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The Western Cape School Sport Strategy commits R130 million over three years, with 624 no-fee and low-fee schools set to receive sport equipment.
Western Cape Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie, and Western Cape Provincial Minister of Education, Jaco Londt, joined Premier Alan Winde and National Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, at the official opening of the Lentegeur Shared Facility in Mitchells Plain on Monday, 28 September 2026.
Minister Mackenzie, who inspected the site while it was still under construction in February, said the facility demonstrates what can be achieved when government departments work together to expand opportunities for young people.
“School sport is a pathway, from first practice to school leagues, clubs and federations. Through our MOD Programme, this facility will come alive after the final school bell, when support matters most. Every young person we bring into sport or a structured programme is given the opportunity to belong, grow and thrive,” said Minister Mackenzie.
Minister Londt said the facility supports the WCED’s vision of quality education for every learner in every classroom in every school in the province because it will expand participation in school sport and create pathways for talent.
He also challenged learners to take ownership of the new facility.
“The first learners who use this facility have an opportunity to set the benchmark – to create a standard for every cohort that follows. This is an important investment that will impact generations to come. My challenge to every learner is to use this facility, look after it and share it with friends so that its impact reaches well beyond the first group that benefits from it,” said Minister Londt.
Minister Gwarube emphasised the importance of ensuring that the investment creates opportunities not only for individual schools, but for the broader community. “This facility is serving 68 schools in the area. That is an incredible level of access for the children in this community. I want to emphasise to the community here today that this facility belongs to you,” she said.
Premier Winde also reflected on the importance of seeing tangible investment and development taking place in communities, particularly where it can create opportunities for young people.
“As you travel through this community, you can see that things are changing. Investment is being made and infrastructure is being developed. When I saw this facility and what has been created here, I was incredibly encouraged. These are the kinds of investments that give young people opportunities and allow communities to see that progress is possible,” said Premier Winde.
Learners of the two host schools will be the primary users of the new facility, followed by the surrounding schools, approved departmental programmes and community users through agreed scheduling. Participation will deliberately be widened to include girls, learners with disabilities, and less-active learners.
“Today we have built the fields, funded the programmes and brought the partners together, so that the next fifty years can be written by children who were given a fair start. As the people of Unchain the Plain say, maar die kinders moet speel, and from today, here in Lentegeur, they will,” said Minister Mackenzie.
The opening concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and learners taking part in sporting activities on the new fields.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Western Cape Government: Office of the Premier.
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