Level the playing field in our sport
SOCIAL inequality, gender discrimination, racial privilege, class domination and injustices must be challenged.
The post-apartheid journey was made “comfortable” with the removal of unjust laws but inequality remains. Sport is one such reflection of our unequal society.
Black sports officials have seemingly lost their activist and human rights voices. They have become remarkably accepting of a sports system that favours elite, wealthy and corporate sport.
There are plenty of black officials occupying positions in sport – from the minister of sport to leaders and officials of national sports federations, particularly corporate sports such as cricket and rugby.
South African sport exists in a society of discrimination, domination and wealth gaps. It represents a society of class inequalities, racial privilege and gender control.
The inequalities impact on sport from grassroots to international representation and participation.
Except for some talk here and there, they are rarely challenged. Sport, has been taken over by officials consumed by power and money.
Which black official is vocal about the inequalities? Which black official speaks about the Struggle and interconnectedness of sport and society? I am not aware of any. Yet we can see which black officials have been in sport for years, hogging international travel and positions, several of them getting lucrative bonuses.
I’m calling out to black officials and leaders in sport. Just the other day you were oppressed by the apartheid regime because of your colour. Why have you gone quiet when you see inequality staring at you, when you know grassroots sport is supported by volunteers in working-class communities, that suburban schools benefit mostly white and a minority black elite group of children and youth, that racial privilege benefits white people in most sports?
Why are you so accepting of elite and wealth control when you fought against and challenged minority power and domination? Why do you allow corporates to control sport for the benefit of profits and exposure for their businesses? Why have you allowed your being and involvement to be captured by all the elite trappings such as lavish lifestyles and domination?
Why are you afraid to challenge elite control when you weren’t scared to speak out against apartheid’s repressive apparatus? You have examples of the finest principled anti-apartheid sports leaders to guide you but you have given up and accepted the inequality, privilege and elite control.
You can’t say politics must be kept out of sport when politics is very much a part of sport. Sport is not only about elite participation, winning global titles and medals, as much of sports officialdom would like us to believe. It’s about how class control, racial privilege, gender discrimination and wealth gaps.
Several sports are controlled by white privilege and reinforce whiteness yet black officials allow this to prevail. Male hegemony keeps men in power yet black sports officials don’t challenge this. Black women get a raw deal but black officials don’t speak out.
Black officials, why the silence on inequality?
Cape Town