By REGINALD KANYANE
9 April 2025- The North West Department of Education’s South African Sports Association for the Intellectually Impaired (SASA-II) team, composed of special school learners, secured the first position at the National Age Group Summer Games. The tournament was held from 31 March to 4 April 2025, which took place at Paterson Multipurpose Centre and Queens High School in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province.
The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi said the team, consisting of 130 learners from across four districts, showcased dedication, passion, and resilience throughout the competition, ultimately claiming the winners’ trophy. Motsumi said the sporting codes played during the championship were Blackball Pool, Cricket, Hocker, Indoor Rowing, Swimming, and Table Tennis.
“The SASA-II is a member of SASCOC (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) and Inas (International Sports Federation for people with Intellectual Disability). SASA-II adheres to the international definition of intellectual disability recognized by the United Nations World Health Organisation.
“We congratulate them and on behalf of the entire department, I take this moment to congratulate Team North West. Our learners have really made us proud, and today, we welcome them back to the province as heroes and heroines,” she said.
Motsumi further said their responsibility as a department is not only to teach learners in the classroom, but they also expose them to other extramural activities like sport and music. She added that exposure to these activities contributes to good health and it also assists them to engage with other learners.
“Next year, our province in September will be hosting the South African Special Olympics. This achievement will encourage our learners to be the best next year since they will be the hosts.
“The North West Department of Education is working towards achieving the “Vision 350” of the South African Arts and Culture, which aims to foster a thriving arts, culture and heritage sector that contributes to sustainable economic development and social cohesion,” said Motsumi.
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