Time to scrap race-based quotas

Let’s all be vigilant in identifying racism

WITH regard to the Ashwin Willemse incident, is it time to scrap race-based sports team quotas?

As a sport-loving South

African, I was shattered to witness Willemse’s recent outburst in the Supersport TV studio.

It was clear to me that Willemse had reached “breaking-point” and there appeared to be a great deal of pent-up anger and frustration.

With a few days having now passed, I find it very interesting to note that Supersport’s initial investigation into the matter (involving interviews/discussions with all three involved, ie Naas Botha, Nick Mallett and Willemse), found no indication that any racial/racist issues had been behind the outburst; and yet what Willemse had to say during his outburst was all, essentially, racial. Rather strange, I would say. Willemse opened with the words: “I’ve been in the game for a long time like most of us here. As a player, I’ve been called a quota (player) for a long time and I’ve worked very hard to earn the respect I have now.”

I believe one can read into this that he believes he deserves the respect that is due to him as a genuine, hard-working, achiever, not simply as a “quota player”?

Incidentally, I never regarded Willemse as a “quota player”.

For many years I’ve said that race-based sports team quotas are harming the very people that these are intended to help, ie our black sportsmen and sportswomen.

I believe that sports team quotas, like BEE, are, by definition, patronising – why should able sportsmen or sportswomen need the proverbial “leg-up”/race-based “assistance” to succeed in their chosen sport? Surely, they can do this on their own, without quotas?

I believe that most sensible or level-headed people get satisfaction from personal achievement, be it in business, the arts, sport etc, not from artificially sponsored achievement, for example the type of achievement that comes with race-based sports quotas.

For one to achieve recognition in sport (to be selected for a particular team/squad) by what others may perceive as being because of the colour of one’s skin must surely result in one having a rather hollow or empty sense of achievement.

Tragically though, even when a black sportsman’s or sportswoman’s selection has been based entirely on merit, the inevitable doubts arise as to whether the colour of his/her skin played a role in that selection.

I suspect it also remains something of a niggle for that person that “race” may have played a role in his/her selection (and he/she will never know) and could also have the unintended consequence of cheapening genuine achievement in the eyes of others.

Willemse added: “I’m not going to sit here and be patronised by these two individuals (Mallett and Botha) who played their rugby during the apartheid era, a segregated era.”

Willemse used the word “patronised”, clearly indicating, in my humble opinion, that he wants to be regarded as a man who can “stand on his own two feet” and contribute to rugby debates, discussions, reports as an equal to the other presenters (Botha and Mallett).

I believe that I understand perfectly well what Willemse was indicating by saying what he did, and I’m totally in agreement with him on that.

Consider then that we have Willemse harking back to the days when he was regarded, by some, as a “quota player” and objecting to being patronised (by whites who played rugby in the apartheid-era).

My question: What made him raise his days of being regarded as a “quota player”?

It would appear to have little relevance to his contention that he was being “patronised” – perhaps he may have subconsciously linked “quota player” with “patronising”, in his mind? I’m not a psychologist/psychiatrist, but this is what I believe he did.

I admire Willemse for saying what he said – he may have raised it in the wrong forum (the jury’s out on that) but he’s a proud man who appears to be uncomfortable with the “leg-up” that race-based sports team quotas offer.

I therefore believe that we should scrap race-based sports team quotas as soon as possible – these cheapen genuine achievement and, in a sense, patronise our black sport stars.

Willemse has put the matter in the spotlight. Let’s act on it.

ROBIN MUN-GAVIN

Berea FORMER Springbok wing and current rugby analyst Ashwin Willemse walked out of the Supersport set while live on air.

I cannot even begin to fathom why he would do that. But if social media and what’s being written in the press are correct, racism seems to be the reason.

The South African Human Rights Commission should lodge a full investigation into all allegations.

Racism does exist in South Africa. We know this is a fact.

Our own complaints at the

South African Human Rights Commission tell us that. Those who say we no longer have a problem with race relations in South Africa are either blind or ignoring the facts.

It can manifest through commentary or drawings in the media, speeches at public rallies and abuse on the internet – including in e-forums, blogs and on social networking sites.

Let us join together to be vigilant to identify racism and intolerance wherever they lie, whether it be within ourselves, our families, our neighbourhoods or city and work to eliminate them.

Let us all pledge to commit ourselves to uphold a core value of inclusiveness and respect for diversity by resolving to be welcoming, and compassionate to all people, to promote love and to stop hate, to stand up for human rights, and to work diligently to ensure that every member of our community feels accepted and safe.

In order to make our world a better place, we need to unite together as brothers and sisters, regardless of religion. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Christian, Jew, Muslim, atheist or Hindu, we need to join each other to spread faith and love. HIRESH RAMTHOL Lonehill The cover of the book about former Sprinbok rugby player Ashwin Willemse, who has elicited much concern over his walkout of a Supersport studio during a discussion of quotas. The studio told East Coast Radio on Friday the incident and motivation were complex and np pure racism was involved.