World Cup exposes cracks, also cements
The Springbok World Cup win against the English has in many ways opened old wounds and in many other ways reminded us that despite the challenges we face in our individual economic and social contexts, there certainly are opportunities for us to tackle those challenges with a unified voice.
In Rwanda, Umuganda is the national cleanup day during which Rwandan nationals take to the streets on the last Saturday of every month. It is reported that it is compulsory for those who are able-bodied and between 18 and 65 years old; failure to comply may result in a fine. Ours should be an endeavour towards understanding that challenges to social progress cannot be attended to in binaries, but rather in understanding that nuance becomes the most important tool on the path towards inclusive socioeconomic growth.
Social development is inextricably tied to the economic outcomes of a particular society. In 2001 Filgueira and Filgueira defined social development through three lenses: improvement in the standard of living; wealth distribution, and social stratification.
The responsibility for the standard of living is largely the function of the government, its management of the economy and its delivery of an impactful social wage. Wealth distribution is both a function of the institutions that are productive agents in the economy (mostly the private sector) as well as the legislative framework that ensures fair and equitable distribution of wealth.
Social stratification exists because of the relentless fight for the preservation of white privilege as well as tribalism, the latter resulting in different tribes having currently and historically differentiated access to state resources.
The associated economic school of thought studies how ethnic and linguistic fractionalisation has negative effects on economic development. In the same vein, social stratification continues to exert itself through the division of labour (into social and economic classes) in a way that is regressive for social progress.
The social progress index was introduced by the Social Imperative Initiative, which recognised that economic measures of development often overlooked the social, environment and personal developmental issues.
SA ranks 73 out of 149 countries, scoring lowest in foundations of wellbeing (access to basic knowledge), basic human needs (particularly personal safety) and measures of opportunity proxied by inclusivity in the economy. It is quite clear that whatever is and has happened in rugby is one of many social challenges.
Rugby and cricket, in particular, have historically been associated with whiteness and have in many instances been used as a vehicle to keep qualifying black players, coaches and officials out of opportunity from excelling in the sports.
It holds true therefore that a number of factors that are hindrances to social development can directly and indirectly be associated with the history of oppression and gatekeeping, and that these sporting events are not panaceas to solving these issues. A Rugby World Cup, therefore, can be a reminder of the realities we face in SA and the associated socioeconomic disparities.
However, it also holds true that there are many other factors that are material determinants to social progress, including the government and our own failures as a black people who are both social and economic agents in the country. It is in acknowledging these very facts that it will always make sense to take advantage of all the opportunities that unite us as a country.
Sporting events have been important contributors to the general livelihood and positive sentiments of many, and that could never be a bad thing for social progress. We cannot continue to view the challenges of socioeconomic lack of most South Africans through a binary black or white lens.
● Skenjana (@sifiso_skenjana) is founder and financial economist at AFRA Consultants. He is completing a PhD in finance for development.