Minister of Sport Nathi Mthethwa is proposing legislative enforcement to ensure that all federations meet their transformation targets.

On Friday‚ Mthethwa released the 2019-20 Eminent Persons Group (EPG) report where he expressed concern about the lack of implementation of the previous recommendations.

Every year‚ the EPG team chaired by Happy Ntshingila audits and documents all the sporting federations in the country to measure their progress in implementing transformation at all levels.

“Minister Mthethwa was concerned about the lack of implementation of the EPG team recommendations and went as far as proposing an enforcement mechanism using legislative instruments to ensure that all the transformation objectives are realised‚” the department of sports‚ arts and culture said in a statement released on Saturday.

The statement said that black Africans and women are still underrepresented in South African sport.

“The report highlights that more than 50 percent of the audited federations have achieved their transformation targets. Black Africans and women are underrepresented in every sphere of South African sport. Less than 10 percent of the 25 000 schools participate in sport and the Minister emphasised that this needs major improvement.”

Mthethwa added that leadership and governance squabbles at federations hamper development and transformation of sport in the country.

“The Minister raised his concern on the leadership and governance matters that have consistently undermined the development and transformation of sport in the country‚” the statement read.

“He highlighted the urgent need for a fundamental discussion of re-imagining sport in the country‚ a major part of that being transformation.”

The statement said Mthethwa went on to highlight the importance of talent identification and recruitment in the townships and rural areas.

“The Minister also added that we must sharpen our tools for recruitment of talent in townships and rural areas‚ where a majority of talented athletes come from. Minister Mthethwa urged South Africans to read the report‚ to mull over its content and reflect on it deeply.”