WATCH: Children show up for holiday fun in Johannesburg south
From netball to life skills training, Joburg’s school holiday initiatives are more than just play—they are a lifeline for the children.
Through its community development, sport and recreation, the City of Joburg (CoJ) runs its holiday programmes as one of its many key responsibility areas.
Participants are mostly school-going children and meet at various sports and recreation facilities across the city, where centre officials and stakeholders take them through planned activities during the school holidays. The children get snacks and food items, courtesy of sponsors.
On April 4, MMC Tebogo Nkokou visited the programme at the South Rand Recreation Centre and cited the importance of sports development and recreation.
Learners from surrounding areas braved the rain and cold weather to participate in their favourite sporting activities.
@comaro.chronicle Through its community development, sport and recreation, the City of Joburg (CoJ) runs its holiday programmes as one of its many key responsibility areas. Participants are mostly school-going children and meet at various sports and recreation facilities across the city, where centre officials and stakeholders take them through planned activities during the school holidays. The children get snacks and food items, courtesy of sponsors. On April 4, MMC Tebogo Nkokou visited the programme at the South Rand Recreation Centre and cited the importance of sports development and recreation.
Aged between 10 and 16, from Kenilworth High School, Crestview Primary and other schools in the area, they expressed excitement as they went about their different sporting activities in a safe, clean environment.
The programme included netball, soccer, and many other sporting activities for the little ones.
Nkokou joined the officials from the sports and recreation office and highlighted how wonderful it was to see the children at the centre, where community leaders are making their school holidays a pleasant experience. He encouraged them to continue coming to the centre and take part in these activities.
“The CoJ established these school holiday programmes especially for you because we care about you. It also gives your parents peace of mind, knowing what you are doing. We commit to our future leaders and you have our support,” said the MMC.
Thabo Nkwadi the programme’s operations manager, said the programme was not just limited to sports, as the children get guidance, counselling, life skills and general mentorship.
“The programme extends what the school does, but during school holidays, and outside the classroom,” said Nkwadi.
Bongani Mawela, a sports management master’s student at the University of Johannesburg, participated in the event as part of his studies.
The MMC’s next stop was a similar event at the Brixton Recreational Centre. There, he applauded Clr Alex Christians for his devotion to keeping the youth engaged in basketball.
He said sports unite us and keep our bodies and minds healthy while nurturing talent in different sporting fields and keeping the youth safe.
