Athletes’ voices should be heard by officialdom
the leadership of the ANC, either en bloc or at least enough individual members of the NEC and ANC parliamentary caucus.
Granted there are still honest ANC members, but most are swayed by the politics of the stomach. It would take a highly principled leader to face his wife and children to declare his intention to resign from Parliament in which he can no longer serve with a clean conscience. Their response is predictable.
“Ntate, are you crazy or have you been misled by those holier than thou, pastors and veterans. How about this house, the vehicles, your social status, our comfort and your power?” The pressure from the wife and family may be too much.
At least you can count on your Naledi Pandor, Lindiwe Sisulu, Makhosi Khoza, some members of the communist party, Pravin Gordhan, Jackson Mthembu, Mcebisi Jonas, Thabang Makwetla and others.
Some fear that without a political position their future is bleak. Imagine newly appointed ministers and deputies abandoning the honey they have hardly tasted. Place yourself in the shoes of tenderpreneurs who might be uncertain about the security of their loot. These are mercenaries who will jump ship at the first sign when Zuma goes down. They will swear they never supported him.
Sound familiar? Bantustan leaders and apartheid collaborators swore they only remained in the system to bring about democracy.
Only a highly organised civil society will change the status quo. Their chances of winning are good because they have the numbers, the time and a very good reason for changing the situation. The above observations are linked to the next ANC elective conference in December. Whether or not Msholozi stays on until December, who will take over?
Given the mess that SA is in now, we need a radical leader. This means someone who will restore order, respect the constitution, regain the moral authority of the presidency, be tough on corruption, turn around the junk status and rebuild the economy, regain our standing in the AU and the international community, narrow the Gini coefficient, give non-racialism a chance and prioritise high-quality education for all.
The new president must implement the revolutionary policy that was announced by Zuma in his last State of the Nation address in February – a radical socio-economic transformation. This assumes that such a policy can only be implemented by a leadership that has integrity.
There is so much at stake that people can no longer tolerate pretenders to the presidency who are pussyfooting.
SPORT in South Africa is autocratic with democratic processes of interaction and discussion between officials and athletes non-existent. Sports federations are not only administered, but viciously controlled, by officialdom. Athletes and players are forced to be quiet, have no voice, are never asked their opinion, have no democratic discussions and are especially treated as non-thinking participants in sport.
Across the board, in all sports federations, officials are intolerant of athletes voices. It’s not that officialdom doesn’t like athletes/players to announce their opinion. It’s about sports officials being the oligarchical bosses, demanding athletes not to have a voice. Sports officials are especially scared to have athletes/players speaking out and challenging officialdom.
With most sports federations, before an athlete gives an interview they must “get permission” and this permission is usually from the federation’s gatekeeper in the form of the communications/media person. These gatekeepers want to actually be present when the athlete is being interviewed. They will tell you it’s to guard the athlete from being misquoted or something like that. But it’s really to ensure the athlete doesn’t “speak out of line”, according to the sports federation.
Particularly in the era of social media, athletes/players are “monitored” and anything remarked about or stated on social media that the federation official don’t approve of, is immediately and aggressively taken up with the athlete.
But what are officials in sport afraid of ? Why are they representing sports officialdom as a dictatorship? Why are they so intent on controlling the minds, opinion and thinking of athletes/players and participants in organised sport?
It’s not only the officials that athletes are scared of; they also can’t question or challenge the appointed coach for fear of being dropped, not selected and sidelined.
It’s not just about silencing the voices of athletes. It’s also about ensuring the athletes have no critical consciousness. No political and social justice talk is allow; not even encouraged or supported! Can you believe this?
Athletes, players and their coaches are expected to train and participate in sport according to how officialdom sets the rules and regulations. No discussion or opinion is entertained or entered into. And the other gatekeepers are the employees in sports federations, most of whom administer sport from offices as if they own the sport, together with the officials.
Across all sports and in all sports, the athletes are trapped. They have voices that are silenced! Should they dare to speak out and give opinions, they are summoned for disciplinary action by insecure officials who rule the sport as if they own the sport.
Sometimes it gets too much and the athletes’ anger starts to boil. If it’s team action, then players stand together on a stronger foundation. If it’s an individual athlete speaking out, rarely do others support the athletes action, with athletes opting to view from the sidelines.
Top sport is fiercely competitive with selection being highly challenged and contested. With no athlete wanting to jeopardise their selection chances, they keep their voice quiet, speaking out only to close friends and contacts about their unhappiness, challenges and grievances.
The players and athletes get frustrated. They want to ask questions. They want answers. They have ideas about how sport can better deliver for athletes’ participation. Coaches dominate their thinking and behaviour. Officials silence them. There are no processes for athletes to speak out and challenge.
They are told to take up challenges and grievances through their clubs and provincial structures.
However, it’s in these very sports confines that athletes are silenced.
When representing provinces and country, athletes are briefed what to say and what not to say.
Views about politics and social justice awareness are outlawed.
The athletes/players are expected to concentrate on performance only, as if they exist outside the realm of society and it’s interconnectedness.
A thorough assessment of the state of athlete/official relationship will reveal a state of being bullied.
But really, the control of athletes voices is not only unhealthy for sport, it’s also unbearable!
Athletes must be allowed to speak without fear of being victimised, disciplined, suspended or expelled.
Dictators, autocratic and oligarchical officials in sport are harming sport.
A THOROUGH ASSESSMENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATHLETES AND OFFICIALS WILL SHOW THE BULLYING THAT GOES ON