Storm over Bok captain

LABELS: SOME SOCIAL MEDIA USERS RAISE ‘QUOTA’, ‘POLITICAL APPOINTMENT’

Coach insists Kolisi is ‘a great guy’ as even Siya’s marriage is drawn into slurs.

Siya Kolisi’s appointment as the first black captain of the Springboks has been, for the most part, positively received. But some have taken to social media to voice their dissatisfaction, attributing his promotion to the fact that he is black.

Kolisi has been appointed to captain the Springboks in the Castle Lager Incoming Series against England next month, while Pieter-Steph du Toit will lead the side against Wales in Washington. Both men will captain the Springboks for the first time.

Not all South Africans are happy about Kolisi’s promotion to captain by Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus.

Several posts have labelled Kolisi a “quota player”, while others have described his appointment as a “political selection”.

“Now is the time to remove the name and Springbok emblem because SA Rugby became a joke (sic),” said one post.

Erasmus has stressed Kolisi was chosen on merit, and is not a “quota player”.

Some black Twitter users have also expressed that they can’t share in South Africa’s joy, saying that in 2018, Kolisi’s status as the first black Springbok captain was long overdue – too little too late, or something that should be the status quo already, rather than a newsworthy or unusual occurrence.

Other social media users have picked up on the fact that Kolisi is married to a white woman.

This has led to some comparing Kolisi to DA leader Mmusi Maimane, saying both are examples of tokenism.

A few users also picked up on a tweet sent earlier by Maimane, in which he congratulated Kolisi, saying it was unfair of the DA leader to only congratulate him and not Du Toit, who has also been named as a new Springbok captain.

Maimane appears to have taken the criticism to heart, as in a later tweet he congratulated the two together.

Erasmus has stressed that Kolisi is the right man for the job and that his appointment is not in any way a political decision.

Responding to some of those who have voiced criticism about Kolisi’s selection as captain based on his current form, Erasmus said: “I’ve seen Siya go through some tough times this year as captain and as a player.

“But I know him as the guy who is always playing well and is a great leader.”