January 14, 2005
By Bafana Nzimande
SOWETO is a township where the youngsters dream of becoming soccer stars, musicians or actors. But in a corner of Jabavu, a small group of people are planning to change all that.
At the Jabavu Sports Complex in White City, the group is planning to make history by producing top swimmers who will represent South Africa at the Olympics.
And the myth that "black people can't swim" is about to be disproved once and for all, warns the sports, recreation and aquatics manager for Region 6, Mandla Mdlalose.
The City of Johannesburg opened the Jabavu Sports Complex in White City only last year and already training is under way to produce top-class swimmers.
"We have two objectives with the Jabavu Sports Complex: to teach local kids water skills and to produce five black swimmers from Soweto who will represent South Africa in Beijing [the next Olympic Games venue] in 2008," says Mdlalose.
Swimming SA, the national swimming body, is holding free lessons for local primary-school children under the Learn to Swim banner. There are training sessions twice a day, every Tuesday to Saturday.
"Since its official launch, the complex has provided local youngsters with top-class facilities that had not existed in Soweto before, including swimming classes that we - the older generation of Soweto - never had in our youth," says Mdlalose.
The complex, which is funded by the City of Johannesburg, consists of a swimming pool, two grass soccer fields and two basketball courts.
"The City of Johannesburg has spent close to a million rands towards the establishment of the Jabavu Sport Complex," Mdlalose adds.
The aim is to provide youngsters with proper sports facilities and programmes that will give them "better opportunities to succeed in sports".
Mdlalose says there are plans to add three netball courts to the complex "to provide our local youngsters with more sporting options".
Different sports codes have agreements with the complex and pay for the use of the facilities. Only primary-school pupils joining the Learn to Swim programme do not pay any fees.
"Local residents practise on the basketball courts for free because we don't have many basketball games or any basketball league in the area," Mdlalose adds. However, the teams need to organise practise times with the complex management.
"We charge soccer-field users R120 per game, which contributes towards financial maintenance of the complex."
The sports complex also has ties with the South African Football Association's Soweto and Roodepoort sections.
"The success of the complex lies in our fruitful relationships with various sports and non-governmental organisations, local schools, parents and youngsters that make use of the facilities offered at the complex," says Mdlalose.
For more information about the Jabavu Sports Complex call 011 932 3403 or 011 986 0270.
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