing athletes.

Geneva Scholtz Women’s Rugby Tournament Fosters Women’s Rugby in the Eastern Cape 🗓

The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture hosted the Geneva Scholtz Women’s Rugby Tournament in honour of the late rugby player, Geneva Scholtz. The event was held from the 6th – 8th October 2023 in Middelburg.
The department, in partnership with the Eastern Province (EP) and Border Rugby Unions has taken a note that nationally and provincially rugby is a priority sporting code, for its potential to address gender issues and equalize the playing fields for all genders. Women’s rugby has also become one of the most successful stories in the Eastern Cape. All the eight districts were represented in the tournament, and this year, netball was also added as part of developing the tournament to accommodate various sporting codes.
The tournament is an annual sport event held in memory of Geneva Scholtz who passed away in 2013 while representing her club, Middleburg Stormers in the Eastern Province Rugby League match in Humansdorp. Geneva also represented the Junior u20 Springbok team and played for Eastern Province women’s team. The tournament is part of the department’s continuous efforts to promote social cohesion and nation building through sport.

Commemoration of the late Nkosi Ncaphayi 🗓

A memorial monument was erected and unveiled in honour of Nkosi Ncaphayi, on the 29th of September 2023 in Gwadana. Ncaphayi was a traditional leader who became known for his immense contribution to the struggle against colonial expansion and land dispossession.
The commemoration marked 145 years since the conflict between amaGcaleka and the British-led army resumed in 1877. Nkosi Ncaphayi was one of formidable Xhosa traditional leaders that featured prominently in the Wars of Resistance, also known as the Eastern Cape Frontier Wars (1779 – 1878). Nkosi Ncaphayi fought in the Ninth Frontier War at the Battle of Gwadana where he was killed in 1878. It is thought he was buried around the area; however, the actual place of his burial remains unknown.
The memorial monument was aimed at keeping the memory of his contribution, and many others who fought against colonial invasion to defend their nation, alive as well as adding to the richness of the history in the Gwadana area.

Category: News and highlights