Ngidi saga cuts to heart of problem

From the outrage on social media, you’d think that the sky had fallen on the heads of some whites in the South African cricketing fraternity. How dare Lungi Ngidi (our rising star Proteas bowler) support Black Lives Matter (BLM) while saying nothing about the murders of white farmers? That was the tenor of many of the reactions. Former national players Pat Symcox, Boeta Dippenaar and Rudi Steyn waded into the debate, clearly believing the young player was deliberately stirring trouble.

The problem was, though, that Ngidi was not making an outspoken stand or protest – he was answering a question in a measured, intelligent way.

That question related to the BLM movement, which has rocked international sport as much as it has ordinary society.

As to whether the Proteas would ever join in solidarity action, Ngidi was measured.

“It’s definitely something we need to discuss in person but we are all well aware of what is going on. It’s something we have to address as a team, as a nation as well because we’ve had racial discrimination in the past. It’s something we need to take very seriously…”

The subject cuts to the very heart of where we are, as a nation, and where the globe is, in terms of race relations. In many cases, instead of engaging with BLM, many whites have retreated into a mental laager, continuing to snipe from the ramparts.

One of the themes was that players like Ngidi would not have succeeded had they not been “privileged” in getting scholarships to top white schools where cricket is a religion.

However, had there been no colour bar on people like Ngidi competing, there might never have been Symcoxes or Dippenaars. They were effectively “quota” players because the quota was 100% white.

Denying that reality will not help us move forward as a nation.