The African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 hosted a Sport for Persons With Disabilities (SPWD) conference in Gaborone, Botswana from 5 to 7 June 2024.  The conference which ran under the theme, “Inclusion Revolution” attracted over one hundred participants drawn from nine of the ten Region 5 Member Countries.  Only Mozambique was not represented in the conference.  The conference was officially opened by Botswana Minister of Gender, Youth, Sport and Culture, Honourable Tumiso Rakgare who was represented by the Deputy Permanent Secretary Library, Archives, Arts and Culture, Mr Tebogo Matebesi. 

The conference was convened to take stock of the status of inclusion of persons with disabilities in sport in the Region.  In addition, participants were to validate the revised Region 5 2024 – 2028 action plan meant to stimulate growth and development of sport for persons with disabilities by 2028. 

Speaking during the official opening of the conference, Botswana Minister Rakgare commended AUSC Region 5 for placing the needs of persons with disabilities at the forefront of their sports development plans.  “I wish to commend all the delegates from different Region 5 member Countries and those that have come from other African countries beyond the borders of our Region for your resolute and unflinching resolve to change the narrative for people with disabilities through sport”, Rakgare said.  He placed emphasis on the need for pragmatic solutions not mere intentions that yield decimal results when it comes to the need to deploy unreserved efforts towards addressing challenges confronting sport for persons with disabilities. 

In his address Minister Rakgare lamented the fact that only 1% of persons with disabilities are currently participating in sport.  This was revealed in the research study conducted by Region 5 in 2023 on participation and leadership in sport for people with disabilities in Southern Africa. The research further revealed that persons with disabilities are relatively absent as administrators across all sports and at least one administrator with a disability (20% men and 10% women) work as administrators for different sporting organisations.  The other research finding was the high degree of male-bias with less than a third female-only able bodied teams with male athletes (junior and senior) having a 30% higher participation rather than females with a relatively even spread across all disability types.

The conference drew participants from across a diverse spectrum of disabilities including members from the Paralympic Movement, Special Olympics, Deaflympics, Olympic Committees, government and Sport for development Agencies. 

Part of the business of the conference was to validate a 2024 to 2028 Action Plan.  The plan focuses on four priority areas of capacity development, governance and policy, advocacy and awareness.  These focus areas are meant to drive sport for people with disabilities to another level in line with the Region 5 vision, that of being Africa’s leading sports Region through innovation and excellence.

Member countries will be expected to scale up implementation of the Action Plan for the strategic planning period 2024 – 2028.  This is in line with the Region 5 strategy dubbed HEART28.  The strategy places emphasis on heritage, excellence, agility, resources and transformation in sport by 2028.  Region 5 is determined to transform sport for persons with disabilities in the medium to long-term.  The success of the strategy and action plan lies heavily on buy-in and support from all Region 5 Member Countries.  The Region 5 CEO Stanley Mutoya expressed satisfaction with the deliberations of the three day conference.  “This has been a milestone for the Region.  What remains is for all key stakeholders to commit towards scaling up investment in advancement of sport for persons with disabilities,” Mutoya said. Region 5 continues to strive to make a difference through sport as a tool for socio-economic development.