Nedbank hands over multipurpose sports facility to local school
This facility has a 20-year lifespan, 15-year warranty, is eco-friendly, provides lateral forgiveness on the joints, has zero waste and it is low maintenance.
JANE FURSE – Nkgonyeletse Secondary School in Mmalegasane has become the ninth recipient of a multipurpose sports facility provided by Nedbank, in partnership with the Sports Trust.
The R2m facility was officially handed over to the school on September 3, as part of Nedbank’s #PlayYourPart campaign.
Nedbank gave Marumo Gallants FC, the 2021 Nedbank Cup winners, the opportunity to contribute to football development by selecting a school in their region at which the sports facility would
be built.
“We are exceptionally delighted to hand over yet another multipurpose sports facility, this time in Limpopo. Sport development forms an important part of our sponsorship philosophy, and through our partnership with the Sports Trust over the years, we have continued to create opportunities that not only benefit
schools, but the communities in which the schools exist.
“Our sponsorship of the Nedbank Cup has also provided us the opportunity to work together with local teams and create a truly tangible impact in South African football. We would like to thank the 2021 Nedbank Cup winners, Marumo Gallants, who heard our call and played their part for Nkgonyeletse Secondary School,” said Khensani Nobanda, Nedbank’s group executive for marketing and communications.
The official handover was conducted by the minister of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, and the minister of the Department of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, with Nedbank, Marumo Gallants FC, the Sports Trust and the Premier Soccer League.
Also in attendance were Limpopo MEC for sport, arts and culture, Thandi Moraka, Limpopo MEC for education, Polly Boshielo, Sekhukhune District Municipality’s mayor, Stan Ramaila, Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality’s mayor, Mina Bahula, and Mante Mashabela of the Mashabela Royal House.
“Let me take this opportunity and applaud both Nedbank and Marumo Gallants for ensuring that the youth of Mmalegasane have access to such a world-class facility. This will assist government in reducing the current sport facility backlog.
“For us to be able to create positive citizenry, we need to ensure that our youth have access to such a world-class facility. One of the key fundamentals of the transformation report is centred around lack of facilities among the previously disadvantaged communities, and this needs to be expeditiously resolved so that we can have an active and creative winning nation,” stated Mthethwa.
The multipurpose sports court is part of the Nedbank Sport and Education Development Programme which was launched in 2010 in partnership with the Sports Trust. More than 10 years later, the programme continues to provide access and opportunities for learners, schools and communities to participate in sports.
“The multipurpose sports court is a suitable vehicle to enhance education through sport for our youth in South Africa and we are proud to partner with Nedbank to bring these world-class facilities to communities,” said Anita Mathews, executive director of the Sports Trust.
Since 2013, Nedbank has donated nine state-of-the-art multipurpose sports courts, including the Mmalegasane court, which accommodates five codes of sport on one court, namely: five-a-side soccer, netball, basketball, volleyball and tennis.
This facility has a 20-year lifespan, 15-year warranty, is eco-friendly, provides lateral forgiveness on the joints, has zero waste and it is low maintenance.
Established in 1976, Nkgonyeletse Senior Secondary School currently has 313 learners who participate in soccer, volleyball and netball.
With the new state-of-the-art multipurpose sports court, the school hopes to encourage more participation and introduce other sporting codes like tennis and basketball.
