Hon. Mthethwa, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, South Africa;
Distinguished Hon. Ministers present
WADA Officials
Africa Regional Director,
Representatives of ANOCA
Representative of AASC
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen
On behalf of the African Union Commission, I welcome the opportunity of being here today amongst Ministers leaders and experts spearheading doping free sport in Africa and globally. It’s a rare opportunity to meet with the Hon. Ministers and top brass of Experts of your calibre to express our appreciation for the work you do in delivering the drug free and clean sport and preservation of the integrity and values of sport.
Your presence here is evidence of how serious you view the importance of sport integrity in our continent and beyond. I have no doubt that together we will continue to collaborate in our usual constructive manner to protect the clean athlete and provide a level playing for all. We express our sincere gratitude for this kind of commitment
From the outset, allow me to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Government of the Republic of South Africa for accepting to host this very important Anti-doping Forum.
Honourable Minister, Once more, thank you, thank very much for all the courtesies and hospitality accorded to us since our arrival in this historical and beautiful city of Cape Town.
This Forum being the 3rd Session, i believe this gives us an opportunity to examine the status of implementation on the recommendations which were made at the last sessions and see how Africa has performed in as far the need of adequate anti-doping policies and legislative instruments, national research strategies, education and sensitization, and relevant programmes for the fight against doping, Member States and most I importanly, Annual contributions and collaboration with Stakeholders especially ANOCA and AASC.
I am aware that South Africa is one of the leading countries that has shown a lot commitment on issues on Anti-doping. I am also aware that South Africa is also one of the countries who have an independent National Anti0doping Organization, let alone having contributed the Galant Late Hon. Dr. Makhenkesi Stophile, who served as WADA Vice President until his demise in 2016. May his Soul Rest in Peace.
As you may all be aware, the Africa Anti-doping Forum has now become an Annual event as endorsed by African Union Ministers of Youth, Culture and Sport.
It is a great pleasure and honour to be with you today to reflect on the implementation of recommendations from the previous Forums, review successes, achieved so far and explore challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. And to re affirm our joint commitment to clean sport in Africa and globally.
The African union in collaboration with the WADA Africa Regional Office has working hard to coordinate Africa’s role and policies on anti-doping.
As you may be aware, the African Union Commission represents the Africa Region on the WADA Executive Board and I wish to bring to your kind attention that whenever the matter of annual contributions is being discussed, it extremely embarrassing to look how low our contribution is as Africa.
Hon. Ministers, this one of the issues were as political leaders we need to seriously take concrete action from this Forum and ensure increased contribution to WADA.
From this Forum I would like you to make key recommendations which we can present to the upcoming WADA Executive and Foundation Board meetings scheduled for September and November this year.
As we engage in the next two days let us tackle challenges and opportunities we face as a continent with a spirit of unity and conviction. Let us preserve the integrity and future of Sport in the African Continent
I thank you for your kind attention
