We have a role to play in uplifting women

We are the children of women who carried the hopes of the community in the poverty-stricken villages and ghettos of our country. The villages and ghettos that gave life and hope to the future of this country.

We are the children of women who kept the home fires burning under severe and harsh conditions when their husbands were busy digging for gold in faraway areas. We are the children of women like Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Lilian Ngoyi, Gertrude Shope and many more who worked tirelessly for the better future design ofthis country.

We are talking of the current generation of women likeBaleka Mbete, Thandi Modise, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Mapisa Nqakula, Basetsana Khumalo, Joan Ramagoshi, and the future women of this country.

As we sit and design the National Sport and Recreation Plan for the country in the few days, we can not forget the role we can play as the sport and recreation fraternity to include the issues relating to the scourge of the disease in our country and continent.

The National Sport and Recreation Indaba is a platform to be used to better and reposition our country to reach new heights internationally.

We have invited various stakeholders - international and local academia, politicians, business and sports people, to ensure that we produce a document that can be better utilised for the future.

Let us when we engage in our deliberations note the importance of the women in the society and also join hands in the fight against the ills that continue to destroy our country.

We are one nation united under one cause to eradicate the scourge of the diseases in our community. Let's build a united sport and recreation fraternity by designing programmes for the campaign, highlighting its importance.

Let it start with us in sport and recreation.