The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, Arts and Culture led by the Honourable Mntomuhle Khawula collaborated with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education led by the Honourable Sipho Hlomuka to host and engage on a School Sport, Arts and Culture workshop that was held on the 07 February 2025 in Durban. This workshop was aimed at finding practical solutions to an integrated approach of finding balance between academic excellence and sport, arts and culture development in schools.
“IsiZulu sithi inkunzi isematholeni, a lot has been achieved through the school sport programme and a lot more still needs to be done to ensure that every child in KwaZulu-Natal is given an opportunity to play and showcase what is hidden as a talent in them”, these were the words of the MEC for KZN Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Mr Khawula at the proceedings of the workshop which was also aimed at bringing to life a written Memorandum of Agreement between the two Departments.
Mr Ngcobo the HOD for the KZN Department of Education also confirmed that as the Department they will ensure that this initiative takes place and they are well invested in sport, arts and culture and nurturing new talents because all sportsmen start their life journey at schools, and this will help them stay away from trouble generally.
“We don’t know where the next champion is sitting unless we give them the opportunity and unearth their talent”, said Mr V. J Balram the former DDG for the KZN Department of Sport, Arts and Culture who did a presentation on the Memorandum of Agreement that was signed and adopted back in 2022.
We now look forward to the fruitful talent scouting of the next Nobahle Mdelwa, the top goal scorer in 2022 who is now in Spain on full scholarships, and perhaps the next Edendale Technical School’s under 15 football team who represented South Africa very well in Tanzania during the SAFA tournament.