New teams transport gives rural communities a sporting chance

An active communities drive in a rural area of South Africa has stepped up a gear after the local wind farm solved organisers’ transport troubles.

Efforts by the Namakwa Sports Council to get programmes up and running across its Northern Cape district were being complicated by cost and reliability issues around travel.

Council representative Bernie Philander explained that the donation is helping people of all ages, from children at primary school to the elderly, to get involved in sport and recreational activities.

Having its own transport will allow Namakwa Sports Council to support local groups like this girl’s rugby sevens team

Accepting the keys to the MPV from Mainstream Project Officer Intern Tamzyn Joseph, he said: “We participate in sporting programmes across the district, which is vast and very spread out. So, having a vehicle of our own really helps, as we don’t need to incur the cost of hiring transportation.”

The Sports Council represents a wide variety of sports federations in the Namakwa municipality – from women’s rugby to netball, cricket and darts – and is committed to encouraging participation in clubs, leagues, tournaments and even just fun competitions.

Mainstream’s Economic Development Manager at Kangnas, Rouchet Daniels, told how the wind farm’s funding, to support sport in the Namakwa town of Nababeep, reflected its commitment to local people.

She said: “We see the value of sport in the Namakwa community because it contributes to the social development and upliftment of our community members, in addition to offering an array of career opportunities for youth and the broader community.

“Sport also keeps our children constructively occupied and builds good values and principles that benefit both individuals and our broader community.”