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EC GOVERNMENT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY MILESTONE IN BHISHO 🗓

The Amacal’egusha Cricket Board, formerly known as the Border Cricket Village Board, concluded one of its annual tournaments on the 4th January 2024 at Masingatha in Qonce at the Amacal’egusha Cricket Oval.
The Interboards Tournament is held annually on the 2nd of January and proceeds for a period of 3 days featuring games played by 11 cricket unions from around the Middledrift, East London, Qonce and Peddie area. This year, the final concluded with a match between the Amagasela Cricket Club and Thanduxolo Club. The match saw to the Amagasela Club claiming the championship title, defeating Thanduxolo Club by 8 wickets. Amagasela receive this victory after trying for this championship title for the past three years against Mbeka Mkhupha Club.
The Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, the late Mr Ngumbela and Border Cricket have been proud sponsors of the tournament who continue to ensure that the tournament is able to take place on an annual basis. The department ensures to the team’s transportation, catering for the duration of the tournament, as well as offering assistance towards prize winnings. This contribution ensures that the board is able to host a successful tournament and ensure that there is mass participation in cricket in the boarder area.
Mr Rana, president of the Amacal’egusha Cricket Board, described Amacal’egusha cricket as an academy that prides itself in prioritizing rural sports development, providing a platform for rural cricket players to sharpen their skills and promote interest in rural cricket. Amacal’egusha has produced renowned black cricketers like Makhaya Ntini, Mfuneko Ngam and Monde Zondeki who have all played for the South African national cricket team.

TEAM EC BAGS 2ND PLACE IN SWIMMING NATIONAL SCHOOL SPORT CHAMPIONSHIPSNgumbela Cricket Tournament Championship 🗓

Residents from Fort Beaufort and the surroundings took to the cricket grounds to catch the tournament’s fiery final between Tubs and Lamyeni Hard Catch on the 7th of January 2024 at Ngumbela Park, Healdtown.
The championship has been hailed for its development to rural cricket in Fort Beaufort from its humble beginnings in 1989. The cricket tournament celebrated its 35th year in existence after the late founder, Mthetheli Ngumbela, founded the tournament in a bid to resuscitate the sport in Fort Beaufort and the surroundings areas. Ngumbela discovered that creating a culture centred around sport was the answer to the surge in crime, violence, substance abuse, and violence that was rife during festive seasons.
Tubs were the victors and crowned champions, walking away with a prize money of R30 000. Individual talent was also on full display with players who performed exceptionally during the tournament earning various titles: Akhona Rhatyana won the Bowler of the Tournament award with a record of 30 wickets in 8 games, a cherry on top of the Tubs victory. Sinethemba Tshomela was awarded the Batsman of the Tournament title. Tubs player, Emihle Mgoqi received the Man of the Match award with a record of 71 runs with ten 4s and two 6s. Tubs triumphed over Lamyeni Hard Catch by 7 wickets.

Isingqisethu Cultural Festival 🗓

The Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe led the annual cultural festival, Isingqisethu in Port St Johns over two days on 2nd to 3rd December 2023.

MEC Kontsiwe believes that Isingqisethu helps the province promote its unique identity through arts and culture. Furthermore, it enables the province to celebrate unity in diversity and brings people from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and diverse ethnic groups together.

The festival saw performances from renowned artists and local artists sharing the stage and expressing their talents through art, dance, and music. The national artists inspired, interacted, and engaged with emerging artists in the form of motivation and capacitation.

The festival featured an outdoor setup encompassing craft displays, a diverse array of African cuisine, and performances ranging from indigenous to contemporary renditions.

The event entailed kiddies entertainment, fashion show with designers representing the Districts and the Metros of the EC, and crafters.

The objectives of Isingqisethu Cultural Festival are to preserve the rich artistic tapestry of Eastern Cape through arts and culture, improve market access and grow the economy through creation of job opportunities.

The cultural tourism aspect was lifted as performances attracted music revellers from all over the province and beyond, bringing much needed economic stimulus to the area.

DSRAC Hosts 11th National Youth Camp 🗓

In a bid to promote social cohesion, nation building and national identity using sport and recreation as a catalyst, the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture in partnership with National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture are hosting the 11th National Youth Camp which is underway from 3rd to 8th December 2023 at the Christian Bush Camp, East London.

The National Youth Camp is a forum for young people to engage on issues affecting them within their communities. It is an environment for positive social interaction amongst youth and the ability for them to work cooperatively with all races, ethnicity, gender, class, language, and creed.

About 90 learners in grade 10 will participate in this year’s edition and they were selected from the 8 districts of the province. The selection was based on an Olympiad test written to test their general knowledge of sport, recreation and information surrounding the community and life.

The topics that are covered at the youth camp include: community services, gender-based violence (GBV), bullying, health education, sport and recreation as well as character building.

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.

Category: News and highlights