New initiative supports the Sport for All Movement in southern Africa

TAFISA and the African Union Sport Council Region 5 join forces and launch new project for the development of Sport for All and physical activity participation.

TAFISA and the African Union Sport Council Region 5 (AUSC Region 5) are proud to announce the signing of an agreement to strengthen cooperation, develop the Sport for All and physical activity movement and build on focus areas such as gender equality, capacity development and traditional sports and games in Region 5. The AUSC Region 5 comprises 10 countries; Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. All ministers formally approved the initiative.

TAFISA Secretary General Wolfgang Baumann noted: “Alliances are needed to counteract the negative effects of the epidemic of physical inactivity. We are proud to partner up with the leading regional authority in the field to achieve the objectives set by TAFISA’s Mission 2030 and make a positive difference in the lives of citizens. We strongly believe that by joining efforts and the experiences of the ten countries we can build a better world through Sport for All.”

AUSC Region 5 CEO Stanley Mutoya said: “The smart partnership with a Global giant like TAFISA serves to endorse the credibility and trajectory of the AUSC Region 5 in the area of sports development and investment in human capital, specifically in physical activity and women empowerment. A healthy lifestyle among the 177 million citizens of this Region easily translates to socio-economic dividends which contributes immensely towards upliftment of the standard of living within all the participating Member Countries. ”

Newly appointed staff member Ms. Tsholofelo Maduma will undertake the coordination of this partnership from her office located in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development in Gaborone, Botswana. AUSC Region 5 and TAFISA will share their respective knowledge, network and expertise to promote Sport for All and physical activity as well as increase participation in Region 5. This materialises through a first 12-month project in 2019, which features three core components:

Advocacy: Streamline the inclusion of Sport for All and physical activity as part of the policies, strategies and processes of AUSC Region 5 and its member countries (Ministries of sport and National Sport Councils/Commissions). Each AUSC Region 5 country will nominate a Sport for All referent
Education: Sport managers from the ten Region 5 countries will be trained to develop and lead the Sport for All Movement including gender empowerment through the Women Leadership Programme (WLP)
Promotion: Organise the African Walking Day in all ten countries

Within this scope, a Kick-off Workshop; “Women Leadership Mentorship in Sport for All” supported by UNESCO and the Foundation for Sport and Development and Peace will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa on March 20-23, 2019. This event will focus on empowering young leaders from the ten countries to step-up and act as multipliers in their countries. During the Workshop, TAFISA’s partner Nassau will announce a donation of sports equipment to support the project in the Region.

TAFISA and AUSC Region 5 are open to contributions and partnerships. For more information, please contact Ms. Tsholofelo Maduma at [email protected]

TAFISA (The Association For International Sport for All) is the leading international Sport for All organisation, bringing joy, health, social interactions, integration and development to communities and citizens around the world through the promotion of Sport for All and physical activity. TAFISA has over 300 member organisations in more than 170 countries on all continents, and actively cooperates with other global change-makers, including the UN, UNESCO, the IOC, ICSSPE and others, in their mission to achieve a better world through Sport for All. More information is available on TAFISA’s website.

The African Union Sport Council Region 5 (AUSC Region 5) is the sports division of the African Union. The main aim of the AUSC is to utilise sports to achieve peace, integration and unity in Africa i.e. sport as a powerful humanitarian tool to bring people together irrespective of colour, gender, economic status, social class and political standing. AUSC Region 5 serves its members and stakeholders in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) by encouraging and promoting innovative development of inclusive sport and recreation at all levels, through partnerships and collaborations to promote athlete excellence. More information is available on the AUSC Region 5 website.

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