Gauteng Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation on successful Festive Season Programme

 The Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation is proud to announce the resounding success of its provincial social intervention programmes, #TswaDaar and #Zwakala.

These campaigns, which formed the heartbeat of the province’s festive season strategy, successfully shifted the holiday narrative from high-risk revelry to meaningful community engagement and recovery.

Launched by Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the #TswaDaar: Phuma Lapho initiative took a firm stand against the spike in substance abuse typically experienced during December. 

Through targeted social media outreach and community-based activations, the campaign encouraged individuals to “get out” of cycles of addiction. Complementing this approach, the #Zwakala (“Come Along”) campaign provided the “how” by offering residents vibrant, sober-friendly alternatives through sport and the arts.

 The success of these interventions would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our partners. The Department extends its sincere appreciation to all stakeholders, including Grants-In-Aid recipients, local municipalities, and law enforcement agencies.

 Special recognition is reserved for the organisers of the Community Games. Across townships and corridors, these organisers became frontline guardians of our youth. By hosting high-energy soccer and netball tournaments, they provided constructive outlets for talent and energy, ensuring that community venues remained spaces of hope rather than vulnerability.

 Further appreciation is extended to the organisers of the Township Arts Festivals and facilitators of the Intergenerational Learning Programmes. Your commitment to mentoring the next generation of dancers, musicians, and artists has laid a strong foundation for a Gauteng that is culturally rich and socially united.

“This festive season, we witnessed the true power of social cohesion. While many were on holiday, our community games organisers were on the ground, ensuring that our people had safe spaces to gather. From public viewing sites for the Bafana Bafana AFCON preliminary matches to the quiet corners of our library programmes, the spirit of ‘Zwakala’ was alive,” said MEC Matome Chiloane.

 The success of the festive season programme was further strengthened by strategic Major Events Funding, which transformed public spaces into beacons of national pride. 

From high-capacity AFCON public viewing sites to vibrant township arts festivals and creative workshops, these initiatives demonstrated that Gauteng can celebrate with both intensity and purpose.

 In direct alignment with the Growing Gauteng Together (GGT2030) plan, the Department is transitioning #TswaDaar and #Zwakala from seasonal interventions into permanent, year-round programme features. Through this institutionalisation, the Department is advancing Priority 1: Economic Recovery and Reconstruction.

Community-led games and arts festivals are positioned as economic catalysts, driving sustained foot traffic to township businesses and enabling a circular economy where provincial funding directly benefits local vendors, technical crews, and youth practitioners. 
These initiatives further advance Priority 6: Social Cohesion and Safer Communities, transforming townships into vibrant, drug-free spaces of opportunity and cultural excellence.

While Gauteng law enforcement agencies executed their mandates during this traditionally volatile period, the #Zwakala community games and public viewing initiatives provided safe, alternative spaces for thousands of residents.

The Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation calls on communities to carry the spirit of these campaigns into the new year—choosing good health, community safety, and always choosing to “Zwakala” for a better Gauteng.

Enquiries:
Xolani Mkhwemte -MEC’s Spokesperson
Cell: 084 513 9285
Email:xolani.mkhwende@gauteng.gov.za

Tumelo Taunyane
Cell: 083 414 7049
Email: tumelo.taunyane@gauteng.gov.za

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