Hamba Kahle Saait Magiet

THE sudden passing of Primrose and SA Cricket Board of Control legend Saait Magiet at the age of 66 while he was on holiday in Malaysia this week was a poignant and powerful reminder of the deep wounds caused by the history of injustice in our country.

Magiet was a brilliant cricketer, an all-rounder of the first rank. He opened the bowling, and smacked the ball hard as a middle-order batsman. All those who saw him agree that he was more than good enough to play for South Africa.

The only problem was… he was not allowed to play for South Africa, simply because he was black.

Like so many other outstanding black sportspersons during the apartheid era, Magiet was denied the chance to compete on the grand stages of the sporting world.

It was deeply moving this week to read the tributes to Magiet, including the vivid and beautiful recollections of Cape Times cricket writer Zaahier Adams, who revered Magiet as a child and watched him play just about every weekend.

It was just as moving to be reminded that despite the terrible discrimination that Magiet had to endure, he still ploughed so much back into the game of cricket once unity had been achieved, inspiring so many Western Province youngsters with his knowledge and passion for the game of cricket.

In 2015, Magiet was one of the first 10 cricketers to be awarded a Heritage blazer from Cricket SA. Although that blazer could never make up for being denied the chance to represent his country, at least there was some official recognition of Magiet’s role in the annals of South African sport.

Today the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander and Temba Bavuma will stride out in Colombo behind their captain, Faf du Plessis, representing all South Africans in the second Test against Sri Lanka. As we applaud the runs they score and the wickets they take, let us all bow our heads in memory and appreciation of the great Saait Magiet and for all those like him who were never able to play for the country they loved.