Don’t judge yet in Ashwin race row

It was heartening to hear one of SA’s senior MPs, parliamentary sport portfolio committee chairperson Beauty Dlulane, inject a note of realism into the heated emotional debate around Ashwin Willemse’s dramatic walk-off on national TV on Saturday. Dlulane noted: “As things are‚ everyone is venturing an opinion about a matter on which we lack details.”

She called for restraint‚ saying discussion “should not be adversarial or be reduced to myopic‚ racial narratives”. But the latter is exactly what has already happened. The incident saw ex-Springbok Willemse accusing his fellow SuperSport commentators, Naas Botha and Nick Mallett (themselves also players who wore the national jersey) of undermining him and treating him like a “quota player” – a comment he says he heard often in his playing days from white rugby supporters.

Quickly, SA has taken sides … and largely on a racial basis. And neither side will listen to the other.

Dlulane acknowledged the potential of the incident to “polarise society” because the issue of racism was the burning one confronting the country.

It is too early to pass judgment – SA must wait for the results of SuperSport’s investigation – but it is safe to say that many nonwhite people in this country feel as though they are being patronised or even undermined by whites who, in turn, believe the country is run on affirmative action principles.

Many of those who feel victimised or undermined seldom feel empowered to speak out.

It is also true that many white people are not sensitive to the hurt their sometimes thoughtless words and actions can cause.

On the other hand, there are also very strong personalities at play here: none of the three commentators got where they did in their lives because they were shy and retiring.

South Africans should withhold judgments until all the facts are known.